Simcoe County social services sign on to Charter, pledging better health for families, children and youth

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Forty child, youth and family social services in Simcoe County as well as all nineteen county municipalities have signed a Child and Youth Charter, documenting the rights of young people and the responsibilities of those who care for them. Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County is a member of both the Coalition and the Basic Needs Task Group which has just released its first broadsheet on the right to nutritious food and safe drinking water.

Launched in 1999, Coalition members have been working to increase the effectiveness of the social services delivery system in Simcoe County. Members have committed to finding collaborative solutions to three major problems for children, youth and their families: meeting basic needs such as food and shelter, enhancing access to needed services, and ensuring inclusion of Francophone, First Nations/Métis and Inuit communities.

Despite Canada being a G8 nations, more than 375,000 Ontarians must turn to food banks every month -- it has increased by 19% just this year - and a new coalition information "broadsheet" says that families living in low income neighbourhoods and with lower levels of parental education may try to ward off hunger by choosing low cost processed foods high in carbohydrates, fat and simple sugars.

Although most Canadians can rely on one of the best public drinking water systems in the world, some aboriginal and rural communities continue to struggle with water access and contamination. As of August 31, 2010, there were 117 First Nations communities across Canada under a Drinking Water Advisory.

The coalition broadsheet says that at a time when corporations see the commoditization of water and privatization of water services as one of the few stable sources of investment and economic growth, it is more important than ever to improve access to communities that have been denied clean water and to maintain public control over water and water services.

The complete charter is available for download at www.simcoecountycoalition.ca.

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