In this article, the author discusses the real solutions to the problems of Aboriginal children in Canada that seem so numerous--impacts of residential school, poverty, poor housing, racism, and over-representation in child welfare care. These are complex issues, but the author has come to believe that the most promising responses, at least in…

Discusses community economic development (CED) and its importance as an approach to fighting poverty, an important dimension of any discussion of sustainable development. Offers the best examples of CED from the Canadian experience. (JOW)

Identifies the major themes that have emerged in this special issue on child welfare in Canada, and presents a critique of the policies and practices now dominating the Canadian child welfare enterprise. Outlines the changes required to move child welfare from its residual stance into an enterprise that develops a capacity for innovative practice.…

Asserts that education is the best long-term answer to hunger and disease. Poor families, which have 2.2 times higher the high school dropout rate than do nonpoor families, are much more susceptible to disease, accidents, death, and hunger. The U.S. and Canada have the highest level of poor children among industrialized countries. (DG)

Explores prospects for self-government for the Native peoples of Canada. Reviews the historical background of the Native community's loss of political autonomy. Explains how missionary efforts and the ethnocentric views of Europeans disrupted the community's culture and individual families. Identifies education as the key to effective self-rule in…

Observes that, although Canada enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world, children now make up its largest group of poor people. Reports that there are five million functionally illiterate Canadians, one-third of whom are high school graduates. Calls for a major overhaul of Canada's educational system. (SG)

As Canada's opportunities to claim international leadership are assessed, the best prospects lie in a combination of our impressive higher education and research commitments, civic and institutional values, and quality of life. This paper concludes that as an exporting country, the benefits will come in economic growth. As citizens of the world,…

Frequently implicit in Canadian social policy addressing other issues, family policy is generally assumed to be a good thing, is bound up with social structure, and, when made explicit, is prescriptive and potentially embarrassing to government. Historically important as a forerunner of more recent income assistance programs, the provision of…

Illustrates the assertion that Canada's constitutional protection of minority rights has been used throughout history against the poor to protect the rich. Gives several examples of government policies and actions against the poor, against immigrants, against workers, and against native Canadians. (Author/GC)

Examines Canadian child care and child care policy in light of four goals: alleviating poverty, fostering equality for women, providing early education and child development services, and promoting economic well-being. Examples are provided to show the practical application of policy to meet each of the goals. An analysis of current child care…

Children comprise the largest group of poor Canadians. While childhood poverty is closely related to a number of factors pertaining to the structure and functioning of families, such as parental marital status and wage-earning patterns, the poverty of children is a consequence of the poverty of families. As such, childhood poverty can be reduced…

Allowances for mothers in the prairie provinces of Canada originated when long-term trends converged at a time of unprecedented social, economic, and political crisis for the state. One crisis condition, World War I, afforded an opportunity for the proponents of both female emancipation and prohibition to combine and force concessions from the…

Socioeconomic status is strongly related to student learning by shaping the family culture. Strong family cultures provide children with intellectual, social, and emotional capacities that greatly improve their chances of school success. The wider community also contributes to the capacities needed for school success. Therefore, a variety of…

Suggests that children, as the nation's most precious social resource, are the shared responsibility of parents and government. Argues that current efforts to scale back social welfare programs in Canada need to be reversed, so as to provide children, and families with children, a decent minimum standard of living. (MDM)

Examines cultural conditions necessary for children's development in day care settings, using Bronfenbrenner's Ecology of Human Development. Considers the parental role in this context; also the relationship between educators and parents, with a view to creating culturally appropriate conditions for the developing child. Discusses policies and…