N.S. to Hold Children's Agenda Consultation

The Province will host regional consultations in the coming weeks to ensure Nova Scotia voices are heard in the dialogue on the National Children's Agenda, Community Services Minister Francene Cosman announced today.

"Nova Scotia has agreed that a National Children's Agenda is a priority, and that governments must work toward a shared vision of what we want for our children," said Mrs. Cosman. "We want to make sure the needs of Nova Scotians are well represented in that vision."

Mrs. Cosman is in Saskatoon today as Nova Scotia's representative on the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Council of Ministers on Social Policy Renewal. The council is releasing a discussion paper as the first step toward developing a comprehensive, long-term strategy to improve the well-being of children.

A National Children's Agenda: Developing a Shared Vision identifies four goals for the National Children's Agenda: to ensure that Canadian children are healthy physically and emotionally, safe and secure, successful at learning, and socially engaged and responsible.

The ministers are also releasing a supplementary paper, Measuring Child Well-being and Monitoring Progress, which explores ways in which governments and Canadians can measure the progress of children.

Nova Scotia's consultation process will offer a chance to respond to the broad questions posed in the document. Five regional meetings will be held with young people and other stakeholders around the province in the coming weeks. Feedback will be collected and submitted to the federal-provincial-territorial group in the fall. Details and locations of the meetings are currently being finalized.

Federal, provincial, and territorial governments will also conduct a number of joint round-table meetings with stakeholders and interested citizens across the country.

Mrs. Cosman said the National Children's Agenda process is consistent with the thrust of the Social Union Framework Agreement, which encourages governments to collaborate on developing social policy that works for Canadians.

"Governments, communities, parents and organizations have to work together on behalf of children," said Mrs. Cosman. "This process will help us focus our activities and identify those areas of greatest priority to Nova Scotians."

Copies of the report will be available through a toll-free number, 1-800-361-6392, the National Children's Agenda website at www.children-enfants.org and through public libraries.