| |
Making a caring investment in the future:
The business / community imperative for children / youth
Printer-friendly format
Charlie Coffey
Executive Vice-President
Government & Community Affairs
RBC Financial Group
Family & Children's Services
of Guelph and Wellington County AGM
Guelph Place Banquet Hall
Guelph, Ontario
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Cathy, thank you for the warm introduction…
Following the likes and achievements of Ben Tinholt, Gordon
and Wilma Tosh, Jennifer Hamilton and the Community Mental
Health Clinic team, Councillor Marilyn Shapka and the City
of Guelph, Barbara/Larry Hurren and Charlie Whittaker -
is more than a humbling experience - it's a tremendous privilege.
When I accepted Moe's invitation to speak at this AGM tonight,
I knew it would be a special event - I just didn't know
how special until a few minutes ago.
Needless to say, it's great to be in "The Royal
City" again (I was here in February for the Early
Years Steering Committee's "community champions for
kids" breakfast - I notice some familiar faces in the
audience). And it's clear that the city's anniversary celebration
is far from over. As many of you are aware, RBC Royal Bank's
Kate Quarrie chaired the 175th anniversary dinner for the
City of Guelph in April. I understand that the $120,000
raised at this dinner will benefit Guelph students through
a scholarship fund. Kate would have joined us this evening,
however the incoming president of the Rotary Club of Guelph,
is attending the Rotary International Convention in Barcelona,
Spain. I can only echo her words when Kate was asked why
she gives to the people of her community…"it's
a win-win situation - by giving, you get so much
back. You get to be involved with people, meet friends,
rub shoulders with some of the most kind and concerned people…you
get to be fulfilled."
And when it comes to giving and caring in the community
- to investing in children and families, it's clear that
Family and Children's Services of Guelph and Wellington
County, the Rotary Clubs in Guelph and Wellington, Wyndham
House, MacMillan Marketing Group, McNeil Consumer Health
Care, Community Health Centre and United Way are examples
of leadership in action. From Cathy Downer, Barbara Brownell,
Anne Godfrey, Nancy MacDonald, Neil Christie, Jessa Chupik,
Joy Cole, Mindy Ferguson, Stephanie Gain, Phil Greenway
and Doug MacMillan, to Konnie Peet, Ike Van Solen, Morris
Twist, Pat Promoli, Bobbye Goldenberg, Vern Lediett, Maureen
Jefferson, Liz Sandals, Deborah Whale, George Cuthbert,
not to mention Norm and Jean Jary, (time permitting, I would
have mentioned everyone by name), you're an impressive group
of board members, foster parents, government/business/community
leaders, partners and volunteers that brings new meaning
to the phrase "making a caring investment in the
future"! And since making a caring investment is
a theme that's also close to my heart, I'd like to share
some perspectives on what I also refer to as the business/community
imperative for children and youth…in my mind, supporting
early years development is where making a caring investment
in our future begins.
So, how do we all become more engaged in supporting the
early years, children and youth…and convince others
to do likewise? What's the connection between the early
years and the business community? How can government at
all levels, as well as the private and voluntary sectors
work together more effectively?
Let me start by telling you about my personal involvement
in supporting early years development. A few years ago,
I served on the Ontario Government's Early Years Study.
We looked at ways to prepare children for scholastic, career
and social success - from all socio-economic groups, not
just at-risk youth or those with special needs. The study
co-chairs were the Honourable Margaret McCain and Dr. Fraser
Mustard.
After the McCain-Mustard study, Fraser Mustard, Margaret
McCain and I assembled a group to look at how the private
sector could become more involved in the Early Years challenge
- a group that included individuals from the Canadian Federation
of Independent Business, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
and the Canadian Auto Workers etc…
People willingly volunteered to look at tough issues - the
possible need for tax reform, incentives to build child
care facilities…the need to develop broader-based community
networks…and how the provincial government's Early
Years Challenge Fund could be structured to encourage matching
non-government support. It was an incredible consciousness-raising
session!
As a parent and banker, I'm involved in supporting early
years development because it's an economic issue that all
levels of government need to address, not just through words,
through concrete action. I'm also involved because it's
an economic issue that all businesses need to understand
in order to take concrete action. And I'm involved because
it's an economic issue that impacts concrete action in our
communities - kids are everybody's business. There's the
cost of doing nothing…and there's the cost of not doing
enough.
As Dr. Mustard says, if you want an idea of what your economy
will look like in say 15 or 20 years…if you want an
economy that's vibrant, citizens who are productive and
a workplace that's innovative - think about the investment
you're making in very young people today.
As such, I continue to champion the early years, most recently
through the Early Learning and Child Care Commission for
the City of Toronto. The Honourable Margaret McCain and
I were appointed co-chairs of this independent Commission
last fall and on May 13th our Final Report was released.
I want to spend a few moments on the Report because there's
an important link between the goals/activities of organizations
like Family and Children's Services and our findings/recommendations.
As a basic premise, the state of our cities determines Canada's
social and economic health. Successful cities are those
with a skilled, innovative workforce - investing in skill
development simply makes sense. Early learning and childcare
supports innovation, as it improves school performance,
reduces social assistance costs, expands economic activity,
supports diversity and improves family/work life.
Among Commission findings, we discovered that early years
development has often been interpreted to mean 'ABC' - anything
but childcare. We know that children learn from birth and
the everyday aspects of life are their textbooks. We also
know that a young child's development cannot take place
without nurturing and care. Any attempt to separate development
from care is therefore artificial. It's also counterproductive
to separate the needs of children from their parents. How
ironic that so much of the provincial Early Childhood Development
Initiative (ECDI) allocations are targeted at compensating
children for the inadequate care they receive. Canadians
deserve and expect accountability for public investments.
After all, the city of Toronto - cities across the country
including Guelph - are centres of human and capital development.
Here's a sampling of Commission recommendations (by the
way…if anyone is interested, I brought a few copies
of the Report with me and it's also on the web site, www.torontochildren.com):
- The federal government must lead the way... creating
a childcare partnership under the provisions of the Social
Union Framework Agreement would provide additional support
to the provinces and municipalities. Publicly committing
to a renewed Early Childhood Development Initiative structured
to produce measurable outcomes is another important step.
- The provincial government should establish a legislative
and funding framework to implement the main recommendations
of the Early Years Study. The province also needs to provide
municipalities/school boards with authority to integrate
existing early years services into a comprehensive system.
- The City of Toronto should make a commitment to expand
the First Duty coalition, including the district school
board and community partners; the City also needs to work
more closely with Toronto First Nations to access federal
funding for programs like Aboriginal Head Start.
- The private sector needs to recognize that early years
development is a business issue (where the stakes are
high) and a topic for the boardroom. Business can also
use its clout to encourage/support government action.
At the same time, the community at large must continue
its role of advocacy. Increased funding is directly connected
to program quality and reorganization.
The important link for Family and Children's Services is primarily
one of advocacy and accountability…we need a collective
and consistent voice to effect change. The Toronto Commission
Report is one document; yet look at all the voices, energy
and skills in this room? Your service model tells the story
- on any given day, you can provide information on progress
plus track/assess results. You can also put a face on your
effectiveness in helping to "protect children, support
families and promote community care for children". And
the Partnerships for Children and Families research project,
is another opportunity to help push the envelope on values
and change.
Research from the Child Care Education Foundation, says that
today, it costs Canada $2.5 billion every year for remedial
education because of delayed interventions or negative early
experiences. Work-family conflicts cost businesses another
$4.7 billion a year. This is the kind of language that business
understands. It says that we all bear a burden for failing
to provide the "right start" to our children. We
bear it not only as parents but also as taxpayers and as businesspeople.
Quite frankly, I don't hear enough of my corporate colleagues
talking about their support of early childhood development.
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently ran a story with the
headline: "Business of Preschool - Children get
support from an unexpected corner." It started
with a pop quiz: "Who just made an impassioned case
that the federal government should start cranking up a $30
billion program to ensure every American child a crack at
a good preschool? Is it (a) Hillary Rodham Clinton, (b)
The Children's Defense Fund, (c) The Nation magazine, or
(d) the Committee for Economic Development? This is one
of those multiple-choice questions where the weird answer
is right. It's the Committee for Economic Development, a
Washington-based group that includes 250 business leaders
and educators."
Talk about a group of businesses and educators that understands
the ultimate return on investment - a group that would nod
in agreement about more research which shows that for every
dollar spent on quality early education services, two dollars
comes back through increased tax revenues, and decreased
social, education and health costs. The private sector in
Canada can also use its influence with governments/institutions
and collaborate with partners for the development/support
of children.
At RBC Financial Group, the underlying goal of our corporate
citizenship programs is prosperity for Canada/Canadians.
To achieve this, we must support education and learning
- we must support our young people - our future, as prosperity
depends on well-developed minds - intelligence, imagination,
ingenuity and innovation. And we must support partnerships
that work towards these ends. I can't say enough about the
value of partnerships among business, government and the
voluntary sectors - communities. When it comes to making
a difference for children and youth, we all have a shared
responsibility. Partnerships encourage business to be catalysts
for change - to show their heart. What a great way to build
a civic/civil society and promote social development.
The new Shelldale Centre (described as a "village
of support") demonstrates the power of partnerships
and the power of building caring communities. What an impressive
line-up of partners to boast about: Family and Children's
Service, Onward Willow, Community Mental Health Clinic,
Public Health Unit, Women-In-Crisis, St Joseph's Speech
and Language programme, Guelph Community Health Centre,
Family Counselling and Support, Noel's Children's Centre,
Lutherwood/CODA, 2nd Chance, Conestoga College, Action Read,
Guelph-Wellington Association for Community Living, Guelph
Police Services and City of Guelph Community Services. Given
its wide-range of services, i.e., early childhood development,
youth recreation, family support, adult education and employment
training, community police services and family counseling/health
programs to name a few, it's not surprising to hear that
the Centre is already viewed as a service model in Ontario.
There's always a place for business in these type of community/neighbourhood
initiatives - there's an opportunity for business to "get
it" and "get on with it" when it comes to
investing in children, youth and families. Investing in
children is not just the domain of the public sector. For
one, governments don't have the resources to do it all.
And that's not to say that governments aren't committed.
We know that in the fall of 2000, the federal government
announced new investments of $2.2 billion over five years
for early childhood development, as part of the National
Children's Agenda. We also know that provincial/municipal
governments are also committed to the early years in various
ways and degrees.
That's why partnerships with the private sector are an
essential piece of the total Canadian caring investment.
Corporations are part of the community. And the best solutions
are community-based. When it comes to the early years, let's
open our minds and talk about all sorts of possibilities.
Let's talk about how companies can create early child development/parenting
centres for employees and receive a tax credit for opening
them up to the community. Let's talk about child-care centres
that are supported by employers, either set up on-site or
in a local school/community centre.
Let's talk about broadening family-friendly arrangements
in the workplace. Job sharing, flex hours, and paid leave
for family responsibilities are all ways that RBC helps
our people (many of whom are mothers with young children),
meet their family responsibilities, including the nurturing
of young babies…they're also elements of a sound business
strategy.
Let's talk about how the private sector can provide on-line,
over-the-phone or face-to face information resources for
questions/concerns on family issues, i.e., child development,
parenting skills, childcare arrangements, school selection
and special services for children. RBC has moved in this
direction.
Let's talk about private sector advocacy for financing
of early child development initiatives. We need to make
the link between the financial well-being of corporations,
shareholder value and the need to invest in the early years.
And let's talk about encouraging more corporate representation/support
on children's advocacy boards…
Last October, I spoke at the annual Community Action Program
for Children (CAPC)/Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP)
conference in Muskoka, where Health Canada sponsored projects
like Healthy Babies, Healthy Children and Healthy Start
were well represented by the province of Ontario and interests
from coast to coast…where partnerships and sharing
best practices was the focus of the conference - where the
aboriginal voice was heard for the first time. It has since
struck me that Moe's involvement with Tikinagan Child and
Family Services (near Sioux Lookout, Ontario) is making
a significant difference for the aboriginal voice - for
aboriginal children/communities (just read Moe's Tikinagan
diary). There's much work to be done in partnership with
this aboriginal organization and other ones similar to it,
as delivering child protection services via agencies in
native communities, is enormously different than delivering
similar services via mainstream agencies across the country.
As Cathy Downer noted in her President's Report, "no
wonder Tikinagan keeps calling."
I also want to acknowledge the various articles that appear
on the Guelph Mercury web site (especially for those of
us who don't receive hard copy) - articles such as, "Our
generosity must extend to public policy" (January 2002),
with a focus on the early years/First Nations communities
and "67,000 Children Need Special Care" (March
2002), especially the story about "Ashley". This
material is more than an advocacy tool; it's a testament
to outstanding leadership, a marvelous team (I must single
out Colleen Reardon, who's been instrumental in coordinating
this event) and the tremendous value of partnerships. "The
local Family & Children's Services is proud of the successes
of many children in our care. Over the past five years,
six youth in care have received provincial bursaries and
grants to pursue post-secondary education. Several have
been selected to compete in the Ontario Special Olympics.
Most former youths in care have gone on to create positive
and constructive lives and to become successful parents.
Some have even become foster parents for other children
in care." Your words Moe…and this is why young
people like Ben are such key role models.
The bottom line is that best practices are almost always
about partnerships - the bottom line is that the time is
now to encourage increased corporate/community involvement
with early years projects, with Family and Children's Services
and with other associations. The bottom line is that challenges
are often opportunities.
In closing, given the economic benefits down the road,
early years development is very much a strategic initiative.
At RBC Financial Group, we'll continue to make children
and youth one of our priorities and give even greater focus
to the early years…RBC has a super local team in Guelph
to help us do just that - people like Dave Cross, Dwayne
Murray, Dawn Oberle, Rick Tessaro and Dwayne Anningson,
who are all here tonight. And I'll continue to urge my colleagues
in business to look for ways to partner with the public/voluntary
sectors and to speak out on making a caring investment
in the future. I also urge all of you to remind business
associates/colleagues about the strategic value of this
early years investment - not once, but over and over again.
It's a pleasure to be among children's champions this evening,
as you put making a caring investment on the top
of your agendas. In the wake of an uncertain environment
that continues to preoccupy the world, it's doubly important
that we all champion children/youth and put making a
caring investment in our future on the top of our
agendas.
Thank you.
|
|
