New policy and program resource to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on kids

New policy and program resource to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on kids

Children First Canada has released a new resource to help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 school closures on children and youth. This resource builds on the success of the online interactive tool created by Statistics Canada and Children First Canada in March and serves as a companion document to the tool.

Mitigating the Impacts of COVID-19 on Children and Youth in Canada is a compilation of suggested and implemented policies and programs designed to improve the overall health and well-being of young people affected by the pandemic. The document is grouped into the 11 categories highlighted in the tool, addressing the various ways children have been impacted.

In December 2020, Statistics Canada and Children First Canada hosted a hackathon to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on children and families. Harnessing research and data, industry leaders and youth joined hands to develop child-centred policy solutions. In response to this feedback, Statistics Canada and Children First Canada implemented a data-driven resource, School Closures and COVID-19: Interactive Tool. A virtual event to engage industry leaders and policy-makers was also held earlier this year to explore the findings and recommendations of the hackathon.

Throughout the pandemic, lockdown restrictions have placed a disproportionate burden on kids. In a recent poll, commissioned by Inspiring Healthy Futures and conducted by Abacus Data, 61 per cent of parents said they expect residual effects of the pandemic to impact their children’s mental health – even after it ends. Click here to learn more.

As we work to contain the spread of COVID-19, we need to balance our efforts with supports to address the unprecedented challenges facing Canada’s youngest citizens.

Thank you for supporting the health and well-being of all 8 million children in Canada.