Canadian experts urge protection for children from escalating heat in schools and child care settings
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 24-Apr-2025 21:08 ET (25-Apr-2025 01:08 GMT/UTC)
Amid warnings of near record heat ahead in 2025, the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) and the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) say Canada’s schools and child care facilities are ill-prepared and children are paying the price. CPCHE’s summary of evidence and Collective Call for Action, signed by 40+ partners and collaborators, is complemented by twin CELA reports elaborating on the need for climate-resilient infrastructure.
Overwhelming emotional distress experienced by children and teenagers during school times affects whole families, a new study showed. Researchers in the UK found that parental mental health suffered when children struggle to attend school, and 50% of affected parents developed new mental health conditions. Additionally, parents considered the experience the second most threatening life event. Vastly negative experiences with school staff, including almost 78% of parents reporting not being believed, and many feeling blamed and disempowered, were linked by parents to their significantly elevated anxiety, depressed mood, and pervasive sense of fear and dread. This highlights how systemic the issue has become in the UK, the researchers said.