Investment in Early Childhood Development

The grounds for investing in our children's earliest years are well-established.  Here are three different frames, or arguments, to consider.

The Economic Argument

The results are in - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If we invest resources in our children's early years, we save money down the road.  Children who get off to a good start in life require fewer heath care services, need less remedial educational support, are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, less likely to get in trouble with the law and more likely to grown into healthy, productive adults.

In their discussion paper titled Financing Early Learning and Child Care in Canada published in 2001 by the Canadian Council for Social Development, Gordon Cleveland and Michael Krashinsky documented that every dollar invested the early years yields a savings of two to seven dollars in future social spending.

The Social Argument

We Canadians pride ourselves in striving to be a just society that cares for its citizens, particularly our vulnerable populations. We have a long history of commitment to social programs. Many argue that it is our social responsibility to ensure that families are provided with the supports that they need, as the health and well being of their children impacts our entire social fabric.

The Rights-Based Argument

In 1989, 191 countries, including Canada, signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This document outlines the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

In 2002 Canada also adopted the United Nations declaration titled A World Fit for Children, which calls for countries to plan and implement national early childhood development policies and programs.  

These are just two examples of how Canada has committed to protect our children's rights to care and education.