Over the next several years, the Canadian Child and Youth Health Coalition proposes to take a fresh look at the way in which children and their families experience and are dealt with in today's health care system. While tremendous progress has been made in the supportive environments for children and families and their inclusion as part of the health care team, there continue to be concerns about significant variability across institutions and examples of poor practices that have had significant impacts on health outcomes. The Coalition believes that developing a common vision of how this interaction should occur and identifying/sharing best practices is an important undertaking, especially given the opportunity to have the Canadian Family Advisory Network (CFAN) centrally engaged in this initiative.

Comprised of health care leaders, staff, as well as family and youth advisors, the Child and Family in the Healthcare System Working Group, led by CFAN, was established in January 2009 to guide the development of priority initiatives towards enhancing the experience of infants, children, youth and families within the health care system. Through a process of identifying key issues, reviewing the literature, collecting data, anecdotal information and stories, the group will work to determine best practices and develop recommendations to be delivered to hospitals, rehabilitation centres, and government.

While the focus in the first year will be on the in-hospital experience, experiences within rehabilitation centres, hospices, community agencies, and the child and family’s home will be considered as the project develops. The intention is to look and think comprehensively but to choose specific areas for detailed examination.

Specific objectives of the working group are:

1. To identify existing practices and programs across Canada that are exemplary in involving children, youth, and families as partners and in meeting their healthcare needs;
2. To identify specific areas where long-standing and just-emerging healthcare needs are not being adequately met;
3. To make recommendations to institutions and governments that, if accepted and acted upon, would improve the experience of children, youth, and families within the healthcare system and contribute to better outcomes.

Year 1 Priorities

The working group is currently in the process of addressing two prioriry areas of focus:

1. Parental/caregiver presence at anesthesia induction in the operating room and recovery
2. Preparing inpatients for the transition to “real life”
   

If you would like more information about the Child and Family in the Health Care System initiative or are interested in participating directly in the activities of the working group, please contact Melissa Clulow.

Is there an issue or concern you would like our Working Group to consider?
Please submit your ideas to our online "issues bank" below.

Child & Family in the Health Care System "Issues Bank”

In order to track and retain other important issues for future consideration that may emerge in the process of addressing Year I priorities, we have established an online "issues bank".

If you would like to submit a suggestion to be considered by the Child and Family in the Health Care System Working Group, please use the form below. All recommendations will be reviewed and discussed by the working group. Should your submission be adopted for focused project work, please let us know whether you are willing to be contacted in person.

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