A question of commitment : children's rights in Canada /

This edited collection evaluates the state of children's rights in Canada and the extent to which the Canadian government is meeting its commitments to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The purpose of the text is not to engage with the concept of rights in itself, but rather to focus on application. The first section includes articles covering broad issues such as poverty, education, health, discipline, abuse, justice, and participation rights. The second focuses on specific populations: aboriginal, homeless, and refugee children, children in care, and children with disabilities. With a few exceptions, each chapter is well written and integrated into the overall focus of the volume, with links to specific sections of the CRC and evaluation of governmental initiatives. The editors provide a strong introduction and conclusion, outlining the history and details of the CRC and concluding that Canada's commitment to meeting its obligations has been wavering at best, in part due to a widespread lack of education about the CRC. This is a valuable sourcebook on the current state of children's rights in Canada. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. R. C. Raby Brock University