Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations (CCHF), in association with Sobeys Inc. and the Sobey Foundation, is proud to announce the launch of its annual campaign as part of the Family of Support: Child & Youth Mental Health Initiative (“Family of Support”). , which has exceeded the initial objectives three years in advance.
In just two years, the Family of Support initiative has built capacity for mental health early intervention support for children and youth through the expansion of treatment spaces, assessments, and enhanced training programs at 13 local children’s hospitals throughout Canada. Since its inception in 2020, the campaign has seen the creation of 36 new treatment spaces, the training of more than 7,000 healthcare providers, and the completion of more than 20,000 mental health assessments.
Via Canadamore than 1.2 million children and youth experience mental health problems, and that number grows significantly in adolescence and adulthood1. 70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood and adolescence. If left untreated, mental health problems can seriously affect a child’s life.two Experts agree that proactive early intervention for a child experiencing mental health challenges can transform how they experience mental health later in life, preventing children and families from experiencing poor outcomes.
“With more than a million children in need of early mental health supports each year, the importance of early intervention programs cannot be understated,” he said. hierlihy brandPresident and CEO of Canada Children’s Hospital Foundations. “Two years of Family of Support gives us a glimpse of what these programs can really accomplish. When we change the health of children, we change the health of CanadaHierlihy added.
Recent key achievements by Family of Support include expanding access to neuropsychological evaluations at SickKids in Torontoa new outpatient mental health clinic at Stollery Children’s Hospital in alberta and a new urgent mental telehealth service to help children and adolescents in rural areas manitoba.
“Getting kids the mental health help they need early has never been more important,” he said. sandra sanderson, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Sobeys Inc. “Through the Family of Support initiative, we are bringing together our store teams, our customers and 13 children’s hospital foundations to help children in hundreds of local communities. The impact we have achieved to date is just the beginning.”
With the launch of the Family of Support campaign this summer, from July 26 to August 10Canadians can donate at Empire and Sobeys Inc. retail stores. Plus, Canadians can double their impact by visiting their local store at 6th August o 7, when Sobeys Inc. will match customer donations up to $200,000.3 One hundred percent of funds raised locally will stay local, supporting mental health programs for children and youth at their respective children’s hospitals. Canadians can donate at the register of any Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Farm Boy, Foodland, FreshCo, Lawton’s Drugs, Thrifty Foods, Co-op, Need’s Convenience, Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods and Sobeys Express.
Through the campaign, CCHF, Sobeys Inc. and the Sobey Foundation’s commitment to increasing early intervention mental health initiatives for children and youth has resulted in more than $9 million raised to date for 13 local children’s hospital foundations in Canada.
For more information, including an overview of the 13 children’s hospital foundations and real-life stories of children and youth whose lives have been affected by Family of Support, visit familyofsupport.com.
