School-aged children across Canada: A patchwork of public policies

Excerpt from press release: Achieving positive outcomes for all of Canada's children requires a sustained public commitment through all ages and stages of development, and not just the early years. Under the National Children's Agenda, Canada's governments are taking steps to support early childhood development. But these important initiatives and investments risk being undermined if they are not matched by measures to support the subsequent stages of children's development. A new study from CPRN examines public policies in place for school-aged children and their families across Canada with an eye to assessing the adequacy of that support. "School-aged children across Canada: A patchwork of public policies" is written by Rianne Mahon, Professor at the School of Public Administration and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University. Included are detailed policy inventories prepared by Family Network Researcher, Caroline Beauvais, documenting initiatives affecting school-aged children, federally and in all 10 provinces. The study promises to be an essential reference for policy analysts, researchers, journalists and students.... ....While there are differences in policies and philosophy from province to province, Mahon finds a number of common themes: - a focus on prevention - all are trying to integrate service delivery and "to break down the silos" - growing emphasis on local responsibility - recognition of the importance of culturally appropriate services However, fiscal pressures over the past two decades have also resulted in a move away from comprehensive policies towards targeted programs, and that shift has its price.... ...The current study outlines many initiatives designed to meet the needs of school-aged children, but it also uncovers inconsistencies and inequity.