More than 28 per cent of N.S. children starting out in school are vulnerable: study

HALIFAX — The increase in Nova Scotia children considered vulnerable to having learning problems as they enter the school system may be connected to the COVID-19 pandemic and child poverty, says a child and youth researcher.

“While we don’t know exactly what is driving this change, we know and understand some of the conditions that are likely to influence changes to children’s development,” said Jessie-Lee McIsaac, a Canada Research Chair and professor at Mount Saint Vincent University’s faculty of education.

McIsaac reacted on Tuesday to new data that tracks children’s ability to meet developmental targets across five categories as they begin school: physical health, cognitive development, communication, emotional maturity and social competence.

The research is from the 2023 early development instrument report, developed at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University. Results from the study of nearly 8,000 new Nova Scotia students between five and six years old found that 28.5 per cent were considered “vulnerable” in at least one category — up from 25.5 per cent when the study was last conducted in 2020. 

COVID-19 lockdowns coupled with increases in child poverty and the cost of living could have played a role in the rise in vulnerability, McIsaac says.

“We’re hearing about the rising costs, the unaffordability of housing and groceries, and those things really do impact families’ access to the support and things they need for young children, which ultimately could impact their development,” she said.

In a September 2023 report from Food Banks Canada, Nova Scotia ranked the lowest among all provinces for combating poverty. A significant portion of the population is struggling to meet basic needs, and almost a quarter of Nova Scotians are experiencing food insecurity, the report said.

“There is quite a well-rounded literature base on the (negative) impact of poverty on children’s development … but we don’t yet know what the long-term impacts of the pandemic will be.”

Children who are five and six years old today likely experienced major pandemic-related interruptions at an important time in their early development, when they were two and three years old, said McIsaac, who is researching the impact of COVID-19 on Atlantic Canadian families.

“This group of children in particular would have experienced a lot of disruption at a really pivotal time in their lives,” she said. 

In a 2020 survey McIsaac and her team conducted of Maritime families with children aged eight and younger, more than 70 per cent of 2,200 parent respondents reported a loss of health-related services for their child, and 75 per cent said their child was spending more time with screens.

Then, in a 2021 survey of Atlantic families, McIsaac found that almost half of the 935 parent respondents said their children’s social and emotional development was negatively impacted by the pandemic.

In an emailed statement, Jenna MacQueen, a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, said, “While it’s encouraging to see that nearly half of our grade primary students are on track, we are still learning how the pandemic may have affected the development of children.”

MacQueen said the department and the province’s regional centres for education are reviewing the results and looking at where focused support is needed, but she provided no further details.

“We know that experiences in early childhood set the trajectory for learning, behaviour, health and well-being,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2023.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press