This report is provided by Children First Canada; the University of Calgary O’Brien Institute for Public Health; and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. It includes Statistics Canada data from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, and the 2019 Canadian Community Health Survey.

UNICEF ranks Canada 30th out of 38 affluent nations for protecting the well-being of children. This is a significant drop from 12th place in 2007.  This report cautions that: one-third of children in Canada do not enjoy a safe and healthy childhood; one in three Canadians report experiencing abuse before the age of 15; one in five children live in poverty; and suicide is now the leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 14.  The odds of Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Metis and Inuit) and other racialized children experiencing impacts of systemic racism and adverse childhood experiences such as poverty and abuse are particularly stark.

Factors detracting from children enjoying a safe and healthy childhood have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Top 10 threats include:

  • Unintentional and preventable injuries
  • Poor mental health
  • Child abuse
  • Poverty
  • Infant mortality
  • Physical inactivity
  • Food insecurity
  • Systemic racism and discrimination
  • Vaccine-preventable illnesses
  • Bullying

In addition, Climate change is a new threat identified in this 2020 edition of the Raising Canada report.

Published By:  Children First Canada; University of Calgary O’Brien Institute for Public Health; Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute

Publication Date: September, 2020

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Click Here to View: Raising Canada Report