Summary

• Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan sets shared, cross-government direction, marks milestone for improving the lives of B.C. children, youth and families
• New Outcomes Framework will help government track and measure progress, learn what works to support child and youth well-being
• Action plan, framework available online for public review and feedback, part of a multi-year collaborative effort to listen, learn and work together to advance meaningful, generational change

__________

The Province has released a new Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan and Outcomes Framework that will bring ministries together around a co-ordinated, cross-government approach to better support children, youth and families throughout B.C.

The action plan aims to transform the system, connecting actions across ministries and agencies to better integrate services and prioritize children and families that need support most. The accompanying Outcomes Framework will give a whole-system view that was missing and will help track whether results are being achieved across government. This work also contributes to broader efforts to better connect services and organize them around people’s needs.

“We all want every child in B.C. to grow up safe, supported and connected,” said Jodie Wickens, Minister of Children and Family Development. “The well-being action plan will help us create a better place for young people to grow up, one where families can get the help they need and experience a more co-ordinated system of supports that make a difference in their lives.”

Building a more co-ordinated system for children, families

The Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan sets a shared direction for how government will continue improving outcomes for children and youth in B.C. It sets out how the system will shift away from reactive crisis response to focus instead on preventing challenges through better co-ordination between ministries and service organizations so families can get help earlier and with fewer barriers.

“As a youth who grew up in care, I know how important it is for young people to be heard in decisions that affect their lives,” said Alex Turpin, a former child in care and member of the ministry’s youth advisory committee. “What excites me most about the Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan is its commitment to bringing ministries together and listening to lived experience. My hope is that every child and youth in British Columbia feels seen, heard, respected and supported. Not just during a meeting, consultation or celebration, but every day.”

The action plan integrates a wide range of actions from across government into the key areas that impact a child’s well-being, rather than by government department. This new approach is organized around five priority areas that impact a child’s life and reflect both immediate and long-term needs:

• creating a safe, strong and healthy foundation for families
• preventing and responding to intimate-partner, gender-based and family violence
• strengthening integrated services and crisis response
• advancing Indigenous self-determination and jurisdiction
• protecting vulnerable children and youth who have contact with the child welfare system

For example, Connected Services BC is working to strengthen co-ordination across ministries so families can get support without having to repeat their story and access the help they need more easily.

Tracking what’s working for children, families

Across government, several initiatives are already underway to protect and uplift the most vulnerable. These will now be supported by an outcomes framework that sets out how child and youth well-being will be defined and tracked throughout British Columbia. This new and innovative framework will allow all ministries to measure progress toward outcomes related to health, safety, belonging and learning.

This will help connect government actions to results, supporting stronger decisions by identifying what is working and where systems need to change. This new approach re-imagines how services are delivered and evaluated throughout the province, ensuring they make a real difference in the lives of the most vulnerable.

“We welcome the government’s undertaking to design a co-ordinated approach that better responds to the needs of families,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. “Colby’s devastating death was a preventable tragedy. His heart-wrenching passing called for broad systemic change, where First Nations’ self-determination is upheld in a meaningful way, and where supports that recognize the multifaceted nature of a child’s, a family’s and a community’s well-being are provided early. The true test of this new approach, however, will be its implementation. Real accountability and better outcomes for First Nations children will depend on trust, relationships and on every minister’s commitment to delivering on their promises.”

Taking action across government

In July 2024, B.C.’s representative for children and youth released Don’t Look Away, a report that examined systemic issues affecting vulnerable children and families in the province. Centred on the tragic death of Colby, who died while in care, the report reinforced the need for co-ordinated government-wide action to better support vulnerable children and families in B.C.

The findings from Don’t Look Away helped shape government’s commitment to improving how children and families are supported, including the development of a comprehensive Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan and Outcomes Framework to improve co-ordination across ministries and agencies and to improve outcomes for children, youth and families.

“This plan and outcomes framework are important foundational steps and I am happy that government is acting on our recommendation,” said Jennifer Charlesworth, representative for children and youth. “I am hopeful, given the critical challenges that young people continue to experience every day in this province, that with this announcement comes momentum to take concrete actions that will ensure all young people in the province thrive.”

The action plan also aligns with recommendations from other recent reviews and recommendations about how to improve government services in the social sector. For example, work is already underway to address the recommendations from the 2025 Stanton report on intimate partner and sexual violence, which aligns with the action plan’s focus on prevention, early response and better supports for survivors.

The well-being plan is available online. Public feedback, along with targeted engagement with Indigenous partners, service organizations, the representative for children and youth and others, will help inform how the action plan evolves.

Quick Facts:

• The Province recently launched targeted engagement and service mapping to improve how social services are integrated and delivered across government.
• Independent reports and past engagement have consistently identified the need for better co-ordinated services and more connected services for people.
• The Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan brings together actions across ministries for the first time, reflecting a shift toward more integrated, people-centred services.
• This work supports broader efforts to organize services around people’s needs, rather than requiring people to navigate multiple ministries and systems.

Learn More:

• Visit the Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan online at: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/childyouthwellbeing/
• To see the first anniversary update to the Don’t Look Away report, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025CFD0001-000677
• To learn more about the representative for children and youth’s investigation and review, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024CFD0009-001124

A backgrounder follows.