community fit for children interim update

A Community Fit for Children

Results of the 2010 Early Development Instrument and

Kindergarten Parent Survey

for Waterloo Region

Interim Update

A B OU T T H I S R E POR T

This report paints a picture of how well Senior Kindergarten children are doing in Waterloo Region. It focuses on data gathered through the Early Development Instrument (EDI) and the Kindergarten Parent

Survey (KPS), and compares the results of 2004, 2007 and 2010 data. This report is intended to be used as an update to the EDI and KPS data published in the Community Fit for Children 2nd Edition report 2009, which contains additional data from Statistics Canada, Region of Waterloo Public Health, Region of Waterloo Social Services, libraries, Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region and many other community partners. This Interim Update serves our community during the interim period between the 2009 release of the Community Fit for Children 2nd Edition report (containing 2006 Census data) and the availability of the 2011 Census data.

Community Fit for Children reports focus on the region’s 45 neighbourhoods rather than individual children or schools in order to emphasize the importance of community responsibility for supporting young children. A basic layout of neighbourhoods is provided in the “Report Notes” section of the report, while the neigh-bourhood profiles found on pages 63-151 of the Community Fit for Children 2nd Edition report outline Wa-terloo Region’s neighbourhood boundaries in detail. The neighbourhood boundaries remain the same in this Interim Update. The Community Fit for Children 2nd Edition report can also be found online at http://www.ykids.ca/en/EYDataAnalysis.asp.

EDI ExplainedThe Early Development Instrument portion of this report describes “school readiness to learn” of Senior Kin-dergarten children in Waterloo Region. The EDI is a population measure designed to indicate a community’s capacity to prepare children for school. A child who is ready for school is one who is able to meet the task demands at school, and to benefit from the educational activities provided by the school.

The EDI measures readiness to learn in five domains of child development: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills and general knowledge. These five domains are most often reported as a percentage scoring below the 10th percentile (scoring low). The higher the percentage of children scoring low, the more vulnerable that group of children is to difficulties at school. Each domain is made up of subdomains which refer to specific groups of skills and abilities. Subdomains are reported as either “ready”, “middle” or “not ready”. This report takes a strength-based approach by illustrating the percentage of children in Waterloo Region who are “ready” in each subdo-maini. When a star is found ( ) between two bars on a graph, this is an indicator that the change between the two is statistically significantii. If a change is statistically significant, it means that it did not likely happen by chance, and these are the changes we may want to pay attention to. The EDI is completed every three years in Waterloo Region. In 2010, it was completed by teachers for almost all SK students attending schools in the Waterloo Region District School Board, Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud and Conseil scolaire Viamonde. EDI data of 5197 children is included in this analysis of 2010 data. The majority of school boards across Canada use the EDI to measure school-readiness, and this allows us to measure differences between communities, as well as identify communities which demonstrate higher needs. The data is useful for those who plan programs and policies as well as community groups and advocates. This report compares 2004, 2007, 2010 and Ontario data, using the Ontario baseline cut-offs, set out by the Offord Centre for Child Studies. 2010 EDI data is suppressed in six neighbourhoods due to having fewer than 30 EDIs completed in those neighbourhoods.

KPS ExplainedThe Kindergarten Parent Survey portion of this report summarizes what parents said about their children, families, experiences and activities before their Senior Kindergarten children entered school. The KPS asks parents about their child’s health and development, child care and pre-kindergarten experiences, activities, neighbourhoods and family demographics. It is sent home to families every three years in Waterloo Region, during the same year that the EDI takes place. In 2010, surveys went home to families of all Senior Kinder-garten children who participated in the EDI, along with a free children’s book and an envelope to return the survey in. Participation was voluntary, with a response rate of 58% (3081 surveys) in 2010. Surveys were offered in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Serbian, and Urdu to families who indicated they used the language at home. French surveys were given to parents of children attending French language schools.

i- % “not ready” in each subdomain is available from the Data Analysis Coordinator upon request.

ii- P-value of 0.05% was used. Those differences with a p-value less than 0.05% were deemed statistically significant.

01

E DI : PHY SICA L H E A LT H & W E LLBE ING

Percentage of Children Scoring Low

5.2 - 11.6

11.7 - 15.8

15.9 - 19.8

19.9 - 31.5

Data Suppressed

Early Development Instrument, 2010

1

2

3

4

56

7

89

1011

12

13

1415

16

17

1819

20

21

22

23 24

25 26

2728

29 3031

32

33

34

35

3637

38

39

40

4142

43

44

45

Percentage of Children Scoring Low in the Physical Health and Well-Being Domain, by Neighbourhood

Entire DomainThe physical health and well-being domain (Fig. A2-01) of the EDI measures children’s overall physical ability to participate in and accomplish the physical tasks that school presents to them. Between 2004 and 2007 the percentage of children scoring low on this domain in-creased significantly, but there was no significant change in 2010. The percentage of children scoring low in 2010 was significantly higher than that of Ontario as a whole.

SubdomainsWhether or not a child arrives hungry, late, tired, sick or inappropriately dressed is considered in the physical readiness subdomain (Fig. A2-02). In 2007, the percentage of children ready in this subdomain decreased signifi-cantly from 2004. It remained relatively unchanged in 2010. In comparison to Ontario as a whole, Waterloo children were much more physically ready for school than their peers across Ontario.

Physical independence (Fig. A2-03) includes skills such as the ability to use the washroom without assistance and run without losing balance. In 2010, there was a statisti-cally significant increase in the percentage of children considered ready in this subdomain, and the percent ready was almost equal to that of Ontario.

The gross and fine motor skills subdomain (Fig. A2-04) in-cludes coordination in activities such as holding a pen and climbing stairs. The percentage of children who were ready in this subdomain decreased significantly from 2004 to 2007, but did not change significantly be-tween 2007 and 2010. However, there is a significantly smaller percentage of children in Waterloo Region who are ready in this subdomain when compared to Ontario overall.

Percentage of Children Who Scored Low in the Physical Health & Well-Being Domain

0

5

10

15

20

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren 11

16.4 16.3

12.9

Waterloo Region 2004 - 2010 vs. Ontario

The map on this page illustrates, by neighbourhood, the percentage of chil-dren who scored low (below the 10th percentile) in the physical health and well-being domain. In the neighbourhoods where there is a high percentage of children scoring low (the darker purple shaded areas), there are more children vulnerable to difficulties in physical health and well-being.

Physical Independence

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


88 8891.1 91

Fig. A2-03

Gross & Fine Motor Skills

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


72.3

50.8 49.2

56.8

Fig. A2-03

Physical Readiness

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


97.1 96.2 96

73

Fig. A2-02

Fig. A2-01

Remember…For the graphs illustrating the percentage of children scoring low (the first graph on each page featuring an EDI domain), a decreasing number is most desirable. For the graphs illus-trating the percentage of chil-dren who are “ready” (the sub-domain graphs), an increasing number is most desirable.

02

E DI : S O C I A L C O M P E T E N C E


2.2 - 6.5

6.6 - 10.1

10.2 - 14.4

14.5 - 20.2

Data Suppressed


1

2

3

4

56

7

89

1011

12

13

1415

16

17

1819

20

21

22

23 24

25 26

2728

29 3031

32

33

34

35

3637

38

39

40

4142

43

44

45

Percentage of Children Scoring Low in the Social Competence Domain, by Neighbourhood

Percentage of Children Who Scored Low in the Social Competence Domain

0

5

10

15

20

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren 10.8

12.2

10.59.3


Entire DomainThe social competence domain (Fig. A3-01) of the EDI mea-sures children’s abilities to appropriately manage social interactions. The percentage of children scoring low in-creased significantly from 2004 to 2007, then showed a significant decrease in 2010. The percentage of children who scored low in Waterloo Region remained significantly higher than the percentage in Ontario overall.

SubdomainsThe overall social competence with peers subdomain (Fig. A3-02) refers to skills such as cooperating with peers, showing self-confidence and playing with a variety of children. The percentage of children who are ready in this subdomain decreased significantly from 2004 to 2007, but remained the same from 2007 to 2010. Since 2004, there has been a consistently smaller percentage of chil-dren who are ready in comparison to Ontario as a whole.

The responsibility and respect subdomain (Fig. A3-03) in-cludes skills such as the ability to demonstrate respect for adults and peers, follow rules and show tolerance towards others’ mistakes. The percentage of children who were ready in this subdomain increased significantly from 2004 to 2007, but did not change significantly in 2010 or differ significantly in comparison to the Ontario aver-age.

The approaches to learning subdomain (Fig. A3-04) is comprised of the ability to work independently, listen at-tentively and problem-solve, amongst other skills. The percentage of children who were ready in this subdomain was significantly higher in 2010 than in 2007, as well as significantly higher than the rest of Ontario.

The readiness to explore new things subdomain (Fig. A3-

05) includes eagerness to read a new book or play a new game, and be curious about the world. The percentage of children ready in this subdomain decreased significantly

Responsibility & Respect

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


77.9 77.4 78.6 78.8

Fig. A3-04

Overall Social Comptence with Peers

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


56

44.2 44.2

62.7

Fig. A3-02

Readiness to Explore New Things

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


74.171

77.9 76.7

Fig. A3-05

Approaches to Learning

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


60.2 59.965 62.5

Fig. A3-03

from 2004 to 2007, but increased significantly in 2010. It is significantly higher than the Ontario average.

The map on this page illustrates, by neighbourhood, the percentage of chil-dren who scored low (below the 10th percentile) in the social competence domain. In the neighbourhoods where there is a high percentage of chil-dren scoring low, (the darker blue shaded areas), there are more children vulnerable to difficulties in social competence.

Fig. A3-01

03

E DI : E M O T I O N A L M A T U R I T Y


1.1 - 6.7

6.8 - 10.9

11 - 13.9

14 - 20.8

Data Suppressed


1

2

3

4

56

7

89

1011

12

13

1415

16

17

1819

20

21

22

23 24

25 26

2728

29 30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

4142

43

44

45

Percentage of Children Scoring Low in the Emotional Maturity Domain, by Neighbourhood

Entire DomainThe emotional maturity domain (Fig. A4-01) of the EDI mea-sures how well a child responds and relates emotionally to situations and others. The percentage of children scor-ing low increased significantly from 2004 to 2007, and decreased significantly in 2010. There is no significant difference between the percentage of children scoring low in 2010 and in Ontario as a whole.

SubdomainsThe prosocial and helping behaviour subdomain (Fig. A4-02) includes inviting bystanders to join a game, comforting another who is crying or upset, or helping when there is a mess to clean up or another is hurt. The percentage of children ready in this domain decreased significantly from 2004 to 2007, however increased sig-nificantly in 2010 and remains significantly higher than the Ontario baseline.

Anxious and fearful behaviour is a subdomain (Fig. A4-03)

that includes items such as crying often, being upset when left by a parent/caregiver, being, nervous or incapa-ble of decision-making. The percentage of children ready in this subdomain has not changed significantly since 2004, and does not differ significantly from the Ontario baseline. ***

The aggressive behaviour subdomain (Fig. A4-04) includes factors such as getting into physical fights, laughing at the discomfort of others, bullying or being disobedient. The percentage of children ready in this subdomain in-creased significantly between 2007 and 2010, and in 2010 was not significantly different from the Ontario baseline. ***

The hyperactivity and inattention subdomain (Fig. A4-05) in-cludes characteristics such as distractibility, restlessness, impulsive behaviour and difficulty taking turns. The per-

Percentage of Children Who Scored Low in the Emotional Maturity Domain

0

5

10

15

20

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

12.1

13.8

10.910.3


centage of children ready in this domain increased significantly from 2007 to 2010, and is also significantly higher than the Ontario baseline. ***

The map on this page illustrates, by neighbourhood, the percentage of chil-dren who scored low (below the 10th percentile) in the emotional maturity domain. In the neighbourhoods where there is a high percentage of chil-dren scoring low (the darker green shaded areas), there are more children vulnerable to difficulties in physical health and well-being.

Anxious & Fearful Behaviour

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


86.8 86.7 87.6 88

Fig. A4-04

Prosocial & Helping Behaviour

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


36.231.3

37.634.5

Fig. A4-02

Hyperactivity & Inattention

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


70.5 70.876.6

73.2

Fig. A4-05

Aggressive Behaviour

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


85.1 84.2 85.5 84.8

Fig. A4-03

Fig. A4-01

*** Less likely to display these characteristics

04

E DI : L ANGUAGE & COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT


0 - 6.4

6.5 - 7.9

8 - 10.1

10.2 - 17.7

Data Suppressed


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

89

1011

12

13

1415

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23 24

25 26

2728

29 30

31

32

33

34

35

3637

38

39

40

41 4243

44

45

Percentage of Children Scoring Low in the Language & Cognitive Development Domain, by Neighbourhood

Percentage of Children Who Scored Low in the Language & Cognitive Development Domain

0

5

10

15

20

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

12 12.5

8.39.6


Entire DomainThe language and cognitive development domain (Fig. A5-

01) measures the literacy, numeracy, and memory skills of children. The percentage of children scoring low on this domain decreased significantly from 2007 to 2010. In 2010 there were significantly less children scoring low than in Ontario as a whole.

SubdomainsThe basic literacy skills subdomain (Fig. A5-02) includes things such as the ability to identify at least ten let-ters of the alphabet, write one’s own name and show an awareness of rhyming words. The percentage of children who were ready in this subdomain increased significantly from 2004 to 2007 and to 2010. There was a signifi-cantly higher percentage of children ready on this subdo-main in Waterloo Region than in Ontario as a whole.

The advanced literacy skills subdomain (Fig. A5-03) in-cludes the ability to read and write simple sentences, complex words, and an interest in writing without the di-rection of the teacher. The percentage of children ready increased from 2007 to 2010 and is higher than the Ontario baseline.

Interest in letters, numbers and memory is a subdomain (Fig. A5-04) that includes the display of interest in games involving numbers, interest in reading books, and the ability to remember things easily. The percentage of children ready in this domain decreased significantly from 2004 to 2007, but increased significantly from 2007 to 2010 and is significantly higher than the Ontario baseline.

Basic numeracy skills (Fig. A5-05) includes the ability to count to 20, to sort and classify objects, and understand simple time concepts. Since 2004, the percentage of children ready in this subdomain has increased signifi-

Interest in Letters, Numbers & Memory

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


73.6 72.178.1

74.7

Fig. A5-04

Basic Literacy Skills

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


72.4 74.380.5

73.7

Fig. A5-02

Basic Numeracy Skills

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


78.8 79.383.6 82.3

Fig. A5-05

Advanced Literacy Skills

0

20

40

60

80

100

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

Who

Are

Rea

dy


70.2 7176 74.5

Fig. A5-03

cantly, and in 2010 was significantly higher than the Ontario baseline.

The map on this page illustrates, by neighbourhood, the percentage of chil-dren who scored low (below the 10th percentile) in the language and cognitive development domain. In the neighbourhoods where there is a high percentage of children scoring low (the darker orange shaded areas), there are more chil-dren vulnerable to difficulties in language and cognitive development.

Fig. A5-01

05

E DI : COMMUNICATION & GENERAL KNOWLEDGE


2.2 - 10.6

10.7 - 13.6

13.7 - 19.4

19.5 - 37.8

Data Suppressed


1

2

3

4

56

7

89

1011

12

13

1415

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23 24

25 26

2728

29 3031

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41 42

43

44

45

Percentage of Children Scoring Low in the Communication & General Knowledge Domain, by Neighbourhood

Entire DomainThe communication skills and general knowledge domain (Fig. A6-01) measures how well a child communicates and interacts with the world around them. It includes the abil-ity to listen and speak, participate in imaginative play, communicate their needs and answer questions which display knowledge about the world. The percentage of children scoring low on this domain increased significant-ly from 2004 to 2007, but did not significantly change between 2007 and 2010. There was a significantly higher percentage of children scoring low in 2010 than in On-tario as a whole.

Percentage of Children Who Scored Low in Communication & General Knowledge

0

5

10

15

20

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren 11.8

16.415.3

12.1

Waterloo Region 2004 - 2010 vs. Ontario Fig. A6-01

The Communication Skills and General Knowledge domain of the EDI does not divide further into specific subdomains.

The map on this page illustrates, by neighbourhood, the percentage of children who scored low (below the tenth percentile) in the communication and general knowledge domain. In the neighbourhoods where there is a high percentage of children scoring low (the darker red shaded areas), there are more children vulnerable to difficulties in communication skills and general knowledge.

Did you know……that community agencies, groups and organizations are able to request city, township and/or neighbourhood-level data for Water-loo Region from the Data Analysis Coordinator? The Data Analysis Coordinator is available to assist with the provision of EDI and KPS data that can be used in research or reports with the goal of improving child well-being, and to inform decision-making or advocacy work across our Waterloo Region community. Some of this data can also be plotted onto a map in order to illustrate the data visually. The forms for requesting data and maps are available on Waterloo Region’s Ontario Early Years website, earlyyearsinfo.ca, under the “Community Fit for Children” tab. The “Data Avail-able” document, under the same tab, outlines which EDI and KPS data is available in order to allow those seeking data to utilize it as widely as possible. A list of EDI domains and subdomains is pro-vided, as well as a list of topics explored by the KPS.

06

V U L N E RAB I L I T Y


4.4 - 9

9.1 - 15

15.1 - 19.6

19.7 - 29.6

Data Suppressed


1

2

3

4

56

7

89

1011

12

13

1415

16

17

1819

20

21

22

23 24

25 26

2728

29 3031

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41 42

43

44

45

Percentage of Children Scoring Low in Two or More Domains, by Neighbourhood

Percentage of Children on MCI

0 - 3.1

3.2 - 4.5

4.6 - 6

6.1 - 12.8

Data Suppressed


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

89

1011

12

13

1415

16

17

1819

20

21

22

23 24

25 26

2728

29 3031

32

33

34

35

3637

38

39

40

41 42

43

44

45

Percentage of Children on the Multiple Challenge Index, by Neighbourhood

Scoring Low on 2 or more DomainsChildren who score low on two or more domains of the EDI are considered less ready to learn and thus vulner-able (Fig. A7-01) to having difficulties in school. The higher the percentage of children scoring low, the more vulner-able a population is. Between 2004 and 2007, there was an increase in the percentage of children scoring low on two or more domains. In 2010, the percentage of those scoring low on two or more domains decreased, but remained higher than the percentage scoring low in Ontario as a whole.

Multiple Challenge Index (MCI)The Multiple Challenge Index (MCI) (Fig. A7-02) measures the percentage of children who scored low (below the 10th percentile) on three or more do-mains of the EDI. In other words, children who are considered to have mul-tiple challenges scored low in over half of the skills required to be ready for school. The percentage of children who scored on the MCI increased between 2004 and 2007, then decreased in 2010. It is higher than the percentage in Ontario as a whole.

Percentage of Children Who Scored Low in Two or More Domains

0

5

10

15

20

Ontario201020072004

% C

hild

ren

15

18.2

15.7

13.8


Percentage of Children on the Multiple Challenge Index (MCI)

0

5

10

15

20

Ontario201020072004%

Chi

ldre

n

5.1

6.6

4.84.2

Waterloo Region 2004 - 2010 vs. OntarioFig. A7-01 Fig. A7-02

The map above illustrates, by neighbourhood, the per-centage of children who scored low (below the 10th percentile) on two or more domains. These are the neigh-bourhoods where children are vulnerable to difficulties in school.

The map above illustrates, by neighbourhood, the percentage of children who score on the MCI. These are the neighbourhoods where children are experiencing difficulties in many areas of their development. They are con-sidered the most vulnerable.

07

K P S : C H I L D H E A L T H & D E V E L O P M EN T

Children’s age, height and weight were used to calcu-late their Body Mass Indexes (BMI). The BMI tells

us whether or not a child is at a healthy weight for their age. Of the SK students included, there was a slightly higher percentage (4.2%) of females who were in the “healthy” weight category than there were males (Fig. B1-01). There was 1.7% less boys in the “overweight” category than girls, however, there were 3.9% more boys considered “obese” than girls.

86% of SK children eat breakfast every day (Fig. B1-02), while another 9.9% eat breakfast most of the time. One quarter of SK children eat the recommended 4 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, while about half of SK children fulfill these requirements almost every day. Slightly less than a quarter of these children do not eat four servings per day. Three quarters of SK children consume the recommended number of dairy products per day, with another 21.6% doing so most of the time. Almost 60% of SK children always eat meals with their family, and another 35.3% eat with their families most of the time. Fruit and vegetable consumption is the area where children in Waterloo Region could improve upon the most.

The Child Nutrition Score was calculated by summing the breakfast, fruit/vegetable, and dairy intake of each child. 58.7% have good nutritional intake (Fig. B1-03), slightly over one third score in the middle, and 6.3% have poor nutritional intake.

BMI Categories of Male and Female SK Children

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

ObeseOverweightHealthyUnderweight

% C

hild

ren

13 14.911.5

15.4

6358.8

12.510.8

Weight Categories

Male

Female

Eating Patterns of SK Children

0

20

40

60

80

100Always

Most of the Time

Sometimes

Never

Eat With Family

Drink MilkEat Veg/FruitEat Breakfast

% C

hild

ren

Eating Pattern

3.8

9.9

19.5

86.1

52.7

25.5

4.3

21.6

35.3

59.2

73.7

5.4

Fig. B1-01

Fig. B1-02

Nutrition Scores of SK Children

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

PoorMiddleGood

% C

hild

ren

Nutrition Score

58.7

34.9

6.3

Fig. B1-03

08

The Data Analysis Coordinator can be reached at 519-741-8585 x225 or [email protected].

K P S : C H I L D C A R E

At all ages, children were cared for by parents most often (Fig. B2-01). For those being cared for by a non-parent before the age of 18 months,

paid unlicensed care was most common, followed by unpaid unlicensed care. There were the same percentage of children in licensed centre-based care as in unlicensed home care at age 1.5. At age 2.5 and older, the per-centage of children cared for in licensed centres was more than double that of children in licensed home care. Paid unlicensed care was consistently accessed more than paid licensed home care.

Most infants (0-12 months) did not spend time in child care (Fig. B2-02). Of the children aged 12 months to 4 years, 31-40 hours per week was the most common amount of time spent in care. School-age children spent less time in child care. Between 12 and 18 months old, children were more often cared for by a non-parent who was not an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) (Fig. B2-03). At 1.5-2.5 years old, the same percentage of children were cared for by ECE caregivers as were cared for by non-ECE caregivers. As preschoolers

and school age children, they were more likely to be in the care of ECEs. During the toddler years, children were more likely to have a care provider who was not an Early Childhood Educator, while from age 2.5 years and older, those who accessed care out of the home had ECE pro-viders more often than not.

Parents who accessed child care indicated that the reputation and the location of the provider were the most important factors influencing their decision (Fig. B2-04). Those who did not access child care indicated that this choice was most influenced by their preference to be the care provider for their children (Fig. B2-05). The second most important influence was the cost of child care, which families indicated was too expensive.

****Actual values available from the Data Analysis Coordinator

Hours Spent in Child Care, by Age

0

20

40

60

80

100Parent Care

<20 hours

21-30 hours

31-40 hours

>40 hours

4-6 yrs2.5-4 yrs1.5-2.5 yrs12 mos-1.5 yrs

0-12 mos

% C

hild

ren

Age of Children

Type of Child Care Accessed, by Age Category

0

20

40

60

80

100Parent Care

Licensed Centre

Licensed Home

Paid Unlicensed

Unpaid Unlicensed


0-12 mos

% C

hild

ren

Age of Children

Fig. B2-01 Fig. B2-02

Education of Care Provider

0

20

40

60

80

100Parent

ECE

No ECE

Don't Know


1-12 mos

% C

hild

ren

Age of Children

14.4

57.8

22.6

5.21.8

94.6

2.61

20.9

53.1

21

5

25

50.3

19

5.7

28.5

47.6

18.5

5.3

Fig. B2-03

Factors Influencing Child Care Decisions For Parents Who Accessed Child Care

0

20

40

60

80

100Important

Not Important

ReputationCurriculumSpacesLocationCost

% P

aren

ts

Child Care Factors Fig. B2-04

Factors Influencing Child Care Decisions For Parents Who Did Not Access Child Care

0

20

40

60

80

100Important

Not Important

Culturally Inappropriate

Special Needs Not Met

No Info

No SpacesDoesn’t Fit Schedule

Prefer Self Care

Too Expensive

% P

aren

ts

Child Care Factors Fig. B2-05

09

PAREN T S , CHIL DRE N &PRE -KINDERGART EN EXPERIENCE S

Parenting Program Attendance

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

NoYes

% P

aren

ts

63.6

36.4

Response

Children’s Participation in Community Activities/Programs

0

20

40

60

80

100Once/Month

Once/Week

Not at All

Cultural Program

Book StorePublic Library

Music/Arts/Dance

Children's Club

Literacy Program

Play-Based Program

% C

hild

ren

Community Activities

37.440.4

86.6

44.8

12

27.731.8

15.8

8.6

32.1

74.2

8.34.4

34

7.6

2.4

7.3

26.4

13.715.8

27.2

Never/Once or Twice% Children: Many Times

Math Games Song/Rhymes Read Story

Arts/Crafts/Drawing

Letter Sounds Printing Letters/Numbers

Every Day

47.6 42.8

17.325.8

31.465.3

27.1

7.6

35.1

45.9

20.1

33.9

42.527.8

29.7

41.721.1

37.3

Children’s Participation in Activities Before Entering Kindergarten

Fig. B3-03

Fig. B3-02Fig. B3-01

10

N E I G H B OU R H OO D S

Approximately 87% of respondents said they feel their neighbourhood is safe for children and that there are safe spaces, such as parks and

playgrounds (Fig. B4-01). 28% however, do not feel as though their neigh-bourhood is safe at night.

Almost 70% of respondents felt as though there were adult role models in their neighbourhood, that neighbours help each other, and that people watch out for trouble when other neighbours are away (Fig. B4-03). Re-spondents were less likely to feel like people in their neighbourhood watch out for children, and even less likely to feel that neighbours deal with prob-lems together.

Most families indicated that they have access to public facilities, with com-munity centres being the community resource that approximately 15% of respondents did not have access to (Fig. B4-02).

Play-based programs and music/arts/dance programs were those most commonly attended once per week or more, and over half of children participated in them once per month or more (Fig. B3-02). Public librar-ies and book stores were most often attended by children on a once per month basis. Attending play-based programs and using public libraries were the only community activities that over half of children participated in at least once per month. Children’s clubs and cultural programs were less attended by children of parents who responded to the survey.

Over half of parents indicated that they read a story with their children every day (Fig. B3-03). Playing math games is an activity that children and parents were less likely to do together on a daily basis, but almost half of respondents played math games many times. Printing letters and numbers was the activity that more respondents indicated they never or very rarely engaged in with their child before Senior Kindergarten, how-ever, in all categories, over half of parents engaged in these activities every day or many times.

Almost two thirds of parents indicated that they had participated in a program intended to help them in their role as a parent (Fig. B3-01).

Relationships with Neighbours

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Watch Home When Away

Watch Children

Help Neighbours

Role Model for Children

Deal with Problems

% F

amili

es 44.5

68.6 69.6

59.8

67

Positive Relationships

Feeling Safe in the Neighbourhood

0

20

40

60

80

100

Safe SpacesSafe for ChildrenSafe at Night

Feelings of Safety

% F

amili

es

71.6

86.8 86.8

Fig. B4-03

Access to Public Facilities

0

20

40

60

80

100

Grocery StoreSchoolCommunity Centre

Mall/PlazaLibraryPark

% F

amili

es

95.8 96.5 94.990.8 91.3

84.2

Public PlacesFig. B4-02

Fig. B4-01

11

F A M I L Y D E M O G R A P H I C S

Approximately three quarters of KPS respondents were born in Canada (Fig. B5-01). More than half of the

remaining respondents who had immigrated have lived in Canada for more than ten years. The remaining 10% have been in Canada for ten years or less. Almost half of re-spondents had lived at their current address for four years or less, and 11.8% had lived at their current address for more than ten years (Fig. B5-02).

The top five languages (other than English) used in the homes of KPS respondents are Spanish, Chinese, Serbian, Urdu and Punjabi (Fig. B5-02). There were 29 languages represented in total.

8.3% of SK children lived in one-parent homes (Fig. B5-04). Of all homes, 10.2% had from 3 to 6 adults living in the home. Most homes had two to three children, while 7.4% of homes had 4 to 8 children.

The Yearly Household Income graph outlines the income ranges of those who responded to the Kindergarten Parent Survey (Fig. B5-05). The Disposable Income graph indi-cates how often respondents have money left over after paying for necessities such as housing, hydro, food, etc. (Fig. B5-06). 45.3% of KPS respondents do not have dis-posable income on a consistent basis, meaning that these families of Senior Kindergarten children cannot rely on having the funds to save or use in an emergency.

Number of Years at Current Address

Family Length of Time in Canada

Less than 1 year

1-2 years

3-5 years

6-10 years

More than 10 years

Always

76.6

13.3

5.70.31.52.6

% Families

Less than 1 year

1-4 years

5-10 years

More than 10 years

10.2

39.1 38.8

11.8

% Families

Yearly Household Income Before Taxes

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Chose Not to Answer

Over $100 000

$75 000-$100 000

$50 000-$75 000

$30 000-$50 000

$17 000-$30 000

Less than $17 000

% R

espo

nden

ts

3.1

5.2

11.3

17.3

21.5

28.9

12.6

Yearly Household Income

Disposable Income

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Chose Not to Answer

Always OftenAbout Half of the Time

Not OftenNever

Monthly Disposable Income

% R

espo

nden

ts

7.1

18.319.9 20.7

5.6

28.4

Family Composition

One Parent

Two Parent

Other

87.6

8.3 4.1

Fig. B5-01

Languages Spoken at Home

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

UrduPunjabiSerbianChineseSpanish

Language

Num

ber

of R

espo

nden

ts

61

50

3026 26

Fig. B5-02

Fig. B5-03

Fig. B5-04

Fig. B5-05 Fig. B5-06

12

R E P O R T N O T E S

Inclusion of Children with Special NeedsThe Ontario-level EDI data (Ontario baselines) used in this report does not include students with Special Needs. The Waterloo Region data, however, does include children with special needs; a decision that was made by multiple partner organizations in our community. While this does call for caution when comparing Waterloo Region results to Ontario results, we felt that it was important to include all children in region-wide EDI reporting.

Differences in 2004/2007 EDI DataWhile EDI’s were completed for 5319 children in 2010, only 5197 EDI’s were valid and therefore included in this report. One of the criteria for validity was that the data include the child’s postal code in order to ensure that the child lived in Waterloo Region, in an identifiable neighbourhood. Since this report features comparisons between 2004, 2007 and 2010 data, 2004 and 2007 data was reanalyzed according to the same criteria in order to make it consistent with 2010 data. This produced some slight differences in data released in previous reports, but made comparison possible.

Body Mass Index CalculationIn this report, the BMI was calculated for Senior Kindergarten children born in 2004 only, in order to be as accurate as possible with calculating the BMI percentile ranges that Waterloo Region’s Senior Kindergarten children fall into. Data used to calculate BMIs was collected from parent responses to the Kindergarten Parent Survey. Of the 3081 families who responded to the KPS, there was complete age/weight/height data available for 2011 children born in 2004, making BMI calculation possible for these children. 974 females and 1037 males were included the analysis of BMI.

Child Nutrition ScoreThe Child Nutrition Score includes the breakfast, fruit/vegetable and dairy consumption habits of Senior Kindergarten children. Scores ranged from 3 to 9, with 3 being those children who consume breakfast, as well as the recommended servings of fruit/vegetables and dairy every day, and 9 being those who do so only sometimes. Children with a score of 3 or 4 were considered to have “good” nutrition, 5-6 were “moderate”, and 7-9 were considered to have “poor” nutrition.

Cambridge

Kitchener

North Dumfries

Waterloo

Wellesley

Wilmot

Woolwich

1

2

3

4

56

7

89

1011

12

13

1415

16

17

1819

20

21

22

23 24

25 26

2728

29 3031

32

33

34

35

3637

38

39

40

41 4243

44

45

Waterloo RegionCities and Townships Legend

An Overview of the Neighbourhoods in Waterloo Region

1. West Waterloo2. Lakeshore North/Conservation3. Beechwood4. Columbia/Lakeshore5. Lincoln/Dearborn6. Eastbridge/Lexington7. Central Waterloo8. Westvale9. Westmount10. Highland West11. Forest Heights/Forest Hill/

Lakeside12. Victoria Hills/Cherry Hill/

Grand River Hospital13. Bridgeport/Breithaupt/

Mt. Hope14. Grand River/Stanley Park/

Chicopee15. Frederick/Rosemount/

Auditorium16. Downtown Kitchener & Area17. Alpine/Laurentian18. Southwest Kitchener19. Country Hills/Huron Area20. Vanier/Rockway21. Doon/Pioneer Park

22. Hidden Valley/Pioneer Tower23. North Cambridge24. Hespeler25. Central Preston/

Preston Heights26. Langs/Industrial27. North Galt/Elgin Park28. Shades Mills29. Southwood/Southwest Galt30. Galt City Centre/South Galt31. South East Galt32. Blair33. North Dumfries/Beverly34. Ayr35. New Dundee/Mannheim36. Baden37. New Hamburg38. North Wilmot39. Wellesley Village40. Wellesley Rural South41. Wellesley Rural North42. Woolwich Rural North43. Elmira44. St. Jacobs45. Woolwich Rural East

13

R E P O R T S U M MAR Y

EDIIn comparison to Ontario:In 2010, Waterloo Region’s children were faring well in the Emotional Maturity and Language and Cogni-tive Development domains, with a lower percentage of children scoring low in comparison to the Ontario baseline. However, in the remaining three domains (Physical Health and Well-Being, Social Competence and Communication and General Knowledge), there was a significantly higher percentage of Waterloo Region’s children scoring low in comparison to the Ontario baseline. Waterloo Region had a significantly higher per-centage of children considered “ready” in all subdomains except Gross and Fine Motor Skills and Overall So-cial Competence with Peers, in comparison to the Ontario Baseline. While it is important to remember that some of these differences may be due to the exclusion of children with special needs in the Ontario data (see also Report Notes), these are the areas which our community might choose to focus on in order to aim towards bringing Waterloo Region’s EDI results in line with the Ontario baseline.

In comparison to 2007:In 2010, the results of the Social Competence, Emotional Maturity and Language and Cognitive Develop-ment domains improved, as the percentage of children scoring low was smaller than in 2007. While there was no significant change between 2007 and 2010 in the Physical Health and Wellbeing or the Communi-cation Skills and General Knowledge domains, the percentage of children scoring low remained high based on 2004 scores.

While the percentage of children scoring low on two or more domains, as well as the percentage of children who have multiple challenges decreased since 2007, they still remain higher than the Ontario baseline. Lowering the percentage of children scoring low and who have multiple challenges to the Ontario baseline average or below it would improve the school-readiness of children in our community.

The maps in this report are useful in illustrating the neighbourhoods where there is the highest need for improvements in specific areas of child development, and where children are well-prepared for school. This knowledge can be used to help our community make informed decisions about where to invest in programs and services aimed to strengthen developmental outcomes of young children.

KPSThe KPS illustrated to us that a greater proportion of children eat well and have healthy Body Mass Indexes than those who do not. However, there are significant improvements that can be made on consistent fruit/vegetable consumption. Furthermore, over one third of age five children do not fall within a healthy BMI category.

Based on what parents/caregivers told us about their Senior Kindergarten child’s experiences prior to school entry, parents are actively involved in various activities with their children. Families feel safe in their neigh-bourhoods and while less than half get together to solve problems with their neighbours, two thirds have good relationships with their neighbours.

Understanding the demographics of families with children in Senior Kindergarten helps us to know who we are addressing when we discuss young children in our community.

This report has provided an outline of results of the 2010 EDI and KPS. It is intended to inform the com-munity about how well Senior Kindergarten children are doing, and to be used in continuing to improve child outcomes in Waterloo Region. The community is welcome to request more specific neighbourhood-level data from the Data Analysis Coordinator to assist with projects which work towards this goal.

14

This report was produced by Amy Romagnoli, the Data Analysis Coordinator at the YMCA Ontario Early Years Centre in Waterloo. EDI and KPS data collection would not have been possible without the active participation of Senior Kindergarten teachers in the Waterloo Region District School Board, Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud and Conseil scolaire Viamonde. The Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University in Hamilton also provided support with analysis and the Ontario base-lines, making it possible to compare Waterloo Region to the province as a whole. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services also supported this project. Special thanks to the parents of Senior Kindergarten children who completed the KPS, providing the community with knowledge on their experiences with young children.

community fit for children interim update

Documents

percentage of children

community fit

edition report

individual children

group of children

young children

senior kindergarten

community partners