View into the Future
Statistics Canada (1994) projects that:

• population aged 65 and older will expand from around 12% in 1993, to roughly 16% in 2016, and 25% in 2041. The most rapidly growing group would be those over age 85, more than doubling in size to about 800,000 in 2016, and to 1.6 million in 2041; and
• the proportion of young people in the population will drop from 25% in 1993, to 19% by 2041.

As a result of these demographic changes, Canada may not have a sufficiently large pool of workers to compete successfully and support the older generation unless every potential worker is productive.

The early years last a lifetime
Evidence shows that early childhood development affects health, well-being and competence across the entire life. We now know with certainty that the chances for successful development are strongly influenced by the day-to-day environments where children grow up, live and learn.

It is all about the brain development and its ‘wiring' during the early years. Engaged, supportive emotional environments influence child's brain in positive ways that, in turn, influence positively how children will perceive and respond to stressful experiences throughout their lives. Rich and responsive language environments allow children to acquire language much more rapidly than environments where little conversation takes place, making children more ready for school and success in life.

School readiness
Being school ready increases the likelihood that children will complete high school, find employment and be able to contribute to society in many ways, including as caring citizens and parents and as taxpayers.

Lack of school readiness which results in having to receive special education services, and/or leaving before completing high school, costs the whole society through:

Benefits of investing in the early years
Health: Many of the risks for the diseases of adult life (e.g. heart disease) are, in part shaped by learning, coping, and decision-making skills that are set in the earliest years of life.

Excellent return: For every $1 spent on child care there is a $2 economic benefit. The benefit comes back through increased tax revenues, and decreased social, education and health costs.

Equality of access: Investment in early childhood can help overcome barriers of access and thus provideequal opportunity for children coming from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. This could be childcare subsidy, user-friendly transportation and/or encouraging mixed neighbourhoods.

No time to wait
In today's world, where education and skill levels determine future earnings, the economic and social costs to individuals, communities, and the nation of not taking action on early childhood education are far too great to ignore, especially when the benefits far outweigh the costs.

What is needed now is a strong, sustainable and collective commitment to our youngest citizens and their families from all levels of governments as well as the business sector. This is not just a family matter.

We are raising our children in a society where the gap between rich and poor is widening. Parent education and income are two main factors that determine children's success in life. However, several European countries such as Sweden and France seem to eliminate this handicap by spending significantly higher percentage of GDP on early childhood development.

It takes a whole community to raise a child, as this child will ensure a thriving future for the community.

Make Children First in Terrace and throughout the country.

Sources:
Dr. Clyde Hertzman, May 2004
Gillian Doherty, Zero to Six, The Basis for School Readiness, 1997
The Business Roundtable/Corporate Voices for Working Families Joint Statement, May 2003
Cleveland, Gordon and Krashinsky, Michael: The Benefits and Costs of Good Child Care, 1998
Statistics Canada