Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak today on one of my highest priorities, which is the need to give our children the best start in life both for their own sakes and for the good of our society.
In Canada it’s estimated that the loss of physical and intellectual development in childhood will reduce our economic productivity by 20 percent over the next 60 years. That toll of missed opportunity accumulates one child at a time. It can only be worse in the NWT, where poor access to childcare, rates of household poverty, and all the sad indicators of difficult lives are much higher.
Getting our children started on living a whole life has to be our biggest priority if we are to prosper fully in a realized society. Evidence from many progressive jurisdictions proves that the cost to government of child care support is repaid many times over. Increased worker productivity and tax revenues, reduced social assistance and social services costs, reduced crime, justice and correction costs, and the reduced impacts of lifelong substance abuse are clear benefits. The building blocks for full early childhood development are clear and they include access to affordable childcare. Parents must work to provide well for their children, especially in the North. Food, clothing, recreational opportunities and learning. So they must have high-quality full- and part-time child care. Child care availability is that much harder in our small communities, where schools must play a key role.
Early childhood health services, healthy pregnancies, parenting skills support and infant health care provide the opportunities to promote healthy development in the critical first 18 months. Perhaps the most obvious need of all is adequate nutrition. It’s hard to have a healthy life without a healthy childhood. Adequate, nutritious food is the most basic need. In our conditions of poverty, that means child care must include nutritious meal programs, from daycare through the schools. And finally, healthy cultural grounding is essential. Meaning we must ensure children are reared in the culture that will support their lifelong growth and well-being.
Responsibilities for ensuring early childhood development are broad across the departments of ECE and Health and Social Services. I will be asking the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment questions regarding the state of early childhood development services to date.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
