Whitehorse Daily Star

‘We’re hoping this report will create an outcry’

‘We’re hoping this report will create an outcry’

By Palak Mangat on September 5, 2018

A new national study on the well-being of Canadian children and youth offers a grim outlook. It has highlighted the need for more investments by all tiers of government, particularly at the federal level.

The Yukon doesn’t seem to be faring too well, either – with the second-highest mortality rate in the country.

That’s according to the report released by Children First Canada earlier this week. It notes that there are more than seven deaths per 1,000 people in the territory.

Nunavut has the highest rate.

Another startling figure, Sara Austin said, is that suicide is now the second-leading cause of death.

Austin is the founder and lead director of Children First Canada. She pointed out that 65 children were hospitalized in the Yukon from 2016 to 2017 for mental health concerns (as reported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information).

“That should shake us all to the core,” Austin told the Star this morning.

She noted that the first line of defence is often at the family level for youth. Austin said the figures speak to an alarming pattern of youth opting to extremes of heading to hospitals rather than speak to those closest to them.

In fact, over the last decade or so, there has been a 66 per cent increase in emergency department visits, according to the report.

That’s in combination with a 55 per cent increase in hospitalization related to mental health concerns for those aged five to 24.

Self-harm injuries saw more than 2,000 children hospitalized each year, a number that grew by 90 per cent between 2009 and 2014 alone.

“Clearly, kids are not getting help at the local level and seek out help in emergency rooms – that’s essentially slapping a Band-Aid on a gaping wound,” Austin sighed.

While she knows that parents are doing their best, “they’re lacking basic resources.”

That’s especially after taking into consideration the daily stresses in workplaces and changing lifestyles for those who are fortunate enough to not be living in poverty.

“Good intentions are not good enough,” Austin said.

Among the more “startling” findings, she said, is that suicide is the second-leading cause of death.

“That should take us all to the core,” she sighed. That can be particular true in the northern regions because of the feeling of social isolation and intergenerational trauma faced by Indigenous youth, she pointed out.

The report notes, for example, that more than 20 per cent of children under the age of five are Indigenous in the Yukon – for comparison, that number climbs to a staggering 92 per cent who are Inuit in Nunavut.

High poverty levels can also increase the likelihood of creating a “perfect storm of toxic stress” for youth, resulting in feelings of hopelessness.

A mother, she is also the CEO of the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary.

That role has allowed her to see the significance of not only local advocacy groups, but the need for a national commission or body that advocates for children and youth.

Austin commended past and existing governments for saying that children and their well-being is often a priority.

However, the fact that there has been no national body set up yet may be a sign that some of those commitments are slipping through the cracks, she believes.

Creating an independent body free from political influence and not affiliated with any party will help “ensure this continuity year after year, day after day.”

Austin noted that some individual provinces and territories do have their own child and youth advocates (as the Yukon currently does).

However, their mandates can at times be narrow, forcing them to prioritize those who are going through the child welfare system or experiencing challenges in the law and justice systems.

A national body that looks more closely at things like education, health care, and protection from violence can be useful and ease some of the pressure that advocacy groups may be facing, she added.

The country is gearing up to grapple with an aging population of baby boomers, which Austin noted will undoubtedly place a strain on the public health care system.

She fears the challenges faced by children and youth may be overlooked.

Plus, investing in children can pay off in the long run – or at least end in savings, she said.

“Investing in early years pays huge dividends: $1 invested could save up to $9 in the future.”

The report reflects this, noting that more than one in four children are obese or overweight.

As of 2017, just over 27 per cent of those aged 12 to 17 reported being overweight. That’s something in line with a 25-year pattern (from 1979 to 2004) that saw rates rise considerably, especially in economically developed countries.

The rising availability of food in developed countries may have to do with this. The report noted that the Atlantic provinces experienced the higher rates in the country.

Austin explained that these children may go on to become “a huge burden on our health care system as they grow and become adults.”

More investment and training for educators about the significance of physical activity programs and nutritious eating habits would help offset these potential consequences.

She wondered whether the lack of investments boil down to a lack of political will or attention.

“Children can’t vote, they don’t have a voice in our political decision-making – so it’s important we speak up for them,” she said.

“It’s a moral imperative but also an economic imperative,” she said, echoing the report.

The calling for that commission is one part of the report’s call to action.

Part of a concrete but also symbolic act by governments could be to publish budgets that outline how dollars are spent on children and youth well-being initiatives and services, Austin added.

“(Earlier this) year, we published a gender-based budget – a similar type of tool for children” would ensure transparency that evidence-based solutions are being looked at, she noted.

“It’s very hard for the average person – let alone a public policy expert (like myself to track) kids are getting their fair share of federal resources.”

This budget is another one of the calls to action items the report lays out. It recommends noting comparative funding for Metis, Inuit and First nation children and youth – both those living on and off reserve.

Among the report’s other findings:

• accidents are the leading cause of death, with many injuries involving things like car seats, bicycles, and choking largely preventable;

• Canada ranks among the top five countries around the world for the highest teen suicide rates;

• about 700 children and youth are hospitalized each year for serious bike injuries;

• more than 1 million children live in low-income housing, with higher rates in maritime provinces and Manitoba, and lower rates in Alberta and Quebec;

• just over 16 per cent of non-Indigenous children and youth live in low-income households, whereas First Nation, Metis and Inuit children under 18 years each accounted for at least 20 per cent and ranged up to 38 per cent;

• one in three Canadians report some form of child abuse before the age of 16 – including physical and sexual abuse; and

• more than 15 per cent of childcare and youth experience violent crimes – with three in 10 of these victims being abused by a family members.

While admitting some of the findings are not surprising to her, Austin understands that some Canadians may do a double take.

“There’s a real disconnect around the public perception about the well-being of Canadian kids,” she said.

For example, some would rank the country in the top five or 10 countries for the overall well-being of kids and youth – which stands in stark contrast to the actual 25th ranking of about 41 wealthy nations, as tracked by UNICEF.

“There really hasn’t been social demand for these” things, in part because of that disconnect.

Youth do have a lot to offer though, Austin said: “Listening to kids, asking them to share their insights around challenges they face” both at home and outside institutions will prove valuable in the long run.

“We’re hoping this report will create a public outcry.”

Comments (2)

Up 2 Down 9

Patti Eyre on Sep 7, 2018 at 3:38 pm

Yes, exactly! Our children need our help, not just our children but the children of those seeking refuge from genocide and warfare, those that Bernier and others want to turn away and let them face death across the ocean. We are not that way, as Canadians, we are compassionate and caring and we share. Look at what we did in the 1940s and 50s, now let us do that again and share what we have and break that bread!

Up 3 Down 3

Doug Ryder on Sep 6, 2018 at 10:41 pm

I am not surprised at all. I agree that:
“There’s a real disconnect around the public perception about the well-being of Canadian kids,” she said.

I would also add Canada more generally.
Canada has a long history of sweeping things under the rug:

1) Residential Schools
2) Forced sterilization
3) Forced experimentation on psychiatric patients at McGill University - De-patterning/MK Ultra (Hmmm... That explains the lawyers coming from McGill anyway)
4) Missing and Murdered Women
5) The 60s scoop
6) Child Poverty
7) Veteran Affairs
8) Trudeau - 2019!?!?!? Hopefully.

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