Celebrate

RESOURCE SHEET #37

Canadian Child Care Federation

Celebrate National Child Day - November 20th

Mark November 20th -- National Child day -- on your calender. This is the day when people across the country take time each year to celebrate Canada's most precious resource -- our children.

Ideas for Celebrating National Child Day
1 Wear a royal blue ribbon.	2 Cook a celebration dinner an invite friends and family.
3 Attend a special event with a child.	4 Make a scrapbook highlighting a child's past week, month or year.
5 Ask a child for advice.	6 Think back on the great moments of your childhood.
7 Introduce your child to your place of work.	8 Thank relatives for caring for you as a child.
9 Plan a special visit to your child's class of day care.	10 Reflect on the rights of children.
11 Send a card to a child, caregiver or teacher in honour of the day.	12 Send a package of toys, clothes or books to children in need.
13 Explore ways to make your neighbourhood a safer place for children.	14 Raise awareness for children's issues by talking to local politicians.
15 Organize a fundraiser to support activities for children.	16 Donate time or money to a children's charity.
17 Invite a child out for a meal or snack.	18 Tell a neighbour or friend about National Child Day.
19 Organize a fundraiser to support activities for children.	20 Donate time or money to a children's charity.

It's a day to remember that children need love and respect to grow to their full potential. It's a day to marvel at their uniqueness and all they have to offer. It's a day to celebrate the family and think about how adults affect the development of children close to them.

National Child Day is a relatively young celebration which came about through the efforts of Our Kids (a group of volunteers dedicated to meeting the basic needs of children in the Ottawa-Carleton area) and RESULTS Canada (an organization working for the elimination of child poverty and hunger around the world).

National Child Day was proclaimed by the Government of Canada on March 19th, 1993 to commemorate two historic events for children -- the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the UN adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.

Wear a royal blue ribbon to show support for National Child Day. Canada's future depends on the healthy development of our children. The blue ribbon shows that you think Canada's children deserve prime consideration in all economic, social and political decisions, policies, programs and expenditures.

First Call for Children

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child signed by Canada, states that: "In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public of private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration." (Article 3.1)

Written by Barbara Coyle. For information on purchasing or reprinting this material, please contact the Information Officer, Canadian Child Care Federation, 30 Rosemount Avenue, Suite 100, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 1P4. Tel: 1-800-858-1412 or (613) 729-5289; Fax: (613) 729-3159.

This document was published by the Canadian Child Care Federation, Spring 1996.

Posted by the Canada Child Care Federation, July 1997.