Children and Youth Action Committee -

Status Report on the Report Card

The Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee recommends the adoption of the recommendation of the Children and Youth Action Committee embodied in the following communication (December 3, 1998) from the City Clerk, subject to adding to the recommendations of the Report Card Working Group the following RecommendationNo. (6):

"(6)that the Report Card be submitted to the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee, and Council, by April 1999.":

Recommendation:

The Children and Youth Action Committee recommended to the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee the adoption of the following recommendations contained in the report (November 19, 1998) from the Report Card Working Group:

(1)that the Vision for Children be confirmed;

(2)that the Report Card Conceptual Framework be adopted;

(3)that program representatives be appointed by the appropriate sectoral officials to the Technical Working Group;

(4)that sectors expedite access to their program's data by the Technical Working Group; and

(5)that appropriate sectoral officials propose realistic benchmarks for programs under their jurisdiction.

Background:

The Children and Youth Action Committee on November 23, 1998, gave consideration to a report (November 19, 1998) from The Report Card Working Group submitting a status report on the Report Card.

Mr. Marvyn Novick, Ryerson Polytechnic University, provided a verbal report on the Report Card.

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(Communication dated November 19, 1998, addressed to

the Children and Youth Action Committee,

from the Report Card Working Group)

As directed by the Children and Youth Action Committee (CYAC), a Framework for the Report Card has been developed and is described in the attached document. Used in conjunction with the collective Vision for Children developed through extensive community consultation, this framework provides the basis on which the Report Card on the Status of Children in the City will be developed. To produce the Report Card for release in March 1999 as planned, it is critical that the CYAC today approve the recommendations contained in the attached report.

Respectfully submitted by The Report Card Working Group

Framework for the 1999 Report Card on

The Status of Children in the City of Toronto

Introduction:

The development of a Report Card on the Status of Children in the City of Toronto is an important initiative being sponsored by the Child and Youth Advocate and the Children and Youth Action Committee. On June 3, 1998, a large group of professionals concerned about children's well-being met to discuss their vision for children and how the City's progress on behalf of children might be best measured. City-wide community meetings hosted by Councillors were held to validate the vision and discuss success indicators for local communities.

A small working group co-chaired by Marvyn Novick and Marna Ramsden has developed the attached conceptual framework and workplan that would allow publication of a Report Card in the early spring of 1999. In order for the project to proceed quickly and successfully, the partners in the process from the municipal, education and child welfare sectors must take the following action:

(1)appoint program representative(s) to the Technical Working Group. The individual(s) must have the technical capability, knowledge and authority to act on behalf of the program area represented in the collection and interpretation of data;

(2)make available to the Technical Working Group the data required; and

(3)propose realistic benchmarks for their areas of responsibility.

The Report Card Framework:

It is accepted as given that:

-There is a vast amount of knowledge about various determinants of healthy child development and the associated short and long-term outcomes for children.

-That children's experiences in the first two years of a child's life are extremely important determinants of future development. The research results point not only to the tremendous benefits of providing stable and stimulating environment to the infant child, but also to the dangers of neglect, lack of stimulation and inconsistent and negative parenting practices.

-While many poor outcomes for children are associated with low family income, the elimination of poverty is not by itself a sufficient condition or guarantee of better outcomes.

-While pressure must be maintained on the national and provincial governments to take significant action to address child poverty, we, as service professionals, community members and councils must also focus on preventing and eliminating the long-term effects of poverty.

-Undoubtedly, the child's family has the greatest impact on long term developmental outcomes. In fact, it also has the primary responsibility for the outcomes. But, any family that lacks economic security, safe and stable housing, and access to community supports and resources is unlikely to be able to fulfil its role. That child's potential most likely will not be reached. Nor is their childhood likely to be healthy, happy and content.

Recommended Framework:

The overall approach to the Report Card is depicted in Chart 1.

The framework builds upon the knowledge of determinants of child well-being. In general, the determinants lead to short and long term outcomes that can be measured. These outcomes can in turn become determinants of future outcomes. For example, access to preschool developmental experiences will affect the extent of school readiness, which, in turn, affects the educational outcomes in later grades. It is critical to the framework that the predicted outcomes can be modified (positively and negatively). Some indicators are suitable for benchmarking because they can represent positive states affecting future well-being of children. The benchmarks should be consistent with the "Vision for Children" and related strategies.

Vision for Children:

Vision for Children is a summary of what we learned from consultation with both the public and service professionals in this City. A vision for children will be a part of the foundation on which this City's Social Development Strategy is built. This vision also underlies the approach to the Report Card, and drives the indicators that we choose to measure, the benchmarks we set and strategies we adopt to make progress on behalf of children in this community.

The Vision for Toronto's Children

-Regardless of the socio-economic status of his/her family and community, every child has the right to childhood experiences which promote the chances of developing into a healthy, well adjusted and productive adult.

Determinants and Outcomes:

The Report Card will not present strategies leading to the achievement of the common vision. It will, however, present outcomes, and compare them against defined benchmarks and long term goals. The indicators and benchmarks will be determined in the first round by the participating partners from education, community services, public health, recreation and child welfare sectors. Benchmarks should be:

-locally actionable;

-measurable;

-sufficiently ambitious; and

-realistic.

It is important to recognize that often the achievement of a benchmark requires inter-sectoral co-ordination and co-operation. It is therefore important for everyone to understand why a particular indicator has been selected for benchmarking and what the benefits of achieving a particular target are. In focusing on the equalization of outcomes for children, it is proposed that the benchmarks be set empirically according to the experience of children in those communities with a prevalence of positive outcomes. Building on research that clearly demonstrates a "gradient" or a correlation between positive outcomes and income, the benchmarks aim to minimize and ultimately eliminate the effects of income (Chart 2).

Chart 3 illustrates the conceptual framework for development of indicators. The main determinants of child well-being are all represented.

The determinants of child well-being:

-Health;

-Safety;

-Economic security;

-Readiness to learn;

-Positive parenting and secure attachment;

-Family resources and capabilities;

-Community assets and resources; and

-Infrastructure and policy frameworks from all three levels of government.

In order to facilitate the development of the benchmarks in the short time available, the following list is being recommended.

Health:

Children be born healthy:

-Minimize unwanted pregnancies (public education).

-Pre-natal care (no unattended pregnancies).

-Minimize risk behaviours.

Children stay healthy:

-Immunization.

-Adequate nutrition.

-Nurturing care.

-Access to specialized services.

Safety:

-Free of violence.

-Free of abuse.

-Free of neglect.

-Safe environment.

-Access to Child Welfare services.

Economic security:

-Stable, affordable housing meeting minimum standards.

-Sustainable employment.

-Parental supports.

-Child care.

-Parental leave.

-Income security.

Access to developmental opportunities:

-Stimulating environment at home.

-Early childhood education.

-Access to services for children with special needs.

-Recreation and skill development activities.

Positive parenting:

-Parent education.

-Resource centres.

-Access to specialized services.

-Community supports.

The actual indicators and benchmarks will be initially confirmed by the program representatives from the three main sectors; the Report Card will explain why a particular indicator has been selected for benchmarking. In order to assist communities, service professionals and politicians in the meaningful interpretation of data and the development of relevant strategies, data should be presented at the lowest available geographical level. In most cases this means that data should be aggregated up to census tract level. As with the original report card, wherever possible the data will be mapped.

When approval for the Report Card Framework has been confirmed, a technical team will be assembled to begin the process of gathering and analyzing data. It is clear from the original consultations that there are potentially many more indicators than can be practically absorbed within the body of the main Report Card. However, it should be possible to structure the Report Card in such a way that individual sectors could attach a much wider and more detailed array of information in sectoral reports. For example, the report on Status of Child Care being prepared separately under the auspices of the CYAC can act as a reference point for the readers of the Report Card who require more in-depth analysis of child care services available to families in Toronto.

Summary of Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)The Vision for Children be confirmed.

(2) The Report Card Conceptual Framework be adopted.

(3)Program representatives be appointed by the appropriate sectoral officials to the Technical Working Group.

(4)Sectors expedite access to their program's data by the Technical Working Group.

(5)Appropriate sectoral officials propose realistic benchmarks for programs under their jurisdiction.

(A copy of each of Charts 1, 2 and 3, referred to in the foregoing report, was forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee for its meeting on January 14, 1999, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)