Children will benefit from some of the new initiatives included in the 2019 Federal Budget. But the lack of a coherent policy framework means that children will also continue to fall through the cracks of a patchwork of programs. Each one addresses a part of what children need to develop their full potential; there is …
Read more “Pieces Need a Coherent Plan for Children: Budget 2019”
Canada received 245 recommendations from other countries to improve how it implements human rights, including children’s rights. The response is a missed opportunity to make and show progress in Canada. It shows that not much has changed in practice, in spite of ministerial level statements about improving implementation in Canada. The forthcoming review of children’s …
Read more “Children’s Rights in Canada’s Response to the UPR”
The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC) welcomes the official release of Canada’s first Federal Poverty Reduction Strategy. It signals clear recognition of the need for focused and coordinated attention to address the long-standing challenge of poverty, including child poverty, across Canada. In particular, the framework is noteworthy for setting targets, using multiple …
The CCRC welcomes the development of a national youth policy and supports the initiative to consider the views of young people in its development. This is one step toward realizing the rights of young people. In a letter to the Prime Minister, who is also the Minister of Youth, the CCRC recommends two strategic directions: …
In 2012 Canada was specifically asked to address the high incidence of obesity in children by, among other steps, “ensuring greater regulatory controls over the production and advertisement of fast food and unhealthy foods, especially those targeted to children. (Concluding Observations, paragraph 64, CRC/C/CAN/CO/3-4, page 15) This was one recommendation among many in the last review …
The CCRC calls for three steps to address the concerns related to marijuana use and young people in an Open Letter to Federal and Provincial Governments: Consider all the rights of young people through a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment of Bill C-45 Implement a comprehensive youth strategy, that includes support services as well as public …
Governments in Canada are starting to prepare for the next review of children’s rights and so is the CCRC. July 2018 is the deadline for Canada to submit an official report on implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Canada. A key focus is action on the recommendations Canada received in …