National Strategy for Children and Youth Bill—Criminal Code

Moved third reading of Bill S-212, An Act respecting a national strategy for children and youth in Canada, as amended.

She said: Honourable senators, I rise today to begin third reading debate of Bill S-212, An Act respecting a national strategy for children and youth in Canada.

Colleagues, this bill, in my view, is among the most significant pieces of legislation we can move forward in this Parliament. That is because it’s not only about supporting the Government of Canada in its efforts to develop programs for children and youth, but it is about ensuring a vision and a plan so that every child in Canada has an opportunity to succeed and prosper.

We have over 8 million children in Canada. They are our most precious resource, and they are critical for Canada’s economic growth and economic sovereignty.

As many of our colleagues and I have emphasized many times before, Canada continues to lack a coherent, long-term national vision for our children and youth. Throughout my consultations on this bill with young people, parents, advocates, Indigenous leaders and youth, a recurring theme kept coming forward: Without a clear vision, we are failing our children and youth in providing opportunities and creating the space for them to succeed in our country.

All of the groups with whom I consulted were very clear: Canada needs a national strategy that brings together the patchwork of programs and benefits throughout the country under one outcome-driven framework. Without such a strategy, we risk continuing with siloed interventions, short-term fixes and duplication of efforts that fail to address the real issues facing children and youth, including poverty, housing, mental and physical health and education, and we will always fall short of reaching our goals.

Public investment in Canada’s children and youth has shown itself to be an efficient and assured mechanism to grow Canada’s economy. Investments in child care, youth services and education act as a powerful economic engine. Data from TD Economics and the Department of Finance Canada indicates that for every $1 invested in these programs, Canada’s Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, increases by $2.30, outperforming sectors like construction and manufacturing.

In the short term, investments in children and youth would immediately remove barriers for women to join the workforce. This would grow Canada’s labour pool and increase our overall economic output.

When the Government of Canada introduced the Early Learning and Child Care program in 2021, its own analysis estimated that investments in this program would support as many as 240,000 more Canadian women entering into the Canadian labour market and increase real per capita GDP in the long run by as much as 1.2%. In the long term, the same data shows that investments bring a 13 to 1 return on our investment.

Studies from the University of Toronto and UNICEF Canada show that these returns would become realized through increased lifetime earnings, potentially increasing earnings by 25% and reducing government spending on health care and social services.

Colleagues, the evidence is clear: Investments in education, health and youth services for children and youth directly fuel our economic productivity. The more we support our children and youth, the more we develop a stronger, resilient and skilled workforce.

However, Canada’s current approach to supporting our children and youth operates in a fragmented, asymmetrical model with this patchwork of programs, benefits and policies across provinces, territories and the federal government. As a result, we see a limit to the kind of progress that we have all made collectively over the past few years.

To give you an example, with the implementation of the national child care program, despite the Government of Canada’s commitment to ensure that every family in Canada has access to affordable and safe child care, each province and territory is in a very different stage of implementing this program, and some have even opted not to do anything — or very little — about child care at all.

The urgency for this strategy is also underscored by the alarming data from UNICEF Canada’s most recent report. UNICEF ranks Canada nineteenth out of 36 high-income countries when it comes to supporting our children and youth, demonstrating that our children are not faring as well as many of our peer countries.

Some of the more alarming statistics in the report include children’s life satisfaction declining from 79% to 76% since 2018. We have also made minimal gains in addressing childhood obesity, social skills and adolescent suicide. Most alarmingly, Canada has slid from twenty-third to twenty-fifth out of 43 peer countries in addressing the rate of child mortality.

These are not insignificant issues. These statistics represent deep, systemic failures of Canada’s fragmented system. We are failing too many children when it comes to their health, well‑being and mental health.

Let me be clear about what Bill S-212 does and does not do. It does not appropriate money, nor does it tell the Government of Canada what the strategy should be. Rather, it establishes a legislative framework for the government to develop a strategy, including the kinds of stakeholders the Government of Canada must engage with in developing the strategy. It would require that the government consult broadly, especially with children and youth, caregivers and families, Indigenous governing bodies, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, and other experts in the children and youth space.

Bill S-212 mandates that the strategy include measurable goals, quantifiable indicators, a detailed plan of action and a resource map for how it would be implemented. It builds on the accountability tools called for by UNICEF and Campaign 2000 by ensuring that the government provides a progress report every six months to Parliament until the strategy is published.

This kind of parliamentary oversight provides a mechanism for children and youth to ensure that their voices are included in the development of this strategy.

Finally, Bill S-212 anchors the strategy in a rights-based approach, aligning with Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In short, this bill lays the foundation for a child‑centred, coherent, accountable and long-term national framework.

Throughout the bill’s study at the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, we heard powerful testimony from clinicians, youth advocates, service providers, Indigenous leaders and mental health advocates.

At the outset, I would like to give my sincere gratitude to Senator Greenwood, Senator Hay and Senator Petitclerc for their thoughtful and enriching amendments. Your work has strengthened the bill, and, as Senator Burey said, your additions helped to ensure “ . . . a deep commitment to improving outcomes for children and youth.”

Colleagues, witnesses at the committee agreed on the need for a strategy but emphasized a couple of important facts that must be considered in developing the strategy.

First, Indigenous communities must and should have their own distinctions-based process that supports their unique realities and is informed by First Nations, Inuit and Métis perspectives and knowledge systems. Senator Greenwood said:

There are numerous socioeconomic factors, including colonization, that significantly and disproportionately impact the health and well-being of Indigenous children. . . . By incorporating indicators that are relevant to Indigenous children and youth and are informed by Indigenous perspectives and knowledge systems, we can ensure that the national strategy can fulsomely address the challenges that are unique to Indigenous children and ensure that they are not lost . . . .

The second major theme we heard from experts was the need for the strategy to include clear outcomes and quantifiable indicators so that progress is not just promised but tracked. This is especially important as we try to improve on the declining socioeconomic outcomes that have been reported on by UNICEF.

Experts at committee spoke of the lack of access to children’s health and mental health services. They also spoke of long wait lists, infrequent mental health check-ins from service providers and confusion in navigating the health care system.

As a result, the committee unanimously agreed to ensure that Bill S-212 addressed these concerns by including mental health, physical health and children and youth with disabilities, as an additional area to which the Government of Canada must pay particular attention when developing the strategy.

Senator Burey said in her speech:

. . . these amendments and observations together ensure that the national strategy creates a vision that is inclusive, equitable and responsive to the full diversity of children and youth across Canada.

The third factor that was raised at committee came from youth advocates themselves. They were clear that youth from every region of Canada must be at the table throughout the entire process in developing the strategy. This means going beyond just being consulted. Children and youth deserve meaningful opportunities to determine their own future, which includes a leading role in developing the strategy that is specific to them.

Finally, witnesses were clear that the strategy must emphasize the principles of equity, implement a rights-based approach and include strong accountability mechanisms to ensure the Government of Canada is achieving its goals.

As Senator Senior pointed out in her observation:

. . . children are not inherently poor; rather, they experience poverty through their living conditions, often single-parent households headed primarily by mothers. It is poverty within those situations we need to address.

Particularly for Indigenous and racialized youth, children with disabilities and children experiencing poverty, witnesses at committee stressed the importance that the strategy be grounded at its core in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

With these additions, Bill S-212 now provides even more tools for the Government of Canada to develop a strategy for children and youth. This is a good thing for our communities, for our children and for Canada.

I would like to thank the committee members for their hard work that has strengthened the bill and will ensure that no child or youth is left out.

Colleagues, as I have consistently stated since I introduced this bill a few months ago, the case for a national strategy for children and youth could not be clearer. We are not doing what we should be doing to ensure that our children have everything they need to be successful and prosperous. The data is clear. Canada’s fragmented system is not benefiting our young Canadians.

Without a unified vision, we run the risk of repeating the same mistakes of the generations before us and missing an opportunity to finally make a meaningful difference in the lives of our children, to push our goals to that finish line that we all desire.

Honourable senators, again quoting Senator Burey in her third reading speech:

. . . we have a chance to take the baton from former senator Landon Pearson in the relay race that is the life of our country and ensure that all our children have the brightest future possible, with no child left behind.

A national strategy, you see, is not a luxury; it is essential if we truly care about equity and well-being and ensuring that all our children have the opportunity to thrive.

I urge you to support Bill S-212 without reservation. In doing so, we send a strong message to Canadians and to our children and youth that we are serious about their future.

We will demonstrate to our young people that we recognize the urgency to take care of their needs. We will demonstrate that we are willing to commit to a long-term plan that will ensure that every child in Canada has a chance to be prosperous.

We are not simply voting on a bill, colleagues. We are voting on a vision for Canada where every child has access to good‑quality health care, where mental health services are timely and equitable, where every young person’s rights are respected and where governments across Canada are held accountable for the future of our young people.

Your Honour, honourable senators, children do not choose the circumstances into which they are born. They cannot vote. They do not have a direct voice in this chamber. But we, as senators, have a profound responsibility to do all we can as legislators to ensure our children and youth have everything they need for their future.

We must act out of justice, accountability and a demand for a national vision for our children. As a community, we must create a framework that ensures that no child is left behind. Bill S-212 is that legislative tool to do precisely that.

We should seize this moment and move ahead with Bill S-212.

Thank you, senators.

First, I would like to thank you, Senator Moodie, for this bill, for what it will do and because it provides me the opportunity to speak about the well-being of children, an issue, a subject that is very close to my heart.

Bill S-212 defines the principles and framework that the federal government will use to coordinate the development of a national strategy for children and youth. I supported a similar version of this bill in 2024. As I said in my speech back then, every child, regardless of their social or economic background, race or place of birth deserves the same opportunities to thrive and grow. For a child to have a happy childhood, certain basic needs must be met. Children must have access to health care, must be able to feel safe and must have their rights respected, regardless of their background or their difference.

I am pleased that the Social Affairs Committee has amended the bill so that the strategy takes into account Canada’s obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

I fully agree with Ms. Carr from Inclusion Canada, who rightly pointed out in committee:

Ensuring the rights of children with disabilities are explicitly protected and promoted in national strategies is a fundamental step toward achieving true equity and inclusion. . . .

Another amendment adopted by the Social Affairs Committee is the recognition of mental health as an essential component of the future national strategy. Several witnesses who appeared during our study stressed the importance of including mental health, noting that the psychological needs of children and youth are a matter of growing concern all across the country.

Today, please allow me to use my time to highlight a critical issue that such a strategy would be able to address, in my opinion.

There are a number of aggravating factors contributing to the decline in children’s well-being, including excessive use of smartphones, tablets and computers. Any public initiative aimed at supporting children and teens will have to take into account the fact that we are living in unprecedented times, where screens play an outsize role in their daily lives. These technologies and platforms have profoundly transformed the way they entertain themselves, socialize, work and learn.

Of course, owning a connected device and spending time online can be beneficial for our young people. Children acquire skills more quickly. Socialization is inseparable from the use of these tools among today’s youth. However, this comes at a cost. There is growing evidence that excessive use of screens, social media and other digital platforms is dangerous. Empirical data is only starting to come in, but what we do know is worrying.

The causality is not always direct, but a growing number of studies suggest a negative association between intensive screen use and increased anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and psychological distress among young people.

Last year, I began a series of talks and consultations with parents, pediatricians, organizations and experts concerned with the issue of children and screens. The conclusion is the same everywhere: A growing number of parents, educators and specialists feel powerless and unable to “. . . draw the line between beneficial, healthy screen use and excessive, harmful use.”

This concern is very well summarized in an op-ed published in the Ottawa Citizen on May 2, 2025, by Robyn Aaron and Alex Munter:

Every generation of parents has faced new challenges. One of the biggest right now is how to prevent young kids from being groomed by tech platforms that want to turn them into lifelong customers.

Just like our parents understood the addictive potential and health risks of tobacco, today’s parents and caregivers are realizing how social media algorithms are affecting kids’ health. . . .

In June 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a health advisory recommending that social media platforms post information about the risks young people face when spending time on them, similar to the mandatory warnings on other products.

According to Dr. Murthy, teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on social media are more likely to show symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is not uncommon to see many young people using these platforms for around five hours a day.

High amounts of recreational screen time are associated with mental ill health among children and youth. That was the conclusion of a study published in July 2025 in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice.

We know from experience that screens and platforms are addictive. The time young people spend on them is time they are not spending elsewhere. They are not getting enough sleep or exercise.

According to Jean-François Harvey, co-author of Faut que ça bouge!, a book advocating movement, screen time is eating into time spent doing physical activities, time spent outdoors, time spent socializing and time spent in nature.

Prolonged use of screens and social media may lead to a decrease in real-world social interactions. A study conducted in 2023 by Caroline Fitzpatrick, a professor at Université de Sherbrooke, showed that the more tablet time young children have, the more they exhibit outbursts of anger. It also found that regular tablet use leaves less time for parent-child conversations, which children need in order to learn to manage their emotions.

Parallel to that, the transformative role of artificial intelligence is beyond any doubt. This technology is already omnipresent in our daily lives, beginning with the AI assistants on our smartphones. This is only the beginning; we can expect an acceleration very soon.

Young people tend to substitute human support with the emotional support of AI conversational agents, which carries the risk of weakening their psychological development and social relationships. Strict oversight is essential; otherwise, this could exacerbate risks related to algorithmic manipulation and emotional dependency. We must avoid repeating the mistakes we made with social media by allowing AI to develop without safeguards. It is urgent that we be proactive and put in place the necessary frameworks so that we can fully benefit from its countless advantages.

Honourable colleagues, I am certainly not the only one worried about the deterioration of the mental health of our children and young people, including a rise in anxiety symptoms, depression and sleep disorders. I also do not feel alone in wanting to make it a priority to reduce screen time and better regulate digital technology use in order to protect the mental health of young people in Canada.

Young people and children need support. Their brains are still developing. What we fail to do now will have an impact 10 years from now.

Tech companies use knowledge about how the brain works to create platforms that are not only attractive but addictive — and specifically designed to be that way in order to turn attention into a commodity. It is unreasonable for companies and children under the age of 13 to be bound by terms of service and conditions written by highly specialized lawyers.

There is work to be done to develop a collaborative pan‑Canadian solution to address the harmful effects of screen use, in general, and social media, in particular, on the mental health of children and young people. Measures should be considered to counter the harm they are already experiencing and to help them build healthy relationships with technology.

It is my hope that the strategy proposed in Bill S-212 will be instrumental, even crucial, in that regard.

The essential work this strategy will perform must also be carried out outside this strategy through other pieces of legislation or within the existing regulatory framework. The crucial point to understand is that it’s already midnight — already too late — when we consider the extent of the control that big tech companies already exert over the minds and lives of our children and teenagers.

Therefore, I welcome the adoption of Bill S-212. It will play a big role.

Thank you, meegwetch.

Are senators ready for the question?

Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

(Motion agreed to and bill, as amended, read third time and passed.)