Sep. 6, 06:41 EDT
  Broken pledges on Early Years:  Report laments lack of action for children
Vanessa Lu,  Staff reporter
  Three years after promising to invest in the crucial early years of life, the
Ontario government has failed to come up with a   universal strategy to put all
children first, says a new report following up on the landmark Early Years
Study.
  By targeting just the most obviously at-risk children its Early Years Centres,
the government has missed the point that
  boosting learning and health among all preschool children will pay dividends
for a generation to come, the study suggests.
  The initial Early Years Study by Margaret McCain and Fraser Mustard,
commissioned by the Mike Harris government,
  was received with much fanfare in 1999 and resulted in promises of expanded
preschool learning programs, along with
  more money.
  But in the hard-hitting follow-up report, obtained by The Star, McCain and
Mustard point out that if the provincial
  government had put just the $200 it rebated to Ontario taxpayers in 2000 into
early childhood development programs, that   money could have funded an
expansion of programs for one year.
  "Ontario has the opportunity to provide leadership in enabling communities to
put in place early childhood development   programs to improve human development
for the future," says the report, The Early Years Study Three Years Later. "This
investment is key for the future of our next generation."
  The initial study said putting resources into the first six years of a child's
life would pay off by leaps and bounds in later
  years, with a strong and vibrant province.
  McCain, former New Brunswick lieutenant-governor, and Mustard, a physician,
outlined the importance of brain
  development during the early years of life, which can give a child the basis
for competence and coping skills in future years.
  That means that if kids are given stimulation, good nutrition and
age-appropriate toys, and are played with and read to
  regularly, it can help brain development and prepare them to learn once they
enter school. Without positive nurturing and  stimulation, children may have a
tough time overcoming emotional, social and economic challenges later in life.
  In their assessment of Ontario's performance in the past three years, McCain
and Mustard criticize the government's
  decision to create the Early Years Centres, saying they do not adequately
embrace the concepts set out in the report,
  including the idea that the program should be community-based, with a
universal focus, and integrated with the school
  system and existing programs.
  These resource centres



? now in 40 communities, with plans to expand to 61 by
next spring ? have targeted at-risk
  families, generally low-income or special-needs kids, not all of Ontario's
children, the report says.
  It points out that the vast majority of the children up to age 6 ? some
160,000 ? who are considered at risk of not
  reaching their full potential live in two-parent, middle-income families.
Programs need to focus on all children, not just
  those in poverty or with special needs, the report says.
  Of Ontario's 900,000 preschool children, 212,000 are considered to be at risk
and on a course that could lead to
  learning, behavioural and health problems later in life.
  Society has changed, and children now often spend a large part of their early
childhood outside their home, because
  parents are working.
  McCain and Mustard have called for a provincial network of early childhood
development and parenting centres available   to all families with young
children, and offering full-time or part-time non-parental care.
  "We must face up to the cost of improving (early childhood development)
initiatives, given our need to take steps to
  improve the quality of human capital in today's knowledge-based society," the
report says.
  It estimates that the cost of building an initial network based primarily in
schools and community centres would be about
  $3.15 billion, to cover all preschool children. Participation would be
voluntary, so it would take about three to five years
  before that level would be reached.
  The province currently spends about $1.5 billion on preschool programs
including kindergarten, which covers the federal  government's contribution.
  The report suggests some of those programs could fit into the network, and
some costs would be covered through fees.
  McCain and Mustard estimate that with tax credits and the right incentives for
private-sector involvement, the shortfall
  would be only about $350 million a year.
  "This may seem like a large sum of money for a government focused on cutting
taxes, but for governments that are vitally  interested in the quality of human
capital and the future of their society, it is a small sum of money for a
wealthy society   such as Ontario," the report says, noting that the $200 tax
rebate in 2000 could have covered the costs.
  In addition, the report highlights the parenting and family literacy centres
run by the Toronto District School Board for
  promoting a smooth transition to kindergarten.
  Ironically, these centres are at risk of being axed by recently appointed
board supervisor Paul Christie, who has the task of   balancing the school
board's budget.
  The report also points out that initially the provincial government named
Margaret Marland minister responsible for
  children, and even set up a staff and secretariat to implement the report. But
in 2001, the children's ministry was moved
  into the ministry of community and social services.
  That move, the report says, puts early childhood development programs at risk
of being largely influenced by programs   targeting at-risk families, and not
focusing on the broader objectives of learning, behaviour and health for the
population as   a whole.