A committed, caring relationship with a supportive parent, caregiver or other adult is the single most important factor in helping children develop resilience, self-confidence, motivation to learn, and healthy social skills and relationships. 56
Outcomes we want:#4 Ontario children have at least one consistent, caring adult in their lives #5 Ontario families are financially stable and secure #6 Ontario families are supported to thrive and are active in their children’s lives |
Caring and connected families also support overall healthy social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.57 Despite growing independence during the middle years, children need the guidance of their families. We know that all families are different. A child may have one caregiver or several different caregivers in different homes, or may be in the care of an appointed guardian.
Helpful ResourcesAuthoritative parenting is warm but firm, structured parenting with consistent rules, high expectations and encouragement. |
The presence of a caring and authoritative caregiver who sets rules and expectations, while being supportive, nurturing and sensitive to the child’s needs, can help instil self-efficacy, motivation, social competencies, self-esteem and health-promoting behaviours. Being connected with parents/caregivers is associated with a decrease in mental health challenges and an increase in a range of prosocial behaviours.58 Families play an important role in supporting identity formation of their children. Families transmit culture and language, model self-worth, and can establish open, supportive home environments where children are enabled and encouraged to express their feelings and experiences and explore who they are.
Helpful ResourcesExperts say that parents/caregivers’ involvement in children’s education has a significant impact on children’s academic and developmental goals. Parents can make a significant impact on their children’s educational goals by being actively engaged at home, such as:
Source: People for Education, Doing What Matters Most |
Ontario is home to over four million families – each of which has unique strengths and challenges. Families in Ontario are diverse with a range of structures, including children living in foster care, with extended family, with one or more parents, with LGBTQ2S parents, and from mixed race, language, cultural, or religious backgrounds.
Research on child development is clear – having the support of a consistent caring adult can make a profound difference in the life of a child. Children who have one or more caring adults in their lives feel more worthwhile, have greater self-esteem and are more resilient.59 Having a strong, supportive parent, caregiver, or other consistent adult can be a protective factor against risks associated with poverty, living in high-risk neighbourhoods and mental health challenges.
However, we know that there are complex factors such as poverty and precarious employment, as well as other things that cause toxic stress such as abuse/neglect and/or exposure to domestic violence that can contribute to family breakdown. These families need tailored supports in order to create a healthy home life for their children.
Parents and caregivers are the most important and influential people in the lives of middle years children – and often the greatest advocates they have. Empowering and equipping them with information resources and skills to access and apply that information can ensure children get the help they need when they need it. Investing in parents and caregivers means providing wholistic supports to help them understand their child’s development, navigate service systems when it is required, and access additional support when it is needed.
Evidence suggests that whole-family interventions provide broad-based benefits beyond those that focus on a child or parent alone. Concurrent counselling and therapy interventions, for example, can help children and their caregivers address challenges together.60
What Ontario is DoingThe Youth Mentorship Program supports evidence-based, regionally specific and locally-developed mentorship initiatives for high-risk young people ages 6–25 in target communities across the province. Programs focus on four outcomes streams: employment and entrepreneurship; educational achievement; civic engagement/leadership; and building strong cultural identities. The 2017 Ontario Black Youth Action Plan builds on the Youth Mentorship Program with the introduction of a culturally focused mentoring network for Black children and youth. |
Children benefit from having positive relationships with supportive adults outside the home. Maintaining a relationship with a mentor has been shown to support optimal development, reduce problematic behaviours and promote strong attachments later in life. A recent study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that young girls with a mentor were four times less likely to bully, fight, lie or inappropriately express anger than girls without a mentor.61 High quality mentorship can be informal, such as with a neighbour, coach or extended family member, or created through formalized mentorship programs. Both types have been found to improve outcomes.62 Research has shown that equipping formal mentors with high quality training and finding mentors from a similar social background can contribute to their effectiveness.63 Indigenous approaches to mentorship and caretaking of children often include an acknowledgment of the important role played by Elders, Senators and traditional knowledge keepers, in supporting young people.
How we can tell:▲ % of children who have at least one parent/caregiver who usually knows where they are ▲ % of children who feel they have a family member who could provide emotional help and support when needed ▲ % of children who talk about the activities they do in school with their parents/caregivers ▲ % of children who feel their teachers care about them as a person |
Families want the best for their children. But we know that some families in Ontario are in precarious or unstable situations and are not able to provide for their basic needs. Research shows that optimal development of middle years children is diminished when they are facing food insecurity, have poor access to safe and affordable housing and transportation, do not have access to health care or are exposed to hazardous conditions. Increased stress on families also affects the wellbeing of children in terms of their mental health, ability to develop positive relationships, identity formation and spiritual wellbeing.
Evidence shows that providing nutritious, regular meals to children helps them do better in school and in their daily lives. We know that some Ontario families do not have access to enough affordable nutritious food to provide for the healthy growth and development needs of their children. Food insecurity has both acute and long-lasting impacts on children, including the physical and cognitive impairments that result from malnutrition, and the emotional and social developmental challenges associated with uncertainty about access to food. Supporting low-income families with school- or community-based food programs can have a big impact and contribute to better outcomes for children, families and communities.
What Ontario is DoingThe government has committed to reforming the income security system, including social assistance. The Income Security Reform Working Group and parallel First Nations and urban Indigenous working groups have been asked to provide a potential roadmap to guide reform over multiple years based on equity, adequacy, simplicity and sustainability. The government is also, through the Basic Income Pilot, testing whether a basic income can better support vulnerable workers, improve health and education outcomes for people on low incomes, and help ensure that everyone shares in Ontario’s economic growth. |
What Ontario is DoingOntario is proposing the largest increase to the minimum wage in the province's history, raising it to $15 per hour by 2019, as part of a plan to create better jobs and fair workplaces. |
What Ontario is DoingEach year Ontario invests $32.2 million in the Student Nutrition Program to provide healthy meals and snacks to more than 896,000 children and youth during the course of the school year. In 2015–16, the Ontario Student Nutrition Program was expanded to 120 educational settings in 63 First Nations communities to help children and youth access a healthy diet. Many programs incorporate traditional foods and cultural practices. |
What Ontario is DoingThe Portable Housing Benefit for Survivors of Domestic Abuse is available through the Long Term Affordable Housing Strategy to help survivors of domestic violence find safe and affordable housing beyond traditional social housing assistance. |
As a basic need, children require a safe and supportive living environment, yet this is not a reality for Ontario families who cannot access affordable housing. For example, we know access to affordable housing is a major barrier for those fleeing domestic violence. Finding secure housing can be a challenge for families who have children with special needs, as accessible housing or modifications to a home to make it more accessible can be costly. Inadequate housing can cause children to experience stress and anxiety, reduce their feeling of safety, and lead to illness and allergies.64 Flexible housing supports need to be available to families so that they can choose where to live and be closer to relatives, social support networks, schools and employment opportunities.
What Ontario is DoingThrough the Ontario Child Benefit, monthly benefits to children under 18 have more than doubled since 2008 and the current maximum annual payment is $1,356 per child. Child support benefits are now fully exempt from social assistance benefit calculations, which will help the monthly income of almost 19,000 families, most of whom are lone-parent, mother led households. |
Ontario families rely on access to high quality, affordable child care and before- and after-school programs for their middle years children. Recreational and before- and after-school programs are important opportunities for children to develop peer relationships, build connections to caring adults outside the home, and provide needed before- and after-school care for working parents. However, some families face barriers to accessing programs. These include cost, transportation and location of services, waitlists and lack of specialized programs and supports for children with special needs. Increasing access to high quality, affordable child care and recreation programs for middle years children can enrich their development and help caregivers to make ends meet.
What Ontario is DoingOntario is championing women’s economic empowerment through a number of initiatives, including the Gender Wage Gap Strategy to close the gender wage gap, create equal opportunities and eliminate barriers that prevent women’s full participation in the workforce. |
How we can tell:▼ % of families living in deep poverty and struggling to afford housing ▼ % of children living in low income households (LIM 50 – low income measure) ▼ % of families who experience food insecurity |
In Ontario, 13.9% of children live in a low-income65 household.
Low-income families are more likely to be:
Led by a female lone parent |
Two times more likely to live in poverty |
|
Indigenous |
Two times more likely to live in poverty |
| |
Newcomers |
Two times more likely to live in poverty |
| |
Racialized |
1.5 times more likely to live in poverty |
| |
(Data obtained from Statistics Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) |
What Ontario is DoingThrough the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan, MCYS is investing in, and evaluating, innovative culturally focused supports for Black parents. |
All families face challenges that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Removing stigma and encouraging parents and caregivers to seek help can ensure they are well-positioned to cope with challenges and to be resilient. Support may come in the form of programs and services, but it may also mean strong and reinforcing community networks and parenting supports.
Some families are at greater risk of isolation and face barriers to accessing services. We know that having a coordinated, easy to navigate service system is essential. We also know that some families living in remote communities or without strong transportation networks face additional challenges accessing services and programs. Providing practical, family-oriented services that address common barriers – things like transportation, flexible hours and cultural responsiveness – can support all families to access the supports they need. Effective services are those that are designed with the whole family in mind. Supporting the family is often an important part of supporting the child.
How we can tell:▲ % of children who eat dinner with a parent on a regular basis ▲ % of teachers who share suggestions with parents/caregivers to support learning at home ▲ % of teachers who share information with parents/caregivers on their child's progress |
London’s Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre helps children by supporting families during an emergency, crisis, severe stress, or other disruptive situation.
Merrymount provides a safe, positive environment where children can develop and learn through programs that build self-awareness, self-esteem, help them handle stress and emotional challenges, develop confidence and social skills, improve coping strategies, build resiliency, and increase their sense of safety and wellbeing.
Merrymount’s Crisis Residential/Respite Program offers 24 hour continuous care to children from birth to 13 years of age. The program provides services that meet children’s needs over a temporary period of family instability. Each year 2,300 children use the 18 available beds. Merrymount then works with the family to help them cope with the present crisis, become involved with community supports, and plan for adequate care for the child’s return home.
Photo: Being creative with beads
“I like it here because the staff make me feel happy and good about myself and teach me how to share.” Montana, 8
“I have fun here and my Mom gets to have a break.” Ashton, 8