Our government is working hard to ensure parents have the tools they need to secure a safe, happy, and healthy future for their children.
The last two years have been difficult for Alberta kids. That’s why we are acting on recommendations from the Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan – a cross-ministry effort, aimed at supporting the health and wellness of children and youth affected by the pandemic.
As part of this effort, our government announced a $4 million investment, delivered in partnership with KidSport Alberta and the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association, for the Return to Play program to help subsidize the costs of playing organized sports for families in need.
Further, we are providing $87 million over three years to improve access to mental health and pediatric rehabilitation supports for children and youth. This will increase access to mental wellness supports and clinical mental health supports in schools, as well as pediatric speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy.
This funding comes in addition to our government’s investment of up to $20 million over the next two years to support increased access to specialized assessments by qualified professionals, including speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and psychologists for children who may not have had such access during the pandemic.
We have also invested $110 million over three years in targeted education funding to address mental health in schools, specialized assessments, and learning loss supports. This is in addition to $1.4 billion in learning supports for vulnerable kids that is provided directly to schools each year.
More initiatives stemming from the Child and Youth Well-Being Panel’s great work will be announced in the coming months, as we work towards getting life back to normal for Alberta kids and families.
Until then, I wish the best of luck to all students this coming school year.
MLA – Calgary Edgemont Prasad Panda proudly serves the following Communities: Dalhousie, Edgemont, Hamptons, Hawkwood, Ranchlands
