Inspiring Healthy Futures
A Vision for Children, Youth, and Families in Canada
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#WeCANforKids
Shaping the future
Canadians want a future where every child, youth, and family thrives.
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Participants in the Inspiring Healthy Futures network imagine an equitable ecosystem that fosters health and well-being, resilience, and opportunity for all. Youth, parents, researchers, educators, advocates, policymakers, service providers, and community and business leaders continue to inspire and be inspired by this vision.
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Their commitment forms the foundation for leaders, organizations, and governments to make kids a priority and create a healthier, stronger future for children, youth, and families in Canada.
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This work is driven by the power of collaboration, advocacy, and innovative research to create lasting, positive change.
Why now
Because every day in the life of a child matters.
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Year after year, decade after decade, reporting by UNICEF on child well-being has demonstrated that Canada rarely outperforms other rich countries, either leaving us stuck in the middle or falling well behind peer countries. In 2021, we co-created an action framework centred around mobilized communities and spanning youth initiatives, research collaborations, grassroots parent groups, advocacy initiatives, and community and industry partnerships.
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▶︎ Read more about the framework that underpins the network (PDF).
In 2023, the federal government took a significant step toward improving the health and well-being of children and youth when it re-negotiated the Canada Health Transfer and announced a new investment of $2 billion to improve child and youth health outcomes. With Inspiring Healthy Futures 2.0, let’s capitalize on that momentum to co-create A Future Fit For Kids.
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▶︎ Take a look at our updated Acceleration Agenda.
Founding partners
In 2020, four co-sponsors led an effort to galvanize champions working in all aspects of child well-being and articulate a shared approach. The result was Inspiring Healthy Futures, a pan-Canadian, cross-sectoral network of champions for children's health and well-being.
In its development, over 1,500 individuals and organizations from health, social services, education, research, and policy, together with youth/families convened with a common vision: Collectively, we imagined a better future for children, youth, and families in Canada.
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▶︎ Learn more about the people behind Inspiring Healthy Futures.
Network champions
Diverse champions are the cornerstone of the Inspiring Healthy Futures network. Progress for children, youth, and families relies on our commitment to research, advocacy, and collaboration.
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▶︎ Get involved in the Inspiring Healthy Futures network.