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By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)/rdnewsNOW

Youth

Alberta taking new actions for youth affected by the pandemic

Jun 1, 2022 | 4:04 PM

The Government of Alberta says it is to take new actions to support children and youth affected by the pandemic.

The cross-ministry action plan is informed, the government says, by the Child and Youth Well-being Review, which came up with 10 recommendations for the short and long-term.

Recommendations were formed following feedback from experts, researchers, educators, professionals, as well as parents and youth, it’s also stated in a release on Tuesday.

“The pandemic has been difficult for most, but it has been especially challenging for vulnerable children, youth and families,” says Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Children’s Services, and co-chair of the review panel.

“This action plan lays out the next steps to help those most affected through programs and resources focusing on well-being and resiliency.”

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New actions include:

• Expanding of mental health and behavioural supports in schools to prevent health challenges before they happen.
• Working across ministries to expand prevention and early intervention supports for youth, including expanding youth mental health hubs, expanding phone and virtual supports, and expanding access to mental health supports in schools.
• Targeted funding of more than $110 million over three years to enable schools to support students for pandemic-related issues such as learning loss, school nutrition and mental health supports.
• The Ministry of Education is looking to improve school nutrition in Alberta and will issue a call for proposals from non-profit organizations to collaborate with schools to pilot innovative ways to support vulnerable youth.
• Early childhood educators will receive more training on mental health needs in children from birth to age six.

Ongoing actions include:

• A $1-million expansion to provincewide in-person and virtual mental health counselling services through Alberta’s Family Resource Network.
• A $7.3-million expansion of youth mental health hubs, providing young Albertans with a one-stop shop for services that improve their mental health and overall wellness.
• $390 million for Alberta’s Broadband Strategy to improve internet connectivity for children, youth and families living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities across the province, supported by a matching dollar-for-dollar investment from the Government of Canada for a total of $780 million.
• More initiatives will be announced in the coming months.

The government says it is committed to providing appropriate actions for Indigenous and newcomer youth as well.

“COVID-19 has affected all aspects of life for young people from every culture and community. The panel learned from experts on ways to ensure children and youth have the tools they need to process and cope in healthy ways,” adds Matt Jones, MLA for Calgary-Southeast, and panel co-chair. “We are working together to ensure young people across this province can live healthy lives and have access to tools and supports that will help them reach their full potential.”

According to the province, the Child and Youth Well-being Review took place between May and August 2021, and included two public surveys, 16 roundtable discussions, six telephone town halls, 15 more MLA-led roundtables, and 96 email submissions.