Hamilton’s Charter of Rights of Children & Youth

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Rachelle Ihekwoaba
Manager, Community Strategies
[email protected]

What is it?

A reflection of the contributions of over 2000 children and youth from birth to 18 years of age across the community who attend EarlyON Child and Family Centres, schools, youth programs, child care, and summer Supie programs, making this a truly made-in-Hamilton charter of rights for children, written by children.

The Hamilton Best Start Network collaborated with Culture for the Kids in the Arts to review the 15-year-old Hamilton-Wentworth Children’s Charter of Rights.

With the help of educators, children and youth engaged in conversations about rights and responsibilities. The conversations were documented through pictures and words that would reflect their voices. Over 2000 children and youth of Hamilton created the Charter in their own words, through extensive community engagement.

Hamilton Best Start Network members, students and interns, artists, and educators sorted the collected artwork into themes. These themes informed the development of the rights of children, as well as the responsibilities of children and the responsibilities of adults.

While families are responsible for raising their children, governments, schools, communities, parents and individuals have a duty to respect children’s rights. The Charter is not only about making Hamilton the best place to raise a child, but also about making Hamilton the best place to be a child.

Charter & Participatory Responsibilities

I have the right to be heard

To have a say in decisions that affect me
To express an opinion and have it be heard by the people around me

Children are responsible for listening to others and respecting their opinions. Adults are responsible for asking children for their opinions on all matters that affect them, and seriously considering their views.

I have the right to live in a home, in a neighbourhood

To live in a house with a bird house, grass, and trees
For my neighbourhood to accept and respect children’s rights
To live in a house that is mould free and bug free and asbestos free

Children are responsible for helping to take care of the place where they live. Adults are responsible for making sure our community is providing good quality affordable housing, in neighbourhoods that have access to green space and that support our citizens.

I have the right to live with and be cared for by family

To make something with my mom
To have an adult hug me and take care of me
To have someone who cares about me and is patient with me
Be reminded of how important I am

Children are responsible for respecting and caring for their family. Adults are responsible for respecting and caring for children and families in their diverse forms, and responding to children’s right to feel loved in their family.

I have the right to have friends

To have a best friend
To argue with my friend and then make up again
To have fun and laugh
To play with blocks with my friends

Children are responsible for caring for, respecting, and including others. Adults are responsible for making it possible for friends to feel welcome and included, and to respect children’s ability to settle their own disagreements.

I have the right to good food, and warm, clean clothes

To have breakfast before I go anywhere
To make cupcakes
To more, and better school and club snacks

Children are responsible for learning about and eating healthy food, and helping to care for their clothing. Adults are responsible for ensuring that children are aware of healthy and ethical food choices, of where and how food and clothing are produced, and that healthy food and suitable clothing are available to all children and their families.

I have the right to a healthy earth to live on

To have free fresh clean water
To have clean air
To play with leaves
To dig in the dirt
To be in nature

Children are responsible for caring for their environment and reducing waste. Adults are responsible for supporting and nurturing children’s relationship with the natural environment and working to provide a healthy environment through fixing what is wrong, protecting what is right, and making good decisions for the future of our environment, to build capacity to think in terms of “forever”.

I have the right to play

To have toys
Race cars
To play on a swing at the park
To play on the big slide
To ride my bike
Get messy

Be able to go to the playground with my parents
To test out my own body
To climb on branches
Jump
To play in bigger parks
Play sports

Go to camps
To play games on my computer
Exercise
To have extra-curricular activities: drama, dance, clubs, and sports

Children are responsible for including all children in active exploration, enjoyment of movement, and imaginative play at appropriate times. Adults are responsible for providing both structured and unstructured time and environments for children to play with friends and trust children to take some risks.

I have the right to learn more things

To learn in fun ways
Have more books
To go to school and have a safe learning environment

To graduate from university
Have opportunities, to reach goals

To do my best work
Notice what is important to me

Children are responsible for being curious and thoughtful about what is around them, making the most of learning opportunities and respecting the abilities of others. Adults are responsible for nurturing children’s curiosity, supporting their learning by respecting their interests and ways of learning in all contexts, thoughtfully reflecting on their own interventions in children’s explorations, actively removing/reducing barriers to full participation in learning, providing stimulating materials and experiences for learning, and building communities that recognize children’s competence and intelligence.

I have the right to express myself, my personality and thoughts without judgement

To tell other people what I am thinking and feeling
Dance
To express myself through creative experiences
To have art supplies

To make art, and have art teachers
To think
To have my concerns treated with respect
Be imaginative

To be free to show who I am or what I think
To feel loved or mad...feel confused
Not to understand life or meaning to everything

Children are responsible for communicating respectfully, and appreciating the ways others express themselves. Adults are responsible for providing children with opportunities to express themselves fully, to engage in creative activities, and to stay silent if they choose.

I have the right to be proud of who I am

To be proud of my work and accomplishments

Children are responsible for working to the best of their ability. Adults are responsible for recognizing children’s efforts without comparing them to others, and cultivate spaces where children are able to demonstrate their particular competence.

I have the right to make choices

To choose my friends
To choose my girlfriend or boyfriend

To have my favourite colour
To be silly if I feel like it

To have the chance to learn by making mistakes
To have a part-time job

Children are responsible for considering their decisions carefully. Adults are responsible for seeking out and seriously considering children’s views on all matters that concern them, to help them to make informed decisions, and to recognize the importance of relationships and making a meaningful contribution to their own financial security and independence.

I have the right to special help like a wheelchair if I ever need it

To be helped and have hope
To help people
To have supports available so I can develop

Children are responsible for including and helping children who need support. Adults are responsible for working with children to define what meaningful participation is for them, and to accommodate and reduce barriers to full participation for all children.

I have the right to know about and practice my culture

To learn about my culture
To speak and sing in my own language
To know my family and my grandmother
To have a birthday party with balloons

Children are responsible for respecting other people’s language and celebrations. Adults are responsible for modelling respect for people of all backgrounds, supporting learning about diverse cultures and learning how to listen in many ways.

I have the right to care for living things

To have a pet
To have a birdhouse and food for the birds
To care for plants

Children are responsible for caring for animals and contributing to community gardens. Adults are responsible for supporting children’s empathy and care for all living beings and making meaningful contributions to gardens using sustainable methods.

I have the right to be safe, secure, and healthy

For all parents getting their child’s baby bonus every month
Less people getting in fights
Have seat belts on the bus
Hold my mom’s hand
Feel safe walking down the street

Go to the dentist
Have more food banks
Be protected from toxins
Have medicine and doctors
Live in a smoke- free neighbourhood, in a world with no more cigarettes

Have a safe environment to go home to, where there is no violence, no drug abuse, no ignorance, no neglect
Hide from the lies and the life they hate to live
Help people in poverty

Children are responsible for caring for themselves and others by taking steps to reduce hazards and by avoiding dangerous situations. Adults are responsible for supporting children’s assessment of risk, refusing to inflict pain or emotional harm on children, protecting and strengthening our social safety net, and building communities that are safe for all citizens.

I have the right to be free from discrimination

Equal opportunities regardless of how much money my parents make
Not be picked on because of my height and size and to be able to do more activities
Not be judged on how I look
Have equal treatment and be included regardless of race, religion, gender

Children are responsible for respecting and being empathetic to others. Adults are responsible for building inclusive communities that welcome and support all people.

I have the right to rest

Have a comfy bed to sleep in
Have a stuffed toy, blankets

Children are responsible for learning about and taking care of their bodies. Adults are responsible for ensuring a child’s time is not over-scheduled, and that they have a place to rest.

I have the right to privacy

To be in my home and be private in my room so my cat won’t bother me
To have a place where I can be by myself or maybe with a friend, like a fort or a tent

Children are responsible for respecting the privacy of others. Adults are responsible for respecting children’s belongings, spaces, and need for time alone.

These rights and responsibilities shall apply to all children and youth under the age of 18, without discrimination according to race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, ability/disability, ethnic origin, religion, neighbourhood, economic status. This Charter of Rights for Children and Youth does not replace the law.

Date modified

September 17, 2022