TORONTO, April 28, 2022 – While we are pleased to see that the Ontario government continues to recognize the importance of mental health care as part of its commitment to the 10-year Roadmap to Wellness, including some funding dedicated to kids, we are disappointed that kids have not been prioritized in this investment.

Kids can’t wait any longer.

Kids have borne the weight of this pandemic. They continue to wait on lists for care that were already too long pre-pandemic—some waiting as long as two and a half years in parts of Ontario. The longer kids wait for care, the worse their outcomes are—increasing the likelihood of a mental health crisis or having to visit an emergency room for care.

We can do better.

That’s why we are asking the government and all parties to take the pledge to make Ontario the #1 jurisdiction in Canada for access to children and youth mental health services by:

1. Investing $300M over the next 5 years into child and youth mental health supports and services
2. Cutting wait times for mental health services to 30 days
3. Building more capacity in the community so kids don’t end up in emergency rooms
4. Developing a highly qualified and sustainable workforce of children’s mental health professionals

Learn more at cmho.org/kidscantwait.