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Young children

Giving Young Children a Healthy Start

Learning numbers, letters, words and rhymes is the goal of the Children's Literacy Group at the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, a United Way agency. Many of the children who live in the neighbourhood share apartments with one or two other families. The agency also provides them with a place to run and play. (Photo: Veronica Henri)

The Situation

Children living in poverty is a persistent problem in Toronto. The years between birth and age six are critical to a child's future development and yet too many children are doing without emotional support, nutritious food and proper stimulation. When two or more risk factors are present—poor care during pregnancy, low birth weight, family problems, addiction and neglect—a child is four times more likely to develop social and economic problems.

Without a healthy start during these critical early years, children can suffer serious setbacks from which they may never recover. And too many of our children in Toronto are at risk.

The Facts

• One in three of Toronto's children (33.5 %) live below the poverty line (2004).
• The rate of child poverty in the Toronto region (23%) has increased 56.5% over the past 25 years from 1980 to 2005. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of child poverty grew 13.3% (2007).
• 34% of all food bank users in the Greater Toronto Area are children (2007).
• Because of a lack of money, 30% of households with children have cut the size of a child's meal, 19% have children who have skipped meals, 47% doing so almost every month and 66% of parents cannot pay for joining fees for school groups and activities. 71% of parents report lacking money to pay for extracurricular activities such as class trips (2007).

Support United Way and you'll support mothers like Rakel

For Rakel DeFreitas, there is no deeper despair than the tragic death of her baby in an accident four years ago.

"Doctors, drugs and medicines — nothing could take the pain away," she says. "But what the drugs and doctors couldn't do, staff and other parents at College Montrose did do very well."

College Montrose Children's Place, a United Way agency, offers services to support healthy child development, parenting skills, companionship and peer support. It also refers people to local support agencies and offers a toy and book library for children. "They helped me and my children in every possible way, from babysitting to preparing food to talking and being there for me. I will never forget what they did for me. They are my second family."

Adapted from an article in Toronto Star, September 26, 2003, by Frank Calleja.

Download the brochure: Giving Young Children a Healthy Start (pdf - 96 KB).