Close Alert Banner
Skip to Content

Hospital

ResearchFoundation

Text Resize

Regular Large X-Large

Colour Contrast

Default High

View Our Accessibility Plan

CareersContact UsWebsite FeedbackMyChart
FR
Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario Logo
Contact Us
  • Visiting CHEO
    • Accessibility
    • Amenities
    • Cold and flu season
    • COVID-19
    • Emergency care
    • Family and caregiver supports
    • Family-Centred Rounds
    • Find your doctor
    • Health Records
    • Maps and locations
    • Parking
    • Pay your bill
    • Pharmacy (Kidcare)
    • Preparing for your stay or visit
    • Visiting hours and policies
    View our Physician directory page
    Find Your Doctor Directory
  • Clinics, Services & Programs
    • Directory
    • Emergency care
    • IR/Cath and Sim Labs
    • Make a referral
    • Mental health
    • School
    • Surgical care
    • Technology Enabling Child Health Innovations (TECHi)
    • Virtual care
  • Resources and Support
    • A-Z resources
    • Community supports
    • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity
    • Families First newsletter
    • Family and caregiver supports
    • Patient Experience
    • Reads2CHEO
    • Transition to adult care
  • Get Involved
    • Co-op program
    • Donate
    • Family Advisory Council
    • Feedback
    • Share your voice
    • Volunteer
    • YouthNet
  • About Us
    • 1Door4Care
    • About CHEO
    • Advocacy
    • Awards, Accreditations and Designations
    • Blog
    • Careers
    • Contact us
    • Disclaimer
    • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity
    • Find your doctor
    • For community physicians
    • For learners, students and residents
    • For pharmacists
    • Innovation
    • Kids Come First
    • Leadership
    • Newsroom
    • Partners
    • Privacy and confidentiality
    • Reporting and statistics
    • Research and innovation
    • Social media terms of use

Statement on schools from the Children’s Health Coalition

Girl in wheelchair smiling at camera

Regular Large X-Large
 
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Email this page Email
Email iconSubscribe to News

Contact us

Receive Email Updates...
Email icon Back to Search

TORONTO — As leaders in children’s health, we are deeply disappointed that Ontario has not acted upon the broad consensus for a regional re-opening of in-person learning. This consensus included children’s healthcare, public health, scientific experts and teachers’ organizations.

Throughout the pandemic, children and youth have made enormous sacrifices, from missing school, to the delays of surgery and treatment. To date, there has been inadequate attention to their needs. For many kids, the decisions by government will impact their learning, development, physical and mental health not only now but for years to come.

Ontario needs a coordinated recovery plan where kids are the priority and health equity is the guiding principle. We know children from low-income families, children who are Black, Indigenous and racialized and children with disabilities are even more profoundly impacted by the pandemic.

In the past 15 months, Ontario public school students have only been in school approximately 5 months. There are few places in the world where kids have been out of school more than Ontario, and no other Canadian province has had school closures this long.

We must act now to ensure an equitable return to regular, in-person schooling for all students across the province, and to address the negative impacts of the pandemic on kids. This includes planning now to ensure timely, equitable and easy access to mental health care for those children and youth who require more intensive interventions, as well as addressing the gap in developmental and rehabilitation services that children with disabilities have faced with schools closed.

Children and youth have not been a priority in Ontario’s pandemic response. Children must be a priority in the pandemic recovery – for the sake of their future and the sake of our province’s future. We look forward to working with government and all stakeholders to develop a robust plan to address kids’ needs.

-   30    -

About the Children's Health Coalition

The Children's Health Coalition is a growing collective of children's health organizations, including CHEO, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, SickKids, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital – London Health Sciences Centre, Children’s Mental Health Ontario and Empowered Kids Ontario.

About CHEO

Dedicated to the best life for every child and youth, CHEO is a global leader in pediatric health care and research. Based in Ottawa, CHEO includes a hospital, children’s treatment centre, school and research institute, with satellite services located throughout Eastern Ontario. CHEO provides excellence in complex pediatric care, research and education. We are committed to partnering with families and the community to provide exceptional care — where, when and how it’s needed. CHEO is a partner of the Kids Come First Health Team, a network of partners in Eastern Ontario working to create a high quality, standardized and coordinated system for pediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. Every year, CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.

Media contact

media@cheo.on.ca

 

CHEO

  • Visiting CHEO
  • Clinics, Services & Programs
  • Resources and Support
  • Get Involved
  • About Us

Contact Us

CHEO
401 Smyth Road
Ottawa ON K1H 8L1
Phone: 613-737-7600
Email Us

 

Connect with us

View our Facebook Page View our Twitter Page View our Instagram Page View our YouTube Page View our LinkedIn Page

Sign up for our newsletter

twitter:1248b279-93aa-4ec9-8398-fb5ed28a6413

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario logo

Copyright 2021 CHEO.

Designed by eSolutionsGroup
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy and confidentiality
  • Website Feedback
  • Contact Us

Staff Portal

Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.