The Early Childhood Development Agreement

On September 11, 2000 Canada's First Ministers (except for Québec's) announced an agreement on early childhood development services. The Ministers identified two objectives for this initiative:

• to promote early childhood development, so that, to their fullest potential, children will be physically and emotionally healthy, safe and secure, ready to learn, and socially engaged and responsible
• to help children reach their potential and to help families support their children within strong communities.

The Ministers' statement defines four areas to be developed to meet these objectives:

1) healthy pregnancy, birth and infancy
2) parenting and family supports
3) early childhood development, learning and care
4) community supports

Following are links to documents regarding this important agreement. The first section presents links to documents from the federal government providing the policy context of the agreement. The next section provides responses and analyses of the agreement. The last section presents policy developments in the provinces since the initiative was announced. Use the links to your right to review these developments.

POLICY CONTEXT

Early Childhood Development activities and expenditures: Government of Canada report 2001-2002
SOURCE: Government of Canada, November 2002
Full report online, also available in pdf.

The well-being of Canada's young children: Government of Canada report 2002
SOURCE: Government of Canada, November 2002
Full report online, also available in pdf.

Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement: Report on Government of Canada Activities and Expenditures 2000-2001
SOURCE Government of Canada, November 2001
Full report online.

First Ministers' meeting communiqué on early childhood development: First Ministers' meeting news release,
Ottawa, Ontario - September 11, 2000
SOURCE: Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS)
Press release.

Funding commitment of the government of Canada: First Ministers' meeting news release,
Ottawa, Ontario - September 11, 2000
SOURCE: Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS)
Press release.

New federal investments to accompany the agreements on health renewal and early childhood development: First Ministers' meeting news release,
Ottawa, Ontario - September 11, 2000
SOURCE: Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS)
Press release.

Early childhood development: 41st annual Premiers' conference news release, 
Winnipeg, Manitoba - August 9-11, 2000
SOURCE: Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS)
Press release.

RESPONSES AND ANALYSES

Strategic directions: Building on momentum
SOURCE: National Children's Alliance, March 2002
Full paper.

Third party monitoring of the ECDI
Katherine Scott, Mary Anne Burke and Karen Kidder
SOURCE  National Children's Alliance, March 2002
Full paper

Response to National Children's Alliance discussion paper for third party monitoring of the Early Childhood Development Initiative: A British Columbia perspective
First Call: Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
SOURCE  National Children's Alliance, March 2002
Full paper

A model for third party monitoring of the Early Childhood Development Initiative in the Manitoba region
Prepared by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
SOURCE  National Children's Alliance, March 2002
Full paper.

The Early Childhood Development Agreement: Provincial initiatives and spending allocations, 2001- 2002
SOURCE  Childcare Resource and Research Unit, 2001
Chart in pdf and html.

Let's put the "S" back in the CHST
Martha Friendly
SOURCE: Canadian Child Care Federation, Interaction, Spring 2001.
Newsletter article. [pdf format].

The Early Childhood Development Initiative: A vision for early childhood development services in Ontario
SOURCE: Campaign 2000, December 2000
Full report. [pdf format].

The Early Childhood Development Initiative: Challenges for the voluntary sector 
Marcel Lauziere
SOURCE: Canadian Council on Social Development, Perception, Volume 24, Number 3, December 2000.
Newsletter article.

The Early Childhood Development Agreement. Interview with Minister Jane Stewart
SOURCE: Canadian Child Care Federation, Interaction, Volume 14, Number 4, 2001
Newsletter article [pdf format].

Early childhood development services: How much will they cost?
Martha Friendly and Laurel Rothman
SOURCE: Childcare Resource and Research Unit, BRIEFing NOTES, Fall 2000
Briefing notes.

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This list in not intended to be an exhaustive examination of this topic; for a more comprehensive list, search the Childcare Resource and Research Unit resource library catalogue Childcare Information Resource Collection (CIRC).