Sun Life has partnered with the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, committing $1 million in funding over the next four years.
The funding will go towards launching the Sun Life Bright Futures Kids Wellness Program, which aims to provide mental health resources for young people living in government care.
The mental health prevention initiative will support around 700 youth aged 6 to 18, specifically focusing on Black and Indigenous children.
“Children's Aid Foundation of Canada is doing critical work to expand access to mental health care across the country,” said Jacques Goulet, president at Sun Life Canada. “This new program will help improve mental health outcomes for the most vulnerable in our communities.”
Sun Life’s funding will also contribute to mindfulness modules in existing programs within the foundation’s partner agencies in Waterloo, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Fredericton.
“Mental health services have always been especially hard to access for youth involved in the child welfare system,” said Valerie McMurtry, president and CEO of Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.
“Black and Indigenous youth, whose trauma and alienation can be compounded when placed with foster families that don't reflect their cultural identity, face even greater barriers. Our new partnership with Sun Life demonstrates our shared commitment to the holistic health and well-being of children and youth in care and to ensuring access to the support they need to thrive.”
Sun Life’s $1 million commitment adds to the insurer's previous donations to support mental health.
Earlier this year, Sun Life Canada pledged $3.7 million for youth mental health programs targeting at-risk or marginalized communities, providing support to 10 organizations across the country.
It also initiated a three-year partnership with Kids Help Phone in 2021 to support a program designed to reach 4,500 Indigenous youth through the delivery of 300 mental health sessions.
In 2022, Sun Life Québec allocated $1.1 million to enhance mental health services for families and marginalized communities within the province.
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