The Children’s Charter Action Group is heading to elementary schools in Squamish to find out what kids value the most.
The students will come up with a list of children’s rights that will be formed into the Squamish Children’s Charter, a document that will guide policies within the community.
So far, students at Valleycliffe Elementary School have listed to “have fun,” “dance free,” “make choices,” “have education” and to “love whomever I want” as some of the rights they hold most dear.
The ideas will be sorted into overarching themes once the public and private elementary schools as well as local childcare facilities have taken part.
The completed Children’s Charter, which is being spearheaded by Sea to Sky Putting Children First, will serve as a document that guides local businesses, organizations and the District of Squamish in applying an early childhood and family-focused lens on policies.
The district is planning to use the information in the creation of bylaws and an update on the Official Community Plan that is scheduled for later this year. The charter could be applied to any policies that affect children, including childcare services, early learning programs, affordable housing and the creation of outdoor space.
“We’ve used a number of other communities as examples. Their charters have been impactful,” said Julia Black, program coordinator of Sea to Sky Putting Children First.
The North Vancouver Children’s Charter, for example, includes the rights to healthy food and warm clothing; to make friends; to culture, language and beliefs; to protection and fair treatment; and to education.
Richmond’s children’s charter is being used as a template for the creation of the one for Squamish.
In November, the District of Squamish passed a resolution to work on the charter, which is expected to be completed in June with Sea to Sky Putting Children First.
“Creating a children’s charter forces us to be mindful of the psychological and physical health of children in order to set them up for success in the future. It also ensures that we’re mindful of poverty issues that impact children in particular,” Mayor Patricia Heintzman told The Squamish Chief.
“The idea is that you have a lens by which to make decisions within a community, which prompts you to look at the vulnerability of children when making decisions about everything from our built environment – playgrounds for example – to food access, to the environment, to safety, et cetera.”
She said the charter is foundational to Squamish being a “resilient, healthy and compassionate community.”
To help them come up with ideas, the students are learning about the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child, a list of 10 principles to protect children.
“Some students have already learned about the UN Charter of Rights in class, so they’re familiar with the concepts and know the language that’s used,” said Black. “For other students, this will be new to them.”
The content of the charter will depend on the children’s experiences in life, she said, adding that they will submit dozens of different ideas that will be narrowed down to around 10 comprehensive rights.
