Right-Sizing Children’s Health Systems
Children’s Healthcare Canada is on a mission to “right-size” health systems serving children and youth.
From coast to coast to coast, and across the continuum of care, children, youth and their families are experiencing long and costly delays for essential and time sensitive healthcare services. In many jurisdictions, children are now waiting longer for these services than adults.
A growing body of evidence underscores the impacts associated with decades of underinvestment in children’s health. As a wealthy nation, Canada has all the resources necessary to meaningfully and measurably improve children’s health and wellbeing, but what will it take? And, where should we prioritize investments to yield greatest impact?
What is a right-sized children's healthcare system?
It is an accessible, equitable, connected healthcare system designed for the needs of children, youth and families.
Current campaigns
Bill S-212 : An Act respecting a National Strategy for Children and Youth in Canada
Other Ways You Can Help
Bill S-212 needs broad support to move forward. If you believe in a National Strategy for Children and Youth, here's what you can do:
Learn more about why we need a National Strategy for Children and Youth in Canada by reading our Policy brief.
Download our social toolkit, and show your support for S-212 publicly on your own social media channels
Follow CHC's updates on Bill S-212 on our social channels.. You can also sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know!
Previous campaigns
Thrive: The Economic Case for Investing in Children’s Health
This report links investments in children’s healthcare to Canada’s prosperity, resilience and health. Investing in children's health is not only the right thing to do, it's economically smart.
Report Resources
News Release Executive Summary Social Toolkit Key Messages Q+A
View the Beyond Bandaids report and resources below to learn more about our recommendations to right-size children's healthcare systems and how you can get involved.
Conference Board Reports
This research series examines whether Canada’s healthcare systems are well-positioned to meet the current and future health and well-being needs of Canadian children and youth.
Report 1: No Child Elects to Wait
No Child Elects to Wait, finds that overdrawn timelines add significantly to healthcare system costs, and negatively impact children’s health outcomes. This research initiative, begins by delving into the complexities of wait times and backlogs for pediatric surgery in Canada, exploring their underlying causes and evidence-based consequences
Report 2: Nurturing Minds for Secure Futures
Nurturing Minds for Secure Futures, explores the crisis in access to mental healthcare prevention, assessment, diagnoses, and treatment services for children and youth. We quantify the evidence-informed consequences of not investing today to ensure timely access to mental health services and supports for current and future generations of Canada’s children and youth.