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There are
more than nine million families with children in Canada. CICH's mandate
includes ensuring each of those children has a voice, and that it is
heard at all levels of government, by industry, by health care professionals,
and by all those who care about the health and well-being of Canada's
children. CICH is a coherent voice for our children, working to focus
attention and resources on the health care issues that matter most.
Challenge
More than one million of Canada's children
live in poverty. That means more than 20 per cent of children come from
families living on less than $20,000 annually. Children who live in
poverty encounter more hurdles to healthy development and are, as a
result, at higher risk for a wide range of negative health outcomes.
In fact, years of fiscal restraint have resulted in inadequate social
and physical environments that are having a negative impact on healthy
child development across all income groups. Families and children thrive
in neighbourhoods, workplaces, schools and communities where their needs
are met. Urgent universal action is needed to improve the situation.
CICH
action and impact
Since its inception, the Institute has been a leader
on issues concerning the health and well-being of Canada's children
and youth. CICH has initiated and led several coalitions focused on
improving the health of our children. Through meetings with senior elected
and government representatives at the federal and provincial levels,
we strive to ensure the concerns of children's health are a national
priority and their voices are heard when policies are formed and decisions
are made.
CICH's efforts
have led to the creation and enhancement of child-centred legislation,
policy and funding. CICH is presently working towards formalizing The
Rights of the Child in the Health Care System, a set of best-practice
guidelines based on the United Nations' Convention on the Rights
of the Child.
CICH translates research into information for parents, caregivers and
health professionals on a range of child health issues. The Institute
has produced definitive guides on topics from conception through adolescence,
ranging from health in pregnancy and breastfeeding to sexual abuse prevention,
children's health data, environmental hazards and injury prevention.
As part of our mandate to address the broader determinants of health,
CICH partnered with government and other agencies to advocate for the
National Longitudinal Study on Children and Youth. This 25-year project
monitors the health and well-being of children in Canada, providing
a foundation for evidence-based programs. The results have already led
to the development of hundreds of community access programs that support
socially or economically disadvantaged parents.
The Institute also advocated for the National Child Benefit, a taxation
program that supports low-income families by increasing the resources
they have for their children. CICH's advocacy efforts have contributed
to numerous initiatives that support healthy child development. Results
of these efforts are far-reaching, including the extension of parental
leave to one year, which encourages parent-child attachment during the
critical early years by enabling new parents to remain at home longer,
and the Early Child Development Initiative, which led to the creation
of community-based child development projects, such as nutrition and
parenting programs.
The
Canadian Institute of Child Health plays a unique
and vital role in the health of our children. When you support CICH,
you're supporting research that is translated into evidence-based action,
policies that become better practices, and, ultimately, healthier children.
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Last
Reviewed: February 28, 2003
Copyright
2003
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