Children's Health Coalition Statement
Beat The Streets Toronto is in full accordance with the Children’s Health Coalition Statement. Our mission is to advance the education of low-income children and youth by providing fun and unique development activities that build social-emotional, physical literacy, and employability skills. THUS, We are deeply disappointed by Doug Ford’s decision as it will further widen the gap for low-income youth and children.
On Wednesday, June 2, 2021, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that schools will be kept closed for the remainder of the academic school year.
Children’s health experts are “deeply disappointed that Ontario has not acted upon the broad consensus for a regional re-opening of in-person learning. This consensus included children’s healthcare, public health, scientific experts, and teachers’ organizations.”
This decision by Ford and government heavily impact the short-term and long-term learning, development, physical and mental health of many children. Specifically, “… children from low-income families, children who are Black, Indigenous, and racialized, and children with disabilities are even more profoundly impacted by the pandemic.”
Within the past 15 months, students have only been in school for 5 months, there are few places in the world let alone another Canadian province where school closures have been this long.
To date, there has been inadequate attention for the needs of these children throughout this pandemic. “We must act now to ensure an equitable return to regular, in-person schooling for all students across the province and address the pandemic's negative impacts on kids. This includes planning now to ensure timely, equitable, and easy access to mental health care for those children and youth who require more intensive interventions and address the gap in developmental and rehabilitation services that children with disabilities have faced with schools closed.”
“Children and youth have not been a priority in Ontario’s pandemic response. Children must be a priority in the pandemic recovery – for the sake of their future and the sake of our province’s future. We look forward to working with the government and all stakeholders to develop a robust plan to address kids’ needs.”
