UNICEF INDEX OF CHILD AND YOUTH WELL BEING
Where We Stand:
The Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being
Beta Prototype
2018
Canada’s children have one chance to be children.
Canada has a chance to be a better country for children.
Stand with children.
UNICEF Canada is deeply grateful for the contributions of the children and youth, the Advisory Reference Group, the expert validators and our philanthropic partners who are guiding and shaping the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being. Special thanks to Dr. Bryan Smale, Director of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing; Linda McKessock, Program Manager, Canadian Index of Wellbeing; and Christine Holliday, Data Lead. UNICEF Canada appreciates the support of the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation, the Lawson Foundation and Intact Financial Corporation.
We would like to acknowledge the providers of data including the Canadian Health Behaviours in School Aged Children Survey (based at Queen’s University) and Statistics Canada, and the contributions of the Canadian
Institute for Child Health and Overlap Associates. For more information about UNICEF Canada
www.unicef.ca/oneyouthcanada
@OneYouthCanada
Charitable Registration No. 122680572 RR0001
What is well-being?
There is no official definition. Different individuals, cultures, age groups and communities have different concepts of well-being. They have different goals and values.
All citizens, including children, have the right to define the
goals and directions of progress for themselves, their community and their society. However, there are common concepts about what well-being includes.
The Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being is a snapshot of children’s rights and well-being: a partial view at a point in time. But with hundreds of contributors from across the country, including young people furthest
from opportunity, it is a pretty big selfie of Canada. UNICEF Canada asked people in different parts of Canada, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, including children and youth, about their visions of well-beingi
We are building
the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being around the themes that are important to them: an inspiring and achievable vision of children’s lives in an equitable and sustainable society:
A country where no child lives in poverty; where they’re healthy, safe and secure;
where they’re free to dream, play, wonder and learn; where they know who they are,
where they came from, and where they’re going; where they have access to the resources they need to reach their full potential; where they feel
loved and that they belongii
.
The Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being does not represent the full picture of what well-being means to Canadians, because of different conceptions of well-being and because some aspects of well-being can’t be
measured with statistical data. But the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a universal set of entitlements that every child in Canada has, and to the extent we can measure the fulfillment of these rights, they
form a unifying framework for the Index. The child-focused indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals are embedded in the Index because these are policy commitments Canada made with a pledge to leave no child
behind. The Index also draws on global research, approaches and methods; the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (for the general population); and other efforts to measure child and youth well-being in Canada and worldwide1iii
.
A pan-Canadian Advisory Reference Group helped guide the
decisions about what the Index should be able to do, what to
measure (indicators) and how to measure (with the best
available data) using agreed design principles and available
evidence. Children and young people were arbiters of what got
in and what got left out, respecting their right to be heard about
issues affecting them and how their society can support their
goals.
1 There is a global convergence toward measuring social well-being and progress incorporating influences that include positivist (policy and statistics-driven), human rights based, international benchmarking (including the Sustainable Development Goals) and worldviews including Indigenous and Buddhist concepts of well-being.
Children’s rights SDGs Wellbeing concepts
The Canadian Index of Child Well-being incorporates these elements to measure the state of children and youth 6
Measuring progress to make progress The Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being aims to be a holistic and balanced picture of the rights and
well-being of children and youth under age 18. The Index has nine interrelated dimensions (sub-indices) of children’s lives, a dimension that measures how equitable children’s lives are, and a dimension that describes critical conditions that shape and influence what it’s like to grow up in Canada. Based on extensive exploration and consultation, the nine core Index dimensions are: We Belong,
We are Secure,
We are Healthy,
We are Learning,
We are Free to Play,
We are Protected,
We are Participating and
We are Connected to our Environment.
They contribute to the summary dimension, We are Happy and Respected.
The Index is guided by an ecological systems approach that recognizes the intersection of key areas – or dimensions – of the lives of children and youth, all of which contribute to their well-being. The interdependent
rights of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child also link every dimension of well-being. The multidimensional framework of the Index helps us see connections between different aspects of children’s lives.
The extent to which the well-being of children and youth is achieved is based on the core principle of equity: that all children and youth have equitable access to opportunities and resources to explore and develop to their
potentials. Consistent with the Convention, the Index emphasizes the rights of children and youth to live in environments that are non-discriminatory and respectful; to full protections and participation; and to equitable access to resources, services and justice. Where inequities exist the Index calls for understanding the sources and for remedies leading to better outcomes for every child.
The Index measures equity in various ways including with indicators in the dimension, We are Equal. The Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being is about who Canadians are and who we can be. It is not an assessment of how competent or fit children are for Canadian society, but how fit Canada is for children. It is not an evaluation of children’s skills, behaviour and resilience, but an assessment of the character of our nation. The dimension, We are Canada, includes key indicators of broad social, political and economic choices and
conditions that have a significant impact on the lives of Canada’s children.
Each dimension of the Index relies on a limited set of headline measures and indicators of complex lives. In one of the world’s wealthiest societies, we still have to measure how well Canada is meeting basic needs like nutrition and clean drinking water, but child and youth well-being is also fundamentally determined by opportunity, respect and dignity, and how equally these are distributed.
The beta prototype of the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being provides sample data points to measure the dimensions and indicators we are working on. The first baseline report of the Index will be available in 2019. For a detailed description of the Index, please refer to the Beta Report at
https://www.unicef.ca/one-youth/child-and-youth-well-being-index/
Dimensions of child and youth well-being:
WE ARE HEALTHY
The health of children and youth is a balance of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual conditions. Because of the comprehensive and subjective nature of health, there are many indicators to pay attention to. Children’s
health is shaped from birth, and, as they grow, by their own choices, but most importantly by the supports and resources that influence health. Material security and the availability of appropriate, sufficient and nutritious food
have more influence on health, including low birth weight, chronic disease and obesity, than children’s lifestyle choices. As they develop, young people seek to balance their mental and physical health. They take risks, but for
most children risky behaviours do not impair their overall health. Some live with mental health conditions and activity limitations but may thrive in different areas of life. What every child should be able to count on, from birth,
8 is to be born into an economically secure family where their chances of having low birthweight and preventable infant death are much lower; support for good nutrition including breastfeeding; and access to appropriate health
care including vaccination and dental care. As they mature, young people should be accessing appropriate health care and participating in health care decisions. Young people’s own sense of health and their views about
their health care are critical to their overall well-being. In turn, their health influences and is influenced by the other dimensions of well-being.
WE ARE LEARNING
Children and youth have the right to learn, in many different supportive and respectful environments. Learning begins from birth, in families, in communities and in cultures. It happens inside and outside schools. It is shaped by healthy and secure family relationships and material conditions, and opportunities for high-quality child care and preschool. When children start school, achieving proficiency in a diverse range of competencies is possible when education is provided equitably and safely and respects the individual passions and abilities in every child. Reading literacy is a gateway for school achievement and learning for life. Equally important are environments
that foster opportunities for children to set their own goals and pursue them. Children need opportunities to wander and wonder and to recover from mistakes and challenges.
WE ARE SECURE
Material security – having enough family income and resources to support good child development and provide opportunities to participate normally in society – is fundamental to the well-being of children and youth. Children
are secure when their parents have access to decent employment and when they live in safe and affordable housing, have enough nutritious food and can meet their basic needs and the things that enable them to feel
included in society and among their peers, such as having access to the Internet. For some children, this includes affordable public transportation and sports equipment. For others it is music lessons or travel to cultural
events. Families and their children should have access to universal, high-quality public services – including health, education, school nutrition, recreation, child care, income support, and housing support when needed –
but sufficient family incomes are also essential to a sense of security and belonging in society. Material security supports health, protection, learning, belonging, freedom to play and the opportunity to dream.
WE ARE PARTICIPATING
Children and youth have the right to have their voices heard and respected. As they develop, they should have every opportunity to participate in decisions affecting them, including decisions about the society they will lead
and the environment that sustains them. Participating includes being actively engaged, according to their capacity, in family affairs, in community organizations, at school, in social movements and in civic and political
life. Regular opportunities to participate in ways appropriate to each child should be provided, desired and valued. Creating real opportunities for the participation of children and youth helps develop their capacity to
express themselves and their identity, exercise their rights responsibly, and develop a sense of agency and belonging. It also makes decisions more effective. To participate, young people need access to information; avenues to express themselves and be heard; fewer barriers to full inclusion in society, to access services and to manage their affairs; and freedom to express their identity and culture and to choose their relationships.
WE ARE FREE TO PLAY
Play and leisure are children’s rights because they are critical to development and influence every aspect of wellbeing. Free time and free space for self-directed play and leisure – for fun! – is necessary for children’s mental
and physical health, safety, learning and development, including independence, social skills and decision making. Organized social and cultural activities are also important opportunities for children and youth to explore
their interests and identities and express and define themselves.
Opportunities for leisure must be accessible to all, which includes having affordable, appealing and welcoming places and programs for all ages. It depends on having sufficient time, with young people having a say in how they spend their time to balance their needs and responsibilities.
9
WE ARE PROTECTED
Children and youth need to be safe and protected in their homes, at school, at work and in their communities, online and offline. They should not be exposed to bullying, discrimination, exploitation, serious crime or disproportionate risk of harm – physically, socially, emotionally or psychologically. Having information, safe environments, healthy relationships and people they trust and can rely upon, and opportunities to develop their own skills to manage risks, are important ways to protect young people. When harm occurs, young people need access to rehabilitative services and to appropriate advocacy and justice systems.
WE BELONG
Belonging for children and youth means feeling loved and supported, and having mutually caring and fulfilling relationships. Feeling supported by and connected to family, friends, teachers, people in the community and, for some,
their pets, contributes to a sense of belonging and to many aspects of well-being including health, learning and protection. Supportive connections with others – even just a few others – can reduce loneliness, which can occur even
when young people are participating in groups and social activities. Critical to belonging is fostering healthy family relationships from birth, reducing the separation of children from their families and restoring relationships that are
damaged by trauma, stress, poverty and other factors. Belonging also means building relationships with young people who are disengaged, disenfranchised and furthest from protective and supportive environments, including eliminating youth homelessness, providing rights-enhancing environments for children in care and making every effort to provide positive pathways for youth in contact with justice systems.
WE ARE CONNECTED TO OUR ENVIRONMENT
Relationship with and living in a sustainable environment is a critical aspect of child and youth well-being. The sustained quality of the air, the water and the land and the protection of the climate and ecosystems are fundamental to children’s survival, health and development. As children develop they are more sensitive than adults to deprivations such as toxins and air pollution. They can be particularly vulnerable to disasters, which can threaten their survival and health; disrupt their education, relationships and culture; and drain resources which could have been used to invest in their well-being. Children and youth also need access to parks, trails and other green or open spaces in which they are welcome. They need to move freely around their environments for
leisure, school, work, cultural activities and other pursuits. A sense of place supports a sense of belonging.
Young people are also committed to being good stewards of the environment and should be included in decisions affecting it. The interplay of these dimensions ultimately contributes to …
WE ARE HAPPY AND RESPECTED
Well-being for children and youth is a state of mind as well as a stage of life. Young people’s sense of well-being – how they tell us they are – is ultimately how we know how Canada measures up. To feel happy and respected
is the confluence of many indicators of different dimensions of well-being. There are different ways that young people express their overall sense of well-being. Life satisfaction is a strong proxy indicator of overall well-being.
Young people who participated in developing the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being said that when they feel valued and respected; achieve balance across different dimensions of well-being; have goals and a
sense of purpose; and are coping with stress and managing the demands of life – you can trust that they are
doing well.
Monitoring progress on all of these dimensions helps to ensure …
WE ARE EQUAL
By monitoring and reporting on indicators linked to each of the dimensions of well-being, the Index will reveal where inequities persist. It will expose the underlying determinants, the social values and norms and, most critically, the policies and actions that we have – or have not – taken to ensure the rights and well-being of every child. It will point to the areas where we can do better to address inequities and create the opportunities and conditions where every child can dream, make a good life and build a great country. The well-being of children and youth is a reflection of the society in which they live:
WE ARE CANADA
Families, communities, the environment and children themselves shape the conditions in which children grow, but public policies are the difference-makers that explain why countries with similar resources achieve different
levels of child and youth well-being. Income inequality and the extent to which public policies distribute resources are strong influences on child and youth well-being, as they affect the quality and equality of children’s relationships, material security, freedom to play, learning, health, protection and sense of belonging. A society in which every child can participate, see a future for themselves and trust others is one that is working for everyone.
How Canada stands
So how does Canada stand? To know where we stand, look at Canada through the eyes of children and youth. They want a Canada where they and their peers feel respected, can learn about Indigenous peoples and cultures, and have enough nutritious food and a sustainable environment. The beta prototype of the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being provides sample data points to measure the dimensions and indicators we are working on: