Children First Canada (CFC) is a national organization dedicated to advocating for children's rights and well-being. In partnership with various youth advocacy groups, CFC facilitates the Young Canadians' Parliament (YCP), a platform for children and youth to voice their concerns and contribute to shaping policies that impact their lives.
The 2023-2024 YCP Report highlights key challenges facing youth, including mental health, climate change, systemic discrimination, and poverty, and offers actionable recommendations for addressing these issues. It uses a strengths-based approach, drawing on the resilience and insights of youth to propose solutions that are both practical and transformative.
Policy & Practice Implications:
- The report emphasizes the need to amplify youth voices in policy discussions and positions young people as experts in their lived experiences.
- Collaboration between government and community organizations is critical to drive meaningful change that positively impacts the lives of youth and children across Canada.
- Policymakers can act on the recommendations on violence against children, mental health, climate change, systemic discrimination and racism, and poverty, housing, and food insecurity to enhance the well-being of children and youth. For example, the YCP report recommends increasing investments in public transportation and climate policies as part of a sustainable and equitable solution to climate change.
- The recommendations help align Canadian policies with international frameworks such as the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Image source: https://childrenfirstcanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/YCP-Report-23-24.pdf
