New parents should be able to share an 18-month leave from work after their baby is born, says a just- released report by renowned early childhood expert Dr. Fraser Mustard.

The report, for the South Australia government where Mustard was appointed a thinker-in-residence, recommends 39 improvements and sweeping changes the state can make in early childhood development, which it has deemed a priority.

Those changes equally apply to Canada, where parental leave is currently one year, says Mustard, considered a world leader in the area.

Key among his proposals is that the South Australian government continue to create a network of early childhood development and parenting centres, linked to schools, to provide families from pregnancy onward with nutrition, health and parenting — including programs for parents to “learn parenting by doing” as well as programming for children, as well as provide child-care where needed. Such centres would also “reduce isolation for parents and young children,” the report says.

“Their society buys that this is important,” said Mustard. “In South Australia, they’ve been working at this for some time.”

Mustard is perhaps best known in Canada for the 1999 Early Years study he co-authored with Margaret Norrie McCain for the Ontario government, and last year’s follow-up that detailed how Canada is last in spending among industrialized nations when it comes to early childhood development programs.

Those reports also urged a national framework for universal “hubs,” with trained staff providing community-based help to parents, activities for children as well as access to health professionals.

Research shows that literacy, school performance and lifelong health and behaviour are largely determined by the brain development in the early years.

Because parents are the main caregivers for children, Mustard says it’s essential they have strong skills.

He estimates the cost of behavioural and mental health problems to be more than $30 billion a year in Ontario alone. The price tag of providing these hubs and extended maternity leave? About $18 billion.

Among the highlights of his South Australian report:

* Implement parental leave: The first six months of parental leave should be for the mother, the remaining 12 to be divided between parents as they see fit. Income support, provided by the government, should be at least 80 per cent of earnings. Currently, there are no statewide maternity leave provisions.

* Assess young students: The government should assess all students in kindergarten given 25 per cent currently are already behind when they begin school; that assessment should be used to monitor communities on an ongoing basis to make sure programs address needs.

Source: Hamilton Spectator, Canada
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/410234