Kids Can’t Vote. We Can!

Canada’s 45th federal election is now underway. What does this mean for our eight million children and youth?

While there are many substantive concerns competing for party leaders’ time and attention, healthcare still figures prominently in polling exploring the most pressing issues for Canadians. The healthcare systems serving children, youth and families in Canada are undersized to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly medically complex population. As a result, there are measurable human and financial costs accruing that must be a focus of any future leader of this country.

Polling conducted by Abacus Data on behalf of Children’s Healthcare Canada consistently demonstrates that improving access to healthcare services for children and youth is an important priority for all Canadians, not just parents. In 2023, 92% of Canadians agreed we need to improve Canada’s healthcare system to better meet the needs of children and youth in Canada (95% among parents). Over a third of parents lack confidence in the healthcare system’s ability to provide children’s healthcare medicine and products (39%), and half of parents aren’t confident they can access timely emergency care (47%) or have timely access to mental health care for their children (48%).

When we improve the health of children, we improve the health and wealth of Canada. Children’s Healthcare Canada has defined the following priorities to realize this shared goal:

• Introduce a Pan-Canadian Children's Health and Wellbeing Strategy. A federally led, provincially supported national health and wellbeing strategy for children would ensure a coordinated approach to identifying policy and investment priorities across federal, provincial and territorial governments, would define measurable targets and timelines to improve experiences and outcomes of health care, and ultimately improve health outcomes for children, youth and families. This strategy would be led by a Chief Children’s Officer, accountable for implementation and outcomes.
• Dedicated, Ring-Fenced Funding for the Children’s Health System. A Child Health Transfer with a minimum investment of $10 billion over ten years would enable provinces to improve children's physical and mental healthcare delivery, pursue critical research, and support programs like Jordan's principle and the Inuit Child First program. This approach is popular with Canadians, with 88% in favour of allocating a specific portion of the Canada Health Transfer for child and youth healthcare.
• Support Families in Canada through Economic Uncertainty. A one-time permanent increase to the Canada Child Benefit of 10%, with a focus on low-income households would alleviate the stress and anxiety families are facing as a result of unpredictable tariffs and inflation. This should be paired with additional investment and an expansion of the Youth Mental Health Action Fund to include children.

Every day matters in the life of a child. The next government must prioritize the health of children and youth in order to shape a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous Canada. While kids can’t vote, we can.

About Children’s Healthcare Canada