Looming post-pandemic children’s crisis calls for federal leadership

The debate about in-person learning has intensified over the last few weeks, especially in parts of Canada where schools remain closed, shedding new light on the trials this pandemic has created for many children, youth, and families. With vaccination giving rise to new hope that ‘normalcy’ is on the horizon and the health crisis may be nearing its end, recent polling warns of an alarming children’s crisis that will continue after the pandemic recedes. Abacus Data recently surveyed over 2,000 Canadians for the Inspiring Healthy Futures initiative; 48 per cent of parents say the pandemic has created new mental health challenges for their children. Many are families who have never faced the turmoil of watching young loved ones live through extreme mental anguish, and new patients who have never sought medical attention before. The influx of demand for mental and physical health interventions has put further strain on a system already struggling to support families and young people; before the pandemic, an estimated 90,000 children were waiting for mental health services across Canada. In the same survey, 62 per cent of parents say they expect impacts on their child’s mental health to continue long after the pandemic is over. While it is encouraging that close to one in four believes children will rebound quickly, we cannot sit idly by expecting our children’s resilience will kick in and all will be well. For some, this may be the case, but with every week that passes, our children are at greater long-term risk. Without child and family recovery, there is no economic recovery and no sustainable future. The uncomfortable question that follows is whether adults are prepared to accept accountability for their actions and make children our collective priority. We have heard this phrase before, but what does it really mean? Over the last nine months, 1,500 voices, including the perspectives of youth, parents, service providers, youth-serving agencies, educators, and researchers, came together to co-create inclusive, accessible, and flexible policy solutions to boost child and youth pandemic recovery. Inspiring Healthy Futures tells us change is possible for Canada’s 8 million children and youth when we make them our priority. Comprehensive, cross-disciplinary research We cannot yet quantify the adverse effects this pandemic will have on the long-term health and well-being of children. Based on our consultation and emerging data, however, it’s an issue we should all be collectively concerned about. COVID-19 is a new disease, with still-uncertain and evolving direct and indirect effects on society. Today’s children will bear the impacts of the pandemic and its debt the longest. To inform impactful, evidence-driven policy decisions that mitigate long-term negative impacts, we need child and family-focused, equitable solutions. We need to invest in research that expands our understanding of COVID-19’s impacts on child and youth mental health, physical health, learning and development, and socio-economic well-being. And we need to act urgently on what we know now. Child-centric policy and structures The policies governments enact today–or fail to enact–will have long-term impacts on children, youth, and families for decades to come. Decision-makers need someone at the table who will ask: “How will this policy impact children, youth, and families?” Establishing a non-partisan federal accountability office for children and youth, co-ordinating policy across federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions would bring much-needed leadership to the policy discourse. That, and improving data and outcomes monitoring, while advancing the rights and self-determination of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children and youth, Inspiring Healthy Futures recommends the development of a child impact assessment to confirm every child and youth, no matter their background or socio-economic status, benefits from policy decisions. A practical example of how this assessment would be applied is to parental leave. A child-focused lens would support greater inclusion and flexibility so every infant is entitled to spend their first months of life in the care of their parents. Accessible and adaptable health and well-being systems The Abacus Data survey shows that 79 per cent of people in Canada want to see new investments to bolster child and youth mental health supports and services, closer to home. Our capacity to meet the demand for children’s mental health services was stretched pre-pandemic and we know the need is only greater today. If there were ever a time to transform our health care system to meet the demands of the 21st century, it is now. This will require the shedding of partisan cloaks and unprecedented innovation and collaboration between governments of all levels, parents, families, youth, and the health care sector at large. These measures, amongst others, form the vision Inspiring Healthy Futures has created, putting children, youth, and families at the core of our post-pandemic recovery and around the decision-making table. We don’t have a lot of time, but we do have enough time to get ahead of this crisis by proactively addressing child and youth health through meaningful policy action and investments. Kids need to be our priority today, for our tomorrow. The grown-ups owe them that much. Emily Gruenwoldt is president and CEO of Children’s Healthcare Canada and executive director of the Pediatric Chairs of Canada. Lisa Wolff is director of policy and research at UNICEF Canada. These organizations are founding partners of Inspiring Healthy Futures along with the Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health. The Hill Times

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Looming post-pandemic children’s crisis calls for federal leadership

Without child and family recovery, there is no economic recovery and no sustainable future following the pandemic.

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