Olympic vision needed for child health and well-being

As the 2016 Olympics come to a close, “owning the podium” has become a bit of a mantra, a marker of our success and national pride. However, in the international “Olympics” of child well-being, there isn’t much to celebrate. We don’t even make the preliminary heats in many of the races.

The UNICEF Index measures the gaps between the children falling farthest behind and the children in the middle — described as the normal standard of achievement. In the UNICEF Report Card 13: Fairness for Children, released this year, Canada ranked 26th out of the world’s 35 richest countries. We have been beaten by countries such as Romania and Estonia, as well as the usual medalists from the Nordic countries.

The report shows that, compared to other rich nations, the poorest Canadian children (bottom 10 per cent) have family incomes 53 per cent lower than for the average child. One in seven children live in poverty in this country. Canada is one of the countries with both the highest rate of child poverty and wider income gaps for families with children.

The health score for children at the bottom is 29 per cent lower than for those in the middle. For some groups of children, the gap is even higher, with major consequences for mortality. An Inuit child has a life expectancy of 67 years — 15 years less than for a non-aboriginal child. About a quarter of Canada’s children experience poor physical and mental health on a daily basis.

The educational achievement gap at the bottom is 0.3 points lower than for the average child, which is close to the average gap among rich nations.

The life satisfaction of children at the bottom is 29 per cent lower than for children in the middle.

These results highlight the significant inequality that exists in this country for measurements of child well-being. In UNICEF Report Card 11, we were ranked 17 out of 29. Our children are at the back of the pack, and the gap is widening. More aboriginal children are in foster care today than during the dark days of residential schools.

If we want to truly “own the podium,” we need to shrink these inequality gaps. When we do this — and it can be done — all children benefit, not just the disadvantaged.

How do we do it? Research shows that the first 1,000 days of life are critical for neurodevelopment and future physical and mental health. Investments in prenatal, well-baby and early child-development programs pay off in spades.

We need to reconnect with our schools so that healthy living is an embedded part of the curriculum.

Exercise and movement (Vitamin M) are vital for brain and body function and need to be incorporated into the school-day experience.

We need better information to help us understand why so many children in a rich country like Canada are disadvantaged. We need to push for policies that are fair and equitable.

More than this, however, we need a vision so that seven generations from now. The UNICEF Report Card will have Canada leading from the front.