Up to $1 million to develop a resource hub to support health care professionals in providing palliative care to children and families.

April 29, 2024 | Ottawa, Ontario | Health Canada

Everyone in Canada deserve access to the care they need, when they need it most, including children and youth. Palliative care helps improve the quality of life, comfort, and resilience of seriously ill patients and their families, and is a critical part of Canada’s health care system.

Today, the Honourable David McGuinty, Member of Parliament for Ottawa South, on behalf of the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced up to $1 million in funding over three years to Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice for their project to enhance access to pediatric palliative care across Canada. The development of a centralized hub of resources for health care organizations, professionals, and their communities, will build capacity in the system to provide care and support that is focused on the unique needs of children and youth diagnosed with serious illnesses, and their families, in their location of choice.

The federal government’s Action Plan on Palliative Care aims to improve quality of life for people living with serious illness, enhance access to palliative care, and improve quality of care and health care system performance. The project with Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice supports the goals of the Action Plan by fostering improved access to palliative care for the underserved population of children and their families through measures such as sharing knowledge with caregivers, therapists, and other healthcare professionals, and fostering systems of support for families within the community.

We will continue to work collaboratively with provinces and territories, organizations, people living with serious illness, caregivers, and communities to improve the quality and availability of palliative care for everyone in Canada, including those who are most vulnerable.