The growing need

Children and families need care

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice (CPCH) is the Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) provider for BC and Yukon. Care is provided for children 0–19 diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and their families. Specialist PPC relieves suffering, improves quality of life and supports children, and families to be at home. For families who sadly experience the death of their child, Canuck Place specialist bereavement support cares for them in their grief journey.

The need for pediatric palliative care continues to grow. In the last decade, Canuck Place has seen significant growth in many areas of our program. Since 2014, there has been a 61% increase in the number of children and families on program needing care.

Through the generosity of donors, Canuck Place raises over 60% of the funds needed to provide essential pediatric palliative care. There are even more children and families who need our support, and we need to reach them. Our bold goal is to reach every family caring for a child with a life-threatening illness who needs help in BC and the Yukon – so no one walks this journey alone.

Key outcomes from 2023–24

Canuck Place analyzes outcomes annually and address challenges and barriers to patient care.

Opportunities for families to make memories that will last a lifetime. Goal set – 500. With your support, the number of children and families participating in recreation therapy activities in 2023-24: 717

Children and families receive complex care when and where they need it. Goal set – 3,700 community-based and in-hospital care consults, including 24-Hour Clinical Care Line and virtual care. Together, in 2023-24 we gave families choices and provided 4,013 consults.

Meet the needs of children and families requiring urgent and essential pediatric palliative care. Goal set – 100% of requests met for urgent in-hospice admissions within 24 hours. With you, in 2023-24 we met this goal and ensured that children and families recieved the critical care they needed.

Canuck Place was awarded Exemplary Standing with Accreditation Canada in 2024. To achieve this rating Canuck Place had to meet at least 95% of the 519 normal and high-priority standards and criteria that we were assessed against and all of the criteria for the 20 required organizational practices.

With your support, Canuck Place formed a project group called the Family Engagement Coalition (FEC), comprised of staff, health, and family partners. This amazing team co-developed an evidence-based framework and tools to ensure meaningful engagement with children, youth, and families at Canuck Place.

Why is Canuck Place providing pediatric palliative care?

Canuck Place is the pediatric provider for the province of BC and the Yukon. Without the Canuck Place program, there is no dedicated pediatric palliative care for children and families.

Canuck Place uses provincial health data (PopDataBC) to determine the number of children living with life-threatening conditions. In any given year, 2,500 children in BC have life-threatening condition, with a subset considered high-risk, with fragile and unstable conditions leading to unplanned hospitalization, ICU admission and death. Based on this data, Canuck Place is currently providing care for 67% of the children in BC aged 0–19 who have life-threatening conditions, defined by an internationally used classification system. There is a growing need for pediatric palliative care consultation and care across settings including tertiary (specialist) hospitals, community and regional hospitals, and for families in-home.

Goals of care for Canuck Place

Canuck Place defines high-quality pediatric palliative care as that which improves quality of life, promotes comfort and reduces suffering for children with life-threatening conditions (serious illness) and their families through a holistic approach that addresses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. It is collaborative, child and family-centred care delivered using a team-based approach throughout the continuum of care across all ages and stages of illness, including bereavement. It values choice and honest and compassionate communication.

Canuck Place has an evergreen commitment to Quality & Safety improvement and continuous learning. In 2024-25, we will drive activities that will support the achievement of the three strategic priorities: defining the population of children and families we serve; confirming our model of care, clarifying our services and defining our role in the healthcare system; and, confirming our Mission, Vision & Values.

In 2024–25 Canuck Place will provide high-quality pediatric palliative care that meets the needs of children and families; and demonstrate commitment to ongoing quality improvement and innovation as a learning organization.

Canuck Place is anticipating a 6–8% increase in the number of children and families referred to the program next year, and this number will continue to grow year-over-year, in consideration of the most recent provincial health data (PopDataBC), where 33% of children living with a serious illness are not receiving the essential pediatric palliatiative care they need.

With nursing/staff resources constrained by a flat funding agreement with the Province of BC, Canuck Place will need to raise additional funds to meet the needs of children and families who could benefit from pediatric palliative care and reflected in provincial health data.