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In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This important initiative addresses the rights of all children, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth".
To give children a voice and raise awareness of children’s rights, Success By 6 Peel has worked with community representatives, school boards and daycares to create our own community's Peel Children’s Charter of Rights. Children throughout Peel Region were asked to give their thoughts and opinions on what the basic rights of a child are.
In the discussion groups, we asked children to respond to these rights statements: Every child has the right to … and Every child needs …. A teacher or early child development professional led an age-appropriate discussion about children’s rights versus needs and then the children had an opportunity to express their thoughts in words and pictures on a “Reflective Paper”. More than 4,000 children from across Peel Region made their mark on the first phase of creating the Peel Children’s Charter of Rights.
On November 20, 2006, which was the National Day of the Child, Success By 6 Peel hosted a community consultation day. In the second phase of this project, over 100 parents, service providers, police and politicians participated. They reviewed and selected from the children’s writing and drawings and then categorized them under key rights themes. In the third phase of the process, the selections were developed into a written document using the pictures to support the words.
- Former Ontario Premier, the Honourable William Davis was the first the ambassador of the Peel Children's Charter of Rights. On Saturday, February 10 along with Mr. Jim Grieve, co-chair of Success By 6 Peel and two students, he introduced the Peel Children' Charter of Rights during the Family Fair 2007 event at the Mississauga Convention Centre before an audience of parents, caregivers and children.
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- The Peel Children’s Charter of Rights was symbolically presented to the children of Peel by Senator Landon Pearson and Mr. Davis at the Early Years National Conference on March 26, 2007 in Toronto.
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- On May 24, 2007, the Peel Children's Charter of Rights was presented to Peel Regional Council for its endorsement and support. The co-chairs of Success By 6 Peel, Jim Grieve and Ron Lenyk, led a delegation of sixty children, ages 3 to 11 years, to ask Council Members to consider and implement five specific recommendations to raise awareness of children's rights. Three students read the 12 rights, the Responsibility of Society and the recommendations which included declaring November 20 as Peel Region's Day of the Child, advocating for the Charter of Rights and helping to communicate these rights to the citizens of Peel Region. Council's motion to immediately accept and implement the recommendations was unanimously approved at the meeting.
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Mississauga mayor, Hazel McCallion discusses children's rights with students from Lancaster Jr. Public School and St. John Fisher Catholic Elementary School.
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Students present the Peel Children's Charter of Peel Regional Council on May 24, 2007.
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- November 20, 2007 was the first official National Child day in Peel Region. The Charter Champions program was launched to engage service organizations and businesses in supporting and implementing the Charter.
The first in a series of 12 presentations featuring the statements in the Peel Children’s Charter of Rights was introduced to Peel Regional Council on April 17. Led by former Ontario Premier, Bill Davis, the first presentation featured a child’s Right to Basic Needs. These presentations, scheduled from April 2008 to May 2009, will be made by community agencies, and individuals who work with children, as part of an awareness and engagement strategy on the importance of children’s rights.
Download a copy of the Charter:
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Download the official endorsement request to Peel Regional Council.
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- Mankind owes to the child
- the best it has to give.
United Nations Convention
- on the Rights of the Child, 1989
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