Release of the Early Years Study 3
Montreal, November 22, 2011 − To mark the
simultaneous release of the Canada‑wide Early Years Study
3 (EYS3) in Montreal and Toronto, the Lucie and André Chagnon
Foundation, which has supported this study since its first edition
in 1999, enlisted three Quebec early childhood experts to give
their opinions on it.
"Since the creation of our Foundation, we have been deeply
inspired by Dr. Mustard's research, and we were devastated to hear
last week of the passing of this impassioned supporter of early
childhood education. We are dedicated to upholding and promoting
his work to ensure that his memory lives on," said Claude
Chagnon, President of the Lucie and André Chagnon
Foundation.
The Foundation's Vice-President, Philanthropy, Jean-Marc
Chouinard stated: "We share the opinion of the Honourable
Margaret Norrie McCain that foundations have a duty to advocate on
behalf of children. We also support the position adopted in the
EYS3 stating that we need to intervene in children's lives early on
in order to achieve the best possible outcomes and make sure
theyget off to a good start in school and in life. Our actions in
recent years, including our partnership with the Quebec government
in the area of early childhood education, fostering healthy
lifestyles and encouraging student retention, support this
position."
Observations from the study
- The importance of early intervention
"This report emphasizes the importance of a child's first years
of life, and provides scientific evidence of this. It also states
that young children need to have access to quality care and
services in order to grow up happy and healthy. We need to continue
on this path in Quebec and across Canada," stated Claire
Gascon Giard, General Coordinator of the Centre of
Excellence for Early Childhood Development (Université de
Montréal).
- The importance of building a village around a child
According to Lyse Brunet, General Manager of
Avenir d'enfants: "To ensure the overall development of
young children, and especially those from underprivileged families,
we need to support the local workers who interact with them. The
only way to succeed is by helping them to develop more activities
and initiatives aimed at children and their parents-projects that
are based on a common needs assessment. In just 18 months,
Avenir d'enfants is already hard at work in 125 local
communities, supporting some 15 pilot projects worth a total
of $25 million."
- Investing in early childhood education pays off across the
board!
The return on investment from early childhood initiatives is
enormous. In fact, the cost/benefit ratio of this type of
investment far outstrips that of investments in primary, secondary
or college education. According to economist Pierre
Fortin of UQAM, who is closely involved in the EYS3:
"Fundamentally, the governments make money off of Quebec's
subsidized daycare programs, which enable an additional
70,000 Quebec women to be at work. The $2 billion that
the provincial government contributes annually to daycare services
ultimately generates tax revenues of close to $3 billion
($2 billion for Quebec and $1 billion for the federal
government) for all three levels of government."
- The importance for Quebec to remain at the head of the
pack
Quebec is a national leader in early childhood policy
development and was ranked first in the country by the new
Early Childhood Education Index 2011, created as part of
the EYS3, which ranks some 20 variables grouped into five
broad categories: integrated governance, funding, access, learning
environment and accountability. "However, with its score of 10/15,
Quebec still has some work to do, and needs to stay focused on its
daycare and community support initiatives, particularly in
underprivileged communities. A recent survey also showed that lack
of time has become a problem for many people. Work-family balance
is a major issue for parents, and it needs to be tackled jointly by
the government and workplaces," concluded Jean-Marc
Chouinard.
About the study
The Early Years Study 3 details the current state of
Canadian families with young children and provides the social,
economic and scientific rationale for increased public investments
in early childhood education. Early Years Study 3 is the third
collaboration headed by the late Dr. J. Fraser Mustard, a world
leader in the field of early childhood, in collaboration with the
Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, and Kerry McCuaig, Senior Policy
Fellow at the Atkinson Centre, Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education, University of
Toronto.
- 30 -
Contact:
Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation
Jean Serge Grisé
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
514 816-7520
grisejs@fondationchagnon.org
Catherine Escojido
Communications Consultant
514 927-8807
catherine@escojido.com