This report assesses how well Canada is implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  It makes recommendations for improvements in specific areas of child development and for tools to promote respect for all rights for all children.

Summary of key points:  Key Points about the CCRC Alternative Report

Full Report in English: CCRC report on rights of children in Canada

Full Report in French:  Mise en oeuvre de la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant

Research Reports on Specific Themes

The following research reports  provide more details on specific themes in the consolidated report.  Note:  Due to limited resources,  the research reports are only available in English.

General Measures:  tools to implement all rights for all children.  For additional information see a research report prepared by UNICEF:  Not There Yet – Canada’s implementation of CRC general measures – UNICEF

 Violence against Children:  For a more detailed analysis of violence in the family, schools, community and sport:  Working Document – Violence Against Children Research Report-update Sept 2011

Sexual Exploitation: Canada submitted its first report on implementation of the Optional Protocol on Sexual Exploitation (OPSC) in 2009:  canadas-first-report-on-op-sec.  CCRC did a community-based analysis of the situation in Canada: working-document-sexual-exploitation-research-report.

 Healthy Conditions and Health Care: Research reports on children’s health by government officials, academics, and NGOs point in the same direction.  Below are reports used in the CCRC analysis:

• “Their Future Is Now,” Council of Ministers of Health:their-future-is-now.
• “Are We Doing Enough?”  Canadian Paediatric Society: are-we-doing-enough-cps-report
• “Growing Up Well,”  State of Public Health Report 2009: Available at:www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cphorsphc-respcacsp/2009/cpho-acsp08-eng.php
• “Children’s Health Policy, Part I”: raphael-part-1-childrens-health-policy;” Part 2:raphael-part-2-childrens-health-policy;Part3:raphael-part-3-childrens-health-policy” Part4:raphael-part-4-childrens-health-policy.

Workplace Exploitation: Research report on  conditions of work and safety for young people: working-document-workplace-exploitation-research-report.

 Education: This analysis of the right to education addresses access to education, quality of education under article 29 of the Convention, and teaching children about their rights: working-document-on-right-to-education-research-report.

Awareness of Children’s Rights:  For guidelines on youth participation in monitoring children’s rights, go to: Guidelines_for_Child_Participation_in_CRC_Reporting

Youth  Justice System: This research report addresses children’s rights in the justice system. It pays particular attention to current proposed changes.  Bill C-4, under consideration at the time of the research, has now been incorporated into Bill C-10: working-document-youth-justice-research-report.

See also CCRC commentary on Bill C-10: Young People and Bill C-10 – CCRC Statement

 Right to Play: This is the first  detailed research report on implementation of the right to play in Canada, using article 31: working-document-on-right-to-play-background-research.

Early Childhood Development and Care:  The CCRC report draws on a number of detailed research reports:

• A Tale of Two Canadas: Implementing Rights in Early Childhood,”  by the Childcare Advocacy Association of Canada, February 2011: a-tale-of-two-canadas-implementing-rights-in-early-childhood.
• The Well-being of Canada’s Young Children 2008,” by the Government of Canada, c. 2008; early-child-development-government-report-2008
• Early Childhood Education and Care: Next Steps,” by the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology, c. 2009. early-childhood-senate-report
• Letter in Response to Senate report on “Early Childhood Education and Care: Next Steps;” by the Minister of Human Resources and Development, c.2009. early-childhood-goc-response-to-senate-ecec-report-2009.

Right to Family and Culture: This research focuses on  children who leave the child welfare without having support from a secure, long-term, supportive family, and what needs to change for them to realize their rights:working-document-right-to-family-and-culture-research.

Children with Disabilities: Canada recently signed a new Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  This research address rights under both conventions:  children-with-disabilities-research-document.

Aboriginal Children: Canada’s Auditor General has named the living conditions of aboriginal children as a top priority for attention.  So have others.  Read a summary of the issues and proposed actions:Aboriginal Children – Working Document

Child Welfare and Children’s Rights:  A detailed research report, prepared by young people with direct experience in the child welfare system will be posted here as soon as it is publicly available.

Canada’s Official Report for the Third Review

Canada submitted its official Third and Fourth Report on implementation of the Convention on November 20, 2009.  For a copy of the government report: canadas-third-and-fourth-report-on-crc.