Gov’t announces panel to review COVID-19’s impact on Alberta’s kids

EDMONTON – The province is looking for your input as it announces a new panel created to review the well-being of Alberta’s children.

The Child and Youth Well-Bing Review Panel will be co-chaired by Calgary- South East MLA Matt Jones and Minister of Children’s Services Rebecca Schulz.

The province says the panel will try to capture the full scope of COVID-19’s impact on kids, including the social, psychological, and educational effects the pandemic has had.

“Parents across Alberta have expressed deep concern over the impacts the pandemic has had on their children’s social, mental, physical and educational well-being. As a father of four, I have seen these impacts in my own children,” said Jones in a release.

“This review is an acknowledgement of those concerns, a commitment to assess these impacts, and the first step in a plan to address them.”

Schulz said preliminary research has shown increased anxiety, mental health concerns, and young kids not meeting developmental milestones.

“We want to know what that looks like and what we can do about it,” she said.

The panel is expected to hear from searchers, educators, healthcare professionals, mental health experts, and parents and kids and then submit a report to the province this coming fall.

The government hopes this report will help support the province’s kids now and in the future.

You can have your say by filling out the online survey before July 31.