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In Canada, the definition of a minor child varies according to province as indicated in the table below.
- Rights of children
The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as...
- Canada Child Benefit
The Canada child benefit (CCB) is administered by the Canada...
- Rights of children
- Overview
- Guiding principles
- A brief history of children's rights in Canada
- Additional information and resources
- International Children's Rights
Children's rights have earned increased attention across the UN spectrum. Both the United Nations Human Rights Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations have adopted resolutions on the rights of the child.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as a “human being below the age of 18, unless national laws recognize an earlier age of majority”.
Canada ratified the Convention in 1991 and is also a party to two of the three optional protocols :
Children in Canada also enjoy the rights protected in the six other principal human rights treaties that Canada has ratified.
are essential to protect the safety and security of children, which are why these rights are protected under international human rights conventions to which Canada is a party.
The Interdepartmental Working Group on Children's Rights, co-chaired by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Department of Justice Canada, was created in 2007 to promote a whole-of-government approach to children's rights and to encourage linkages among departments with policies that affect children.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely and rapidly ratified core human rights treaty in history.
This Convention, together with its three Optional Protocols, provides a solid foundation for the protection of children's rights worldwide. It covers the full range of civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights of children.
The protection of this range of rights is reflected in the following the Convention guiding principles:
Definition of the child (Article 1)
This principle defines a child as a person below the age of 18, unless the laws of a particular country set a younger legal age for adulthood.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child, the monitoring body for the Convention, has encouraged States to review the age of majority if it is set below 18 and to increase the level of protection for all children under 18.
In 1990, Canada took the step of signing the Convention on the Rights of the Child to solidify its efforts to protect children. These efforts have included involvement in the 1990 World Summit for Children and work to establish the improvement of the health and rights of women and children around the world as Canada's top development priority.
Canada played a key role in the negotiations that led to the adoption and ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol on Children in Armed Conflict and the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.
For more information on the Convention of the Rights of the Child, visit the following resources:
•The Convention on the Rights of the Child in child-friendly language
This colourful poster (PDF Version) from Unicef Canada explains all the articles of the Convention in plain and simple language.
•National Child Day
The promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Canadian efforts abroad. It is because of the unique vulnerability of children that their rights are of priority concern within Canada's foreign and development policy.
Learn more about how Canada is working to improve children's rights worldwide.
The age of majority is the age a child is legally considered to be an adult. It is determined by each province. The age of majority is 18 in: Alberta; Manitoba; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; The age of majority is 19 in: British Columbia; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Northwest Territories; Nova Scotia ...
To qualify as a dependant child when applying for temporary or permanent residence in Canada, your child must be within the age limit and meet the requirements of a dependent child. The age limit of dependent children (for immigration purposes) has changed from “under 19” to “under 22.”
The Canada child benefit (CCB) is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age.
The Charter and Constitutional Protection for Children in Canada. The rights of children under the Charter are foundational to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in Canadian law because: Courts can use the Charter as a tool of interpretation to apply the CRC.
UNICEF Canada believes all children have the right to a healthy, safe and happy childhood. Our Right to a Childhood campaign invites everyone to give every child the chance to be a kid and stay a kid for as long as they can. Share This: Convention Rights in Practice.
