The earlier the better. That's exactly what child development experts have been telling Canadian policymakers for decades and they now have compelling science behind them to back up their research.
And that science will be put to good use next week as early childhood development experts, researchers, child care workers and supporters from around the world come together in Sackville for a three-day conference that aims to influence governments across the country to take the next step towards developing accessible and affordable child care programs for all.
Marilyn Trenholme Counsell, retired Canadian Senator and former lieutenant governor of New Brunswick, is co-chairing the conference along with Margaret McCain, one of Canada's leading advocates for early childhood development.
She says the question is no longer if we should help prepare children for school and for life, but how.
"I think the science wasn't understood until about a decade ago," she says. "But now we have the data to confirm this and we know how crucial the early years are for development. We know that quality child care can benefit every child."
The conference, entitled Putting Science into Action, is being hosted by the Council for Early Child Development (CECD) and it will bring together the best minds in the field - experts in neuroscience, public policy, medicine, psychology, economics, education, community economic development and more. It will feature speakers from Sweden, Australia, the United States and Latin America, as well as renowned Canadian authorities from coast to coast.
The goal, says Trenholme Counsell, is to bring the policymakers together with the experts to connect the science of early child development with what governments can and should be doing.
"We are hoping that we will raise the level of awareness, interest, determination and commitment at all levels of government," she says. "It's all about building systems that work, and hopefully this will be the start of a cross-Canada action for change
Governments across Canada have largely ignored early childhood initiatives, according to the CECD. The federal government spends less than many other countries in supporting families with young children, either through direct transfers or in the provision of preschool programs.
"We have simply not made it a priority," says Trenholme Counsell.
She went on to explain that Canada faces a greater challenge than other countries because, while funding for child care programs comes from the federal government, they are operated under provincial jurisdiction.
But not all government officials have always failed to act, insists Trenholme Counsell. She points out that among the speakers at the conference will be former Prime Minister Paul Martin, who will open the conference on Wednesday (May 13) afternoon with why he was a strong advocate for early child development programs during his time in office and why it should remain an important federal priority.
"He really championed this whole thing," says Trenholme Counsell.
She says Martin played a key role in developing a national child care program during his term as prime minister and had agreements signed with nearly all the provincial and territorial governments before he lost the election in 2006.
She says if the agreements had not been cancelled when the Conservatives came into power, the cross-Canada child care program would have been based on a philosophy that was referred to as QUAD - quality, universality, accessibility and diversity.
"With 70 per cent of mothers of preschool children working outside the home, there is difficulty sometimes in accessing good quality child care . . . and cost is obviously a factor as well," says Trenholme Counsell, who has been a family literacy advocate throughout the province since her early days as a local MLA in Frank McKenna's government.
She says it's critical for all children to have prime learning opportunities and access to quality programs early on in their life, she says, "so that each child can have a chance to reach his or her potential."
In other countries, such as Cuba, Sweden and Australia, the national government takes a very strong interest in early child care, says Trenholme Counsell.
"And that's what we're going to be asking our federal government to do - to take an interest and to be a champion for our youth."
Although she's now retired, Trenholme Counsell was integral in commissioning a recent Senate report on the status of early child development in Canada, which was made public just last week.
The 212-page document, entitled Early Childhood Education and Care: Next Steps, recommends the appointment of a minister of state for children and youth who would set in place a framework of policies and programs to support kids and families.
Also among the recommendations, says Trenholme Counsell, was the establishment of a national advisory council on children, and setting up a series of federal and provincial meetings to discuss plans for integrated child development programs.
"I think there's a huge will for something to be done but the issue doesn't always get the attention it deserves," she says.
As a former physician in Sackville, Trenholme Counsell says she recalls seeing first hand how some children weren't developing to their full potential because of the lack of interaction from their caregivers.
"It was heartbreaking . . . I could tell as early as one year old whether they were being stimulated enough."
Even today, she says, some parents give their kids very little of their time. But she insists it's the conversations that parents have with their children, the games they play with them, and the way they interact with them even at the grocery store that affects their future development, health and well-being.
"Parents are the most important teachers," she says. "When you're raising a child, you're educating a child . . . and every minute in their lives can be a learning experience if we want it to be."
Conference Program
At-A-Glance
Wednesday, May 13
- 2 p.m. - Welcome to Sackville - opening ceremonies featuring Premier Shawn Graham, former Prime Minister Paul Martin, Fort Folly Chief Joe Knockwood, Mayor Pat Estabrooks.
-3:20 p.m. - Equity from the Start Through Early Child Development - keynote speaker is Dr. Clyde Hertzman
Thursday, May 14
- 9 a.m. - Systems That Work - chaired by Dr. Fraser Mustard; features presenters from Sweden, South Australia, and Cuba.
- 11 a.m. - Promoting Early Child Development Across Canada - chaired by Jim Grieve, features speakers from across the nation.
- 1:30 p.m. - Q&A Roundtables
- 3 p.m. - Conference Seminars
Friday, May 15
- 8:45 a.m. - Moving Forward on ECD in New Brunswick - Minister of Social Development Mary Schryer
- 9 a.m. - Children and Families At the Centre - chaired by former Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm; features panelists who will explore innovations that bring together support early education and family support programs.
- 11 a.m. - Regional/Provincial Discussion Tables - hosted by the Council for Early Child Development board
- 1:30 p.m. - Actions that Change Outcomes for Children - chaired by retired Senator Marilyn Trenholme Counsell
Closing - A Call to Action
