NACY NEWS

 

NACY's Child & Youth Think Tank Session in Atlantic Canada 
As you have now heard, we are coordinating a series of think tanks across Canada and just hosted our second one from March 23-24, 2011 in Halifax, NS. The theme of the think tank "Inform, Inspire, Innovate," aimed to assist our sector in developing a series of strategies and best practices for dealing with and overcoming organizational and sectoral challenges. This was a unique opportunity for child and youth leaders in Atlantic Canada to gather and to take stock of the sector in Canada, to share their knowledge and experience, and to provide guidance and advice that will be shared nationally on how to survive and grow during challenging times. The participant kit and a flurry of resources will be posted on the Resource Centre of our website shortly. Stay tuned! In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about the Taking Stock Project, you can email us at: [email protected].

Take our Survey!
If your organization supports children, youth and/or their families, we would like to hear from you. Take part in our Survey and let us know how the economic downturn has had an impact on your organization. (version fran�aise du sondage)

Join NACY's SuperSearch Network

Within our Taking Stock project, one activity is to provide sector colleagues with a more robust NACY website to: share project and sector solutions; provide a central access site for the child and youth sector; and profile a catalogue of child and youth sector nonprofit agency best practices. The NACY website will therefore be updated and enhanced with additional features, the first of which is NACY's new SuperSearch engine.  

 

NACY's SuperSearch feature enables users to search through child and youth sector and other relevant websites using just one central search engine. It is a one-stop solution to search for useful information and resources on issues that impact (or are relevant to) the sector specifically and the nonprofit world in general.

 

NACY is asking organizations to join our SuperSearch network. For more information about NACY's SuperSearch we invite you to read the factsheetIf you are interested in joining our SuperSearch network please fill out the form.

 

Call for NACY e-Digest Contribution

A vital part of NACY's mandate is its unique ability to bring together a wide variety of child and family serving organizations. This monthly e-Digest presents an excellent opportunity for NACY's members to communication with one another and to keep fellow activits updated on their organization's activities.

 

Whether you are preparing a press release, applying for governmetn grant, or planning a workshop or conference, NACY wants to hear about i! This e-Digest is here to profile the invaluable work of NACY's members. Please send your contributions to [email protected].  

 

 

 
MEMBER NEWS

The Role and Impact of Civil Society Upon Child Rights in Canada

The Honourable (Ret.) Landon Pearson and Tara Collins authored a case study that summarises some findings about how civil society in Canada has affected policy efforts in relation to children and highlights the challenges it confronts. Research has found that most advances that Canada has made in implementing child rights have been strongly influenced by the efforts and dedication of actors in civil society, the non-profit and charitable sector as well as academics and research organisations. However, this sector is increasingly vulnerable to budget cuts and other adverse factors.
  
The article examines on the status of several general measures of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which are the structures and processes that the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child considers to form part of the general obligations of State parties. Discussion concentrates on four general measures namely: law reform, budgeting, monitoring, and education and awareness-raising. The article concludes with several recommendations. To view the case study, please click here.
  

New Policy Paper from FRP Canada

FRP Canada's just released a policy paper entitled Family is the Foundation: Why family support and early childhood education must be a collaborative effort. The current reorganization of early childhood services in Canada is a matter of much interest to FRP Canada and its members. Since the long-term wellbeing of children is profoundly influenced by their  earliest experiences in utero and during their first three years, FRP Canada believes strongly that a comprehensive system of programs which supports healthy child and family development must be available to families prenatally and during the critical period before children start school. The paper makes the case for maintaining and strengthening community-based programs for families and their young children. English and French (forthcoming) versions of the paper are downloadable at www.frp.ca/policypapers.
  

PREVNet - Message from Scientific co-Directors 

Our funding as a Networks of Centres of Excellence - New Initiative (NCE-NI) is coming to an end this month. We wish to extend our deepest appreciation to all the PREVNet partners, researchers and graduate students who have worked together to promote safe and healthy relationships for Canadian children and youth. We have come a long way in the past five years, but there is still much work to be done to ensure that all children and youth are living in healthy relationships in all the places where they live, learn, play, and work.

Because our NCE funding ends this March, we will not be hosting a conference this spring. For many of you, this would have been your 6th conference, so we wanted to let you know so that you can adjust your plans accordingly.

When a door closes, we work hard to find another that will open for PREVNet. We are actively seeking  funding opportunities for PREVNet to continue.

We hope to be in touch soon with good news about new doors opening and news of our next conference.

Warm regards,
Debra Pepler and Wendy Craig
PREVNet Scientific Co-Directors
  
Report from YWCA Canada says "Canada needs early learning and child care services, not a social policy gap that is decades behind reality". Read the report
  
Report from the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada explores how Canada is doing at protecting the rights of young children and to what extent public policy in Canada recognizes the social and economic changes and challenges facing families today. Read the report 
  
CWLC Announces 2010 Achievement Award Winners
The CWLC announced its 2010 Achievement Award winners at a reception on Thursday, February 24, at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa.
  
The 2010 CWLC Achievement Awards recognized the contributions of youth, individuals and groups in various sectors of the Canadian child protection system that have led to significant achievements towards the goals of child protection services in Canada.

This year's winners of CWLC's five awards are:
  • Advocacy Award: Camil Picard, nominated by Centre de jeunesse de la Mont�r�gie
  • Foster Parent Award: Anne Gagn� and Gilles Tremblay, nominated by Centre jeunesse de Montr�al - Institut universitaire
  • Children's Services Award: John Gotowiec, nominated by Pacific Community Resources Society
  • Research and Program Excellence Award: Dr. Lil Tonmyr, nominated by the Public Health Agency of Canada
  • RBC Youth Achievement Award: Sheila, a 17-year old youth nominated by the Ministry of Children & Family Development, Vancouver Coastal Region Youth Engagement Team
The RBC Youth Achievement Award offers a new education bursary of $2,000 in addition to travel and accommodations for the youth and a chaperone to attend the awards ceremony. Representing RBC and presenting the award and bursary to the winner was Jeff Boyd, RBC Regional President of Ontario North and East.
  
The evening's keynote address was given by Dr. Ian Manion, executive director of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario).
  
The evening also featured a video presentation by Kinark Child and Family Services (www.SpeakingofKidsMentalHealth.ca), whose youth group recently won a YouTube competition about "Changing the View" of the stigma surrounding child and youth mental health launched by Children's Mental Health Ontario.
  
Photos of the event can be found on the CWLC website under Events, Achievement Awards.
 
OTHER NEWS

Federal Budget 2011 and Responses
On March 22, 2011 the federal government tabled their 2011 budget. CRRU has gathered links to the federal budget documents, a selection of responses from child care, social policy and labour groups, as well as media coverage analyzing the budget. More materials will be added as they become available. Read more
  
Children's Rights in Canada 2011: Show Your Support!
The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of the Child (CCRC) is currently preparing national, community-based reports on various aspects of children's rights, in cooperation with other groups across the country. A series of Working Documents (with more to come) are currently posted on the CCRC website.
  1. Introduction:  Why Are Children's Rights Important for Canada in 2011?   
  2. General Principles
  3. General Measures
  4. Progress on Previous Recommendations
  5. Awareness of Children's Rights
  6. Right to Be Free From Violence
  7. Sexual Exploitation:  Canada's First Report and CCRC Analysis
  8. Right to Healthy Conditions and Health Care
  9. Free from Poverty and Workplace Exploitation
  10. Right to be educated
  11. Rights and Effectiveness in Youth Justice
  12. Right to Play
  13. International Development
  14. Refugee and Immigrant Children
The reports are available for two purposes:
  • Use these reports for information and discussion about children's rights;
  • Send feedback, based on your knowledge and experience, to [email protected], for use in the next steps. If possible, include references or documentation.
When all of the thematic reports are completed, they will be consolidated for submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, for use in the official review of Canada's implementation of the Convention. To access these reports, please visit the CCRC website.
  
Academy in School Mental Health
Over the last year, TeenMentalHealth.org has been working closely with numerous teachers across the country to understand their needs, with respect to mental health education, in the classroom. These conversations identified a substantial need for mental health education designed for teachers and inspired the Academy of School Mental Health as a best practice to share this information, engage in discussion and move mental health in schools forward together. 
  
TeenMentalHealth.org, with the assistance of Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre experts in the child and adolescent mental health and education, will provide attendees with a two-day workshop that can help increase their mental health literacy, provide classroom strategies for success and help make the lives of both teachers and students a little easier.
  
This summer workshop is designed for junior high and high school educators to provide them with:
  • a practical understanding of the most prevalent adolescent mental health disorders
  • discussion of strategies for learning and social success
  • in-classroom applications of effective tools and techniques
  • an understanding of how to talk to youth and parents about mental health
Hosted at Dalhousie University in Halifax, two sessions will be offered this summer, July 11-12, 2011 or July 14-15, 2011. For more information, please click here.

UNICEF: Violent Methods of Discipline are Widespread

UNICEF released a report last week on the worldwide rates of violent methods of discipline on children.
  
Violent discipline is defined as actions taken by a parent or caregiver that are intended to cause a child physical pain or emotional distress as a way to correct behaviour and act as a deterrent. It can take two forms: psychological aggression and physical, or corporal, punishment.
 
Data from 37 countries show that eighty-six per cent of children aged 2-14 years experience violent discipline (physical punishment and/or psychological aggression). Two out of three children are subject to physical punishment. These estimates are based on 37 countries with available data representing 9% of the world population.
  
For more information and to read the report, please visit UNICEF's website by clicking here.
  

Imagine Canada Releases its Third Sector Monitor

The Sector Monitor survey program was launched at the end of 2009 to regularly monitor the state of charities across the country and their ability to deliver their missions. Read More

 

Youth Gang Prevention Fund Renewed

The Federal Government recently announced the renewal of the Youth Gang Prevention Fund to support communities and families across Canada. The Youth Gang Prevention Fund helps reduce youth gang activity and youth violence by investing in community-based prevention programs in communities across Canada that target at-risk youth.
These programs provide:
  • Community-based educational and cultural opportunities for at-risk youth, such as enhanced conflict resolution and problem solving skills, as alternatives to gang involvement;
  • Positive alternatives to gang involvement through paid, part-time work opportunities and vocational training;
  • Homework and school support;
  • Opportunities to socialize and participate in recreational activities; and
  • Intensive and individualized mentorship to help at-risk youth make positive lifestyle choices, and to care for children with serious emotional, behavioural, and mental health needs and their families.

Call for Papers - Mental Health Promotion: Population Health Perspectives

The Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health (CJCMH) is an interdisciplinary publication devoted to sharing information on the mental well-being of Canadians and their communities. CJCMH invites submissions to a special issue sponsored by the Canadian Population Health Initiative of the Canadian Institute for Health Information. The special issue will be dedicated to mental health promotion from a population health perspective, with particular emphasis on equity and the role of social determinants of health. We hope to elicit papers that explore a variety of research and practice-based perspectives from a range of disciplines, and from health and social care professionals, mental health policy and decision-makers, and academic researchers. Deadline is August 31, 2011.

  
Papers may address:
  • Links between social factors (such as employment, life balance, or the social environment) and mental well-being
  • Risk and protective factors linked to the prevention of mental illness and the promotion of mental health
  • Policy initiatives and reforms that improve mental health outcomes, services and access to resources
  • Evaluation of systems change interventions
  • Innovative strategies and programs addressing issues of equity in mental health promotion
  • Mental health promotion programs conducted in community and/or health system settings
  • Mental health promotion programs aimed at vulnerable populations
  • The challenges of evaluation: how to evaluate, what to evaluate, and indicators related to mental health promotion
For information or to submit a paper, contact:
Annie Sebold - [email protected]
Canadian Population Health Initiative
Canadian Institute for health Information
Instructions to authors:  http://www.cjcmh.com/e/authors/instructions.htm
  

The Investigating Quality Project: Innovative Approaches in Early Childhood

Chapter by Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw and Alan Pence from the forthcoming book "New directions in early childhood education and care in Canada". Read more

 

Low Fertility in Canada: The Nordic Model in Qu�bec and the US model in Alberta 

Canadian Studies in Population explores how and why "fertility is rising most in Alberta and Quebec, that is in provinces where young families have had the security of either good jobs or supportive social policy." Read more

 

Daycare and Education get cash in 2011-12 Qu�bec Budget

Read more

 

Newfoundland and Labrador Speech from the Throne

Newfoundland government Speech from the Throne says upcoming budget will "announce a significant initiative in child care, with a focus on infant care". Read More

 

United Way of Saskatoon and Area Sheds Light on Capacity Development

For a sector that is often underfunded, overworked and not to mention rife with capacity development issues, United Way of Saskatoon & Area leads the way in recognizing collaboration as a model that struggling nonprofits ought to follow.

What began as general consensus among representatives from funded agencies quickly blossomed into a strategic shift toward collaboration as a means to enrich capacity development, specifically in the area of HR.

To kick it off, United Way of Saskatoon & Area fielded two surveys in which they found that nonprofits struggle with HR issues, especially the more complex ones (those with clear guidelines/procedures seem to be easier to handle), and that there are few HR tools or processes in place within organizations. This results in agencies relying heavily on the knowledge and skills of those who have to handle HR issues. Survey results also show that there is a good talent pool but more work needs to be done to identify where they are and to ensure that a critical mass of talent remains within the sector. Read more

 

Free E-Clinic: State of the HR Nation (HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector)

Registration now open  - Date: April 20, 2011. As we wrap up the first year of our HR CheckUp E-Clinic series, we'd like to share some of our insights and observations from our in-person workshops, E-Clinics and the HR CheckUp initiative. We'll explore some of the HR management trends that are emerging and dig into some hot topics that we've covered over the past 12 months.

 

We'll also take the time to answer any HR questions that you may have and give you a preview of what's we've got planned next for the HR CheckUp and our E-Clinics.
Register now

  

The Philanthropist Journal's forth issue

This issue discusses public policy and how various parts of the charitable and not-for-profit sector participate in public policy making - and how it should be done. It is an area in which the sector has generally failed to have substantial and sustained influence. Read the Issue 

 

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada to appeal Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Decision to dismiss discrimination claim for First Nations Children on a legal loophole. Read more

 

Creating a Network for Young Nonprofit Professionals in the National Capital Region

NACY's coordinator and Lee Rose (HR Council) are exploring the feasibility of creating a network for young nonprofit professionals in the National Capital Region. They've prepared a brief background document with some additional context and would like to invite you to complete a brief online survey to get your thoughts and perspectives on this initiative. You can access the background document outlining our rationale and a brief survey (in both English and French) here: http://bit.ly/YNPNNCR 

 

This is an open initiative. Please take a few minutes to read our rationale and complete our 20 question survey. Also please disseminate this message to other young nonprofit professionals in your networks. If you have any questions, email [email protected].

 

 

UNICEF's World's Children 2011 Report: Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity

UNICEF released a report  that shows that investing in adolescents can stop cycles of poverty and inequality. Educating girls in particular is key to breaking the bonds of gender discrimination and has a positive ripple effect on the health of families and entire communities. With access to education, health care and other essential services, young people, especially girls, are given the skills and confidence necessary to enhance their own lives and reach their full potential.

In Canada, most adolescent girls can enjoy being kids - they go to school, socialize with friends and might even go shopping at the mall. But all around the world, millions of young girls are caught up in cycles of abuse and poverty - many are forced into early marriage and premature pregnancies; others have no opportunity for education.

Adolescence is a crucial time - and it's a time when we can make a difference.

You can learn more by reading UNICEF's State of the World's Children 2011 report, Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity, or its executive summary.
  

The BC Aboriginal Child Care Soc. has now made two of their excellent publications available online!

Valuing the community voice: The coordination and integration of Aboriginal early childhood development programs (2005)
Report gathers the voices of front-line workers describing what works and what does not work in programs in their communities; provides recommendations for change.

Developing culturally focused Aboriginal early childhood education programs: A handbook (2000)
Guide to integrating First Nations culture into early childhood programs provides both a theoretical framework and practical ideas.
 
CALENDAR OF EVENTS

HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector

20 questions directors of nonprofits should ask about HR

March 31 at 1 p.m. EDT

The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA) recently published "20 Questions Directors of Not-for-Profit Organizations should ask about Human Resources," a free resource that has been endorsed by the HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector and is available here and in our HR Toolkit and on the CA's website. They'd like to invite you to join us for an hrcouncil.ca LIVE Conversation at 1 p.m. EDT on March 31, 2011 to explore some of these questions in greater detail with Beth Deazeley, LL. B., from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, and Amanda Hudson, CHRP, GPHR, the HR Council's HR Advisor. Sign up here 

 

United Way - Centraide National Conference
You may be interested in the upcoming national conference of United Way of Canada - Centraide Canada being held in Calgary 11-14 April.  This year's conference is entitled "Momentum: A Celebration of Community Action" and features a broad exploration of United Way - Centraide's role in community development across Canada. The conference is open to anyone and program information and links to registration are available on their website at www.unitedway.ca/conference.

 

NICWA's 29th Annual Conference

You are invited to join the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) for the 29th Annual "Protecting Our Children" National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect in Anchorage, Alaska, April 17-20, 2011. Registration for the conference is now open. NICWA is pleased to offer an early-bird rate of $395, which is valid through March 25, 2011. In addition, the Hilton Anchorage is offering a special conference rate of $99 a night (+tax) for conference attendees valid through March 17, 2011. Please visit www.nicwa.org/conference for the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the 29th Annual "Protecting Our Children" Conference. Information can also be obtained by emailing Event Manager Laurie Evans at [email protected] or by calling (503) 222-4044, extension 124.
  

Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs Conference
Early Learning, and a Whole Lot More!

April 26-29, 2011 (Omni Mont-Royal Hotel, Montreal QC) 

Keynote Speakers:
Dr. Gilles Julien, social pediatrician, Montreal QC
Dr. Jean Clinton, Hamilton ON
Carl Dunst, PhD, Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute, Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Click here to Register.

See the program at www.frp.ca/program2011  

  

Journey of possibilities: Reggio inspirations in elementary contexts

 

Save the date! Registration coming soon. This conference will bring together international and Canadian educators to discuss the Reggio Emilia philosophy in elementary and middle school contexts.
 

Reflections in practice

June 11-12 (Dartmouth)

Child Care Connections Nova Scotia hosts the province's 2011 child care conference and trade show, featuring a keynot address and professional development workshop with Margie Carter. 

 

Imagine Canada's National Summit 2011

November (Ottawa)

The National Summit will bring together sector representatives from across the country to advance the priorities identified in the revised Framework for Action (Summary Framework for Action) that will emerge from the provincial events and extended community conversations in 2010.

The National Alliance for Children and Youth (NACY)
is a nonprofit umbrella organization which brings national organizations
together in a collaborative network dedicated to enhancing
the well-being of children and youth in Canada.
 

National Alliance for Children and Youth (NACY)

130 Albert Street | Suite 1705 

Ottawa, ON | K2P 1G4 

613.292.0569 | [email protected] | www.nacy.ca