Stronger, More Resilient Children, Youth and Families: Budget 2025
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Introduction
Children in Canada are facing a polycrisis that threatens their health, well-being, and future prosperity. The rising cost of living, a weakening Canadian dollar, and emergent U.S. tariffs are putting immense pressure on families across the country. These economic shocks are not just straining household budgets but are also destabilizing the healthcare system that children and youth rely on. Much like the pandemic only a few years ago, these pressures will have an outsized impact on children and youth, who depend on health and mental health services that are, in turn, facing their own economic constraints, compounding on top of decades of underinvestment.
The Government of Canada has already taken important steps to support children, youth, and families through investments such as the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), the Youth Mental Health Fund, and Jordan’s Principle. However, these are not enough. Today’s unprecedented economic challenges demand further decisive action. We call on the government to make targeted, strategic investments in Budget 2025 to mitigate the impacts of economic strain on children and families and to strengthen healthcare systems serving young people.
Recommendations
To uphold its commitment to generational fairness, a strong healthcare system, and equitable opportunities for all children, we urge the federal government to adopt the following three key investments in Budget 2025:
- Support Children, Youth, and Families in the Face of Economic Pressures: Expand economic protections for families with a 10% increase in the Canada Child Benefit and expand the Youth Mental Health Fund to include Children with a minimum $5 billion investment over ten years.
- Ensure Sustainable Child Health Delivery: Implement a federal Child Health Transfer (a dedicated, ring-fenced funding stream) with a minimum investment of $10 billion over ten years alongside economic safeguards in response to tariff threats and impacts to protect children’s healthcare delivery from supply chain disruptions and resource scarcity.
- Sustain and Expand Jordan’s Principle and the Inuit Child First Initiative: Commit to renewed and sustained funding for Jordan’s Principle and the Inuit Child First Initiative, including scaling up proven models of care that improve access to healthcare, education, and social support for Indigenous children and families.
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