Helping Our Children to Succeed in Life

Improving our understanding of the factors that help or hinder child development and increasing community tracking of how well children are developing is crucial to ensuring the best possible start for Canada's children.

Developed by the Applied Research Branch (ARB) of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), Understanding the Early Years (UEY) emerged in response to a growing recognition that the kind of nurturing and attention that children receive in early childhood can have a major impact on the rest of their lives. Its purpose is to increase our knowledge about the factors affecting child development and well-being. Recent scientific evidence shows that the kind of nurturing and stimulation that children receive in their early years can have a major impact on the rest of their lives. For example, researchers have found that children who are "ready to learn" from their first day in school have a greater chance of doing well in their school careers and later in life. But what contributes to them being "ready"? This is the question this project attempts to answer.

The Importance of the Early Years
This initiative focuses on the early years for good reason. In the last decade, an explosion of research has provided a new understanding of the factors that determine our physical health, well-being, competence and coping skills throughout life. The early years of development from before birth to age six, and particularly the first three years, set the foundation for competence and coping skills that will affect learning, behaviour and health throughout life.

A child grows dramatically in the first five years. So does a child's brain. In fact, humans are born with a brain one-quarter the size it will be in adulthood. But the development of a human brain is more complex than simply getting bigger. The new research shows that remarkable development occurs inside the brain during the early years. It comes from the connections that are made among brain cells in these important first years, and it continues as these connections are strengthened through repeated experiences. This development doesn't just happen. It needs to be nurtured.

The potential for optimal brain development increases for children who spend their early years in a good social environment - which includes nurturing parenting, access to high quality early education and care, and opportunities for plenty of stimulation in the home and community.

Together, these components help fill in the gaps of our understanding of the community factors that affect early child development and the ways our community can best support the growing needs of young children and their parents.

Where we are at
Phase One, the primary research phase, is complete, and the findings have been released. These reports, Early Childhood Development In Winnipeg, and the Results of the Community Mapping Study can be found at http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/arb/nlscy-elnej/winnipeg.shtml. A significant amount of mobilization and education around the importance of the early years has been done in the community, and the action plan, informed by the UEY research, will build on the local will to make our community a healthy and supportive place for our youngest citizens to grow and learn.

In Phase Two, we will be examining the "knowledge exchange" that occurs during the project. How do we transfer the research evidence to stakeholder groups? How can we make research a working asset to the community? What are the challenges we face in moving from research to action? The Social Research and Demonstration Corporation has been retained to conduct the Community Process Research study, with the active cooperation of the local coordinators and the community partners. We will also repeat all of the research elements of Phase One in the final year so that we will be able to measure the differences that have taken place in the community over the life of the project.

It Does Indeed Take a Village to Raise a Child
Parents are certainly the most important people in children's lives, but in our increasingly complex world, parents need support from neighbours, relatives, community, and society. We know from years of research that it is possible to make a difference for kids by providing parents with the kind of information and support they require, and by taking action, as a community, to put in place the supports that that we know will contribute to the development of healthy, happy and capable children.

Making a Difference for Children in Our Community
The information we collect through the Understanding the Early Years initiative helps to show us the areas of development where our children are meeting with successes or facing challenges. We will also have an understanding of the programs that are available to our children. With this kind of precise data, our community will be able to make strategic decisions that will support the healthy development of children so that they may reach their full potential.

The time and effort dedicated by the community to enhancing early child development is a great investment. The more opportunities our community provides for children and their families now, the healthier our community will be in the years to come.