Meeting the needs of children and adolescents with special needs in rural and northern Canada

Policy Context The Government of Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, an international treaty based on the principle of the best interests of the child. [...] The overall purpose of the Centres of Excellence for Children’s Well-Being was to enhance the understanding of and responsiveness to the physical and mental health needs of children (up to age 18 years) as well as the critical conditions for healthy development. [...] Centre of Excellence for Children and Adolescents with Special Needs The Centre of Excellence for Children and Adolescents with Special Needs focuses on the distinct challenges faced by children and adolescents with special needs living in rural and northern Canada and is sponsored and administered by Lakehead University. [...] The aim of the roundtable was to assess the policy implications of the Centre’s five years of research and to develop action priorities to support children and adolescents with special needs in rural and northern Canada. [...] The Policy Principles To improve the well-being of children and adolescents with special needs in rural and northern Canada, the Canadian policy environment must respond to and correspond with the evidence presented, i.e., it must be “evidence-based.” According to the Centre’s research, the current and future well-being of these young people depends on the following principles: • The effective har