Child Development | “Vulnerable” young people on the rise in kindergarten

Young Quebecers are entering school with increasing difficulty, a phenomenon accentuated by the pandemic. Nearly 29% of 5-year-old kindergarten children are today considered “vulnerable” in at least one area of ​​their development, three points more than ten years ago.

Clear upward trend

For 10 years, the Institute of Statistics of Quebec (ISQ) has been studying the development of children entering kindergarten. The third edition of the Quebec Survey on Child Development (EQDEM), carried out among 78,000 children in 2022, shows that 28.7% of kindergarten students were considered “vulnerable” in at least one area of ​​development . This means in concrete terms that they are more likely to experience difficulties academically, but also emotionally or socially. Concrete examples: having difficulty working independently, waiting your turn or using your imagination during a game. In 2012, this figure was 25.6%, then in 2017, it had climbed to 27.7%. In short, the trend is clearly on the rise, while many government efforts have been made for years in Quebec to reduce the number of children with learning difficulties.

Regions more affected than others

It is in Laval (33.9%), on the North Shore (32.8%), in Outaouais (32.2%) and in Estrie (30.2%) that the rate of children considered vulnerable in at least one area of ​​development is the highest. The situation in Laval and Outaouais would however be particularly acute, notes the ISQ in its report, since these two regions “present significantly higher proportions of vulnerable children than the rest of Quebec” in all areas of development. , namely physical health, social skills, emotional maturity, cognitive and language development, communication skills and even the child’s general knowledge.

Which young people are most affected?

Several findings stand out. First, everything indicates that boys are significantly more affected by learning difficulties. To date, approximately 35.6% of boys in 5-year-old kindergarten are considered “vulnerable,” compared to 21.6% of girls. It also seems that the youngest children in kindergarten, in other words those who were less than 5 years and 9 months old, are more affected than the oldest, at a rate of 34.8% compared to 23.3%. Approximately 33% of students attending a disadvantaged school will eventually have a learning difficulty, while 27% of them will experience the same reality in a non-disadvantaged school. Finally, young people born outside the country are also strongly over-represented (37.3%) compared to children born in Canada (28%).

Unfair chances

For the director of the Toddler Observatory (OTP), Julie Cailliau, the survey data is “very worrying”. “We are close to 30% and it has been increasing for years. It shows that not everyone really starts with the same chances, on the same starting line,” muses the manager. The OTP calls on governments, but also the community and business sectors, to “work together to positively influence the living conditions of families”. “We must improve access to quality childcare services and reduce the gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged environments. The housing issue also has a big impact: living in housing beyond the means of a household can have a significant impact on the development of children,” concludes M.^me Cailliau.

The impact of COVID-19?

In the office of the minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, we recall that “the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the state of development of children”. “The picture would be much darker without all the work done for the most vulnerable children and their families since 2018,” however, maintains the minister’s press secretary, Lambert Drainville, recalling that programs like Agir early or Olo “will certainly have a major long-term impact on vulnerable populations. “We are implementing several initiatives that aim to better support the most vulnerable families in order to promote the development of their child. There is still work to be done, but we are on the right track,” assures the minister’s office.

Large construction site planned in Outaouais

A region with a particularly high rate of vulnerability, Outaouais intends to intensify its efforts to support young people. The regional director of public health, D^D Brigitte Pinard said on Wednesday “that action alone can hardly make it possible to reduce the proportion of vulnerable children”. Aware of the road ahead, her organization will launch a series of six public meetings at the end of October to “target the desired changes for children, parents and the community”. More than twenty partners from different backgrounds will be invited to testify. Everything will culminate in January with a “project on the overall development of toddlers” which will be led by the Outaouais Social Development Consultation to put in place recommendations.