Short Lives Can't Wait: Campaign Calls for Action to Improve Pediatric Palliative Care in Canada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON — July 27, 2026 — The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA), in partnership with the Canada’s Pediatric Palliative Care Alliance, is launching the Short Lives Can’t Wait campaign to raise awareness of the urgent need for equitable access to children’s hospice palliative care across Canada.

Children with serious illnesses and their families face significant barriers to accessing the specialized care and support they need. Through Short Lives Can’t Wait, CHPCA and Canada’s Pediatric Palliative Care Alliance are calling on governments, health systems, workplaces, educators, community organizations, and Canadians to work together to close the gap between the care seriously ill children and their families receive today and the high-quality, family-centred care they need.

Canadian research highlights the urgency of this issue. Only 18% of children who died and could have benefited from specialized pediatric palliative care actually received it. Among those who did access care, one in four received specialized support for fewer than eight days before their death, far too late for families to fully benefit from the physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual support children’s hospice palliative care provides.

“Every child deserves compassionate, high-quality care that supports them and their family throughout their journey, not just in the final days of life,” said Cheryl Spencer, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. “No family should have to struggle to find specialized care because of where they live or their circumstances. Through Short Lives Can’t Wait, we are calling for meaningful action to ensure every child with a serious illness has access to the care they need, when they need it.“

“Short Lives Can’t Wait is a reminder that seriously ill children and their families don’t have time to wait for equitable access to care, said Kira Goodman, Project Director for Canada’s Pediatric Palliative Care Alliance. “They need high-quality, coordinated pediatric palliative care that improves quality of life, relieves suffering, and ensures no family has to face this journey alone. This campaign builds on the momentum created by the Alliance’s work over the past two years by bringing people together to create a future where every child and family can access the high-quality care, wherever they live in Canada.”

Access to specialized pediatric palliative care remains limited across Canada. As of November 2023, only 17 specialized pediatric palliative care programs had been identified nationwide. Most are located in large urban centres, leaving families in rural, remote, and northern communities with few or no local options. No dedicated pediatric palliative care programs have been identified in Canada’s territories, while a single program in Halifax serves all four Atlantic provinces.

Research also shows significant geographic and socioeconomic inequities, with children living in rural and remote communities and those from equity-deserving communities less likely to receive specialized pediatric palliative care services.

Through the campaign, CHPCA and CPPCA are advocating for four key priorities:

Equitable Access to Care

Expand access to children’s hospice palliative care services in every region of Canada, including rural, remote, northern, and equity-deserving communities.

Better integrate palliative care throughout a child’s illness—from diagnosis through treatment, transition, end-of-life care, and bereavement.

Ensure sustainable funding and coordinated health system planning that recognizes children’s hospice palliative care as an essential health service.

Support for Families and Caregivers

Recognize family caregivers as essential partners in care.

Increase access to respite care, practical supports, and caregiver resources.

Strengthen policies that address the emotional, financial, and social impacts of caring for a child with a serious illness.

Grief and Bereavement Support

Integrate grief and bereavement support early throughout a child’s illness and the family’s caregiving journey.

Improve access to culturally safe, equitable, and long-term bereavement supports for parents, siblings, and families.

Recognize childhood loss and bereavement as a public health priority.

Building a Stronger Future

Strengthen national leadership and collaboration in children’s hospice palliative care.

Improve research and data collection to better understand children’s needs and improve services.

Invest in education, workforce development, and innovative programs that ensure children and families receive the right care at the right time.

The Short Lives Can’t Wait campaign reminds Canadians that every moment matters for seriously ill children and their families. Early access to children’s hospice palliative care improves quality of life, supports families through difficult decisions, eases suffering, and provides ongoing grief and bereavement care.

CHPCA and CPPCA are encouraging individuals, organizations, healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers to take action by visiting the Short Lives Can’t Wait awareness campaign page. The campaign offers a variety of ways to get involved, including a downloadable campaign kit with promotional materials, information on how to contact your Member of Parliament to advocate for better access to children’s hospice palliative care, and a collection of trusted resources for families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and community organizations.

Together, we can create a future where every child with a serious illness and their family can access high-quality, family-centered palliative care in the location of their choice. To learn more about the 2026 campaign, and to get involved, visit: https://www.chpca.ca/awareness/national-childrens-hospice-palliative-care-day/

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About the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is the national voice for hospice palliative care in Canada. CHPCA is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in hospice palliative care and provides leadership on advocacy, education, research, and knowledge translation to ensure that everyone in Canada has access to high-quality hospice palliative care. CHPCA operates in close partnership with provincial hospice palliative care organizations and other national organizations to strengthen the accessibility and quality of palliative care provided across Canada. Visit chpca.ca to find out more.

About Canada’s Pediatric Palliative Care Alliance

Canada’s Pediatric Palliative Care Alliance exists to address the gaps in how care is delivered to children living with serious illness and their families in Canada. We’re working to strengthen national coordination and collaboration, support the providers of pediatric palliative care, and foster sustainable, system-level change to advance equitable access across the country.