COVID-19 pandemic conditions impacted child health and wellbeing with children’s healthcare, system, and policy implications. One area of keen interest has been child maltreatment. This webinar will share evidence from the longest study to describe trends in child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore how  public health measures impacted hospitalization rates and ICU admissions for maltreatment in young children (<2) in Canada. Real-world care examples will help contextualize the data (or bring the data to life). Learn the latest evidence related to the identification and management of suspected maltreatment.

Matthew Carwana 
Pediatrician and Researcher, UBC Department of Pediatrics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute 

Matt Carwana is a pediatrician and clinician-investigator based on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territory. He is the Medical Director of the Social Pediatrics Program at BC Children's Hospital and provides care in Vancouver's Downtown East Side. He is also the Co-Lead for the Indirect Consequences Project for the POPCORN Research Network. 

Nita Jain 
Pediatrician, BC Children’s Hospital  

Dr. Nita Jain a general pediatrician with over 25 years of experience working in the hospital and community setting in BC. She is the Medical Director for the Child and Family Clinic at BC Children's Hospital, which offers support for children and youth who may be at risk of physical, sexual or emotional harm, or neglect. She has an interest in health equity for children with the goal of improving access to health care for those whose voices are not being heard. 

Youth suicide, a key indicator on child and youth mental health, is a serious global health concern with devastating impacts on families and communities and costs to healthcare systems and society. Despite being among the wealthiest nations, Canada (33 of 42) and the US (36 of 42) rank poorly among high-income countries in youth suicide (UNICEF, 2025).  

Preventing youth suicide requires integrated and coordinated systems and child-, youth-, and family-centred approaches. In response to these alarming statistics, the US-based Preventing Youth Suicide National Collaborative was formed in 2022, beginning as a joint initiative of the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) and others. The 39 hospitals involved in this collaborative use a systematic approach to the identification and assessment of children/youth at risk of suicide. Together they have improved care of children and youth at risk of suicide. CHA members have implemented changes in suicide care, including screening, data collection, staff development, and culture change.  

This joint webinar, presented by Children’s Healthcare Canada and the Children’s Hospital Association, shares the work of the Preventing Youth Suicide National Collaborative and highlights two innovative Canadian models driving change from hospital to community. 

Read more here.