Collaboration, First Step Towards Meaningful Change for Canada's Kids
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“The tremendous Canadian advantage” associated with the second longest lifespan amongst OECD countries is a significant source of national pride, but this advantage is at risk without a meaningful and sustained focus on upstream priorities: ensuring children and youth have the basics of life, including access to physical and mental health services. Growth of integrated youth services sites across the country are an important metric of progress to support children and youth, but insufficient to address the breadth of evolving, and increasingly complex health challenges facing Canada’s kids.
Across the country, healthcare delivery organizations and service providers serving children are experiencing unprecedented pressures. Community based providers cannot keep pace with the demands for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental, mental health and addiction services; community hospitals are under strain trying to balance the needs of patients across the lifespan, and Canada’s children’s hospitals continue to experience acute staffing challenges, limiting capacity to meet the needs of this country’s sickest children.
The path forward toward measurably improving the experiences and outcomes of healthcare for children and youth is through deep collaboration - amongst provinces and territories, the federal government, and healthcare providers and organizations serving children. In 2024, CHC and our members released recommendations to ensure equitable, accessible and connected healthcare services designed to meet the needs of today’s population of children, youth and families. We therefore urge Health Ministers to include a national plan for child and youth health on the agenda of their next meeting, thereby declaring the health of Canada’s kids a national priority.
“When we invest in the health of children, we invest in the health and future of Canada,” said Emily Gruenwoldt, President and CEO of Children’s Healthcare Canada. “Prioritizing the health and wellbeing of kids is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do.”
“We are optimistic about the path forward and committed to working with all levels of government to build a stronger, more responsive healthcare system for children and youth,” said Dr. Krista Jangaard, Chair of Children’s Healthcare Canada. “By taking decisive action now, we can create a legacy of better health and well-being for generations to come.”
For media inquiries, please contact:
Marjolaine Provost,
Senior Advisor, Communications
mprovost@childrenshealthcarecanada.ca
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