Vulnerable Children: Alternative Reports and Research Reports

Alternative Reports for the 5th/6th Review of Children’s Rights in Canada

First Nations Children:

     Canada’s Ongoing Racial Discrimination Against 165,000 First Nations Children and Their Families: First Nations Family And Caring Society Report

This report, prepared for the 5th/6th review of children’s rights, documents violations of the rights of First Nations children and proposes The Spirit Bear Plan, a series of actions to end inequalities in all public services for these children.

    Justice and Safety for Urban Indigenous Children and Youth in Canada:  Association of Friendship Centers in Canada Report

This report focuses on the situation of  Indigneous children and youth who live in urban centers in Canada, which includes First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children and makes recommendations for actions to realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

     Canada’s Record on the Rights of Indigenous Children:  Native Women’s Association of Canada report

This report brings together recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, the Report on Missing and Murdered Women, and previous reports and visits by UN Committees with regard to the rights of indigenous children.  It also provides an analysis of recent changes in indigenous child welfare.  It includes questions that Canada needs to answer for accountability on children’s rights. 

Discrimination against First Nations Children: Alternative report by the Canadian Human Rights Commission

Evidence of violations of the rights of First Nations children is provided in this report, along with systemic implementation issues, and other vulnerable groups.

Discrimination against First Nations Children, Violence against Indigenous Girls, and Mercury Poisoning at Grassy Narrows: Amnesty International Alternative Report

This report provides evidence on a number of issues relating to the rights of indigeneous children, along with other vulnerable groups such as inter-sex children and Canadian children in northern Syria.

     First Nations Water Rights: Drinking Water Advisories as a Violation of Children’s Rights:  Save the Children Canada Report

This report, prepared for the 5th/6th review of children’s rights, analyzes the right to water as a children’s right and the situation and impacts for First Nations children who lack access to clean water.  It provides information that is missing in Canada’s official report.  It presents recommended actions to fulfill the right of children to have access to clean water.

 Water Crisis in First Nations Communities:  Submission by Human Rights Watch. 

This report analyzes the water crisis in First Nations Communities as a violation of children’s rights.  It also addresses Canada’s role in protecting education during armed conflicts.

Children with Disabilities:

   Report by the Participation and Knowledge Translation in Child Disability Laboratory

This report, prepared for the 5th/6th review of children’s rights, provides information about children with disabilities in Canada and the need for better data, analysis, and monitoring to protect their rights.   It addresses rights in education, health, and recreation.  It analyzes and recommends improvements for children in the Accessibility Act and the National Autism Strategy, as well as other policy areas.

Fact Sheet on Children with Disabilities Children with Disabilities: Time for Action

This Fact Sheet was prepared to highlight actions Canada needs to take to implement the rights of children with disabilities, under two Conventions that Canada has ratified.

   Children with Disabilities in Alternative Report by Canadian Human Rights Commission

Evidence relating to the rights of children with disabilities is included in this report, along with systemic implementation issues, and other vulnerable groups.

Children in Racial Minority Groups:  Report by Colour of Poverty/Colour of Change, with 10 associated agencies and persons.

This report provides evidence on a range of issues that affect the realization of rights by children in racial minority groups, along with recommendations.

Homeless Youth: Duty to Assist: Accelerating Canada’s Obligations Under General Comment No. 21:  Report by A Way Home Canada.

This report, prepared for the 5th/6th review of children’s rights, provides information about the factors that contribute to youth homelessness and what could be done to prevent it.

It introduces the Duty  to Assist, a child rights principle that is implemented in other countries and could make a big difference for the prevention of youth homelessness in Canada.

Children with Incarcerated Parents: Children’s Rights Analysis  by the Canadian Friends Service Committee

This report provides an analysis of the situation of children with incarcerated parents, discussion of their rights, and suggestions that would benefit the whole criminal justice system.

Children in the Refugee System

Immigration Detention of Children in Canada:  Report by Human Rights Watch and the University of Toronto International Human Rights Program

This report provides a detailed analysis of the use of detention of children who claim asylum in Canada.

Children Brought to Canada to train as Buddhist Monks:  A report that applies the Convention to a particular situation in P.E.I. 

This report asks questions about the duty of federal and provincial governments to protect the rights and best interests of children brought to Canada to be trained as Buddhist monks.

Inter-sex children:  Amnesty International Report and Canadian Human Rights Commission Alternative Report

Evidence relating to the rights of inter-sex children are addressed in these reports, along with issues affecting other vulnerable groups in Canada

Research Reports

Canada Child Benefit Leaves Out Some Children

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is designed to help all families with the cost of raising children.  New research shows that rules set by the Canada Revenue Agency leave out some children, even though their parents may be paying taxes.  Children whose parents have irregular immigration status are not eligible for the CCB, even though they are considered residents for the purpose of paying taxes.  Discrimination against a child in a universal program, based on the immigration status of parents, violates Canada’s duties under Articles 2,6,26, and 27 of the Convention.

Read the full research report (pdf), prepared by the Income Security Advocacy Centre, Campaign 2000, the Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, and the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario.

Child Welfare and Children’s Rights:

A discussion paper, prepared by the CCRC, asks questions about provincial child welfare systems, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  It calls for substantive reform to protect the rights of children across the country.

 

 

Child Rights Under Review