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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.

View the reports and resources below to learn more about our recommendations to right-size children's healthcare systems and how you can get involved.

Image tile to download the Beyond Bandaids Final Report
Image tile to download the Beyond Bandaids Executive Summary
Image tile to download the Beyond Bandaids Executive Summary
Image tile to download the Beyond Bandaids Executive Summary

How our Members are Right-Sizing Children's Healthcare in Canada

Additional Information

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

View the Report
  

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.

View the Report 

Children’s Healthcare Canada, working alongside our members and with partners, facilitated a series of consultations to identify gaps in the child health system and define key priorities aligned with the vision of achieving right-sized, integrated health systems for children and youth in Canada.

Thank you to the Canadian Pediatric Society, Canadian Association of Pediatric Nurses, Pediatric Chairs of Canada and families with lived experience for your participation and support. 

These interactive consultations were held virtually between October and November 2023 and focused on five key areas where recommendations for policy and investment will make the greatest impact.

The key areas included:

  • Access to Care in the Community
  • Innovating hospital-based services and care models
  • Care pathways and transitions for populations with complex needs
  • Child, youth and family mental health
  • Equitable access to care for all populations across the country
 

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