The Kids Aren't All Right

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The Kids Aren't All Right

If Nelson Mandela was right that there is no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats children, Canada has reason to worry. Our kids are struggling — and no wonder. From education to health care, climate to housing, we are leaving them an inheritance of crisis and anxiety. The Toronto Star looks at how our country is failing a generation, the toll it’s taking on our kids — and how we can turn things around.

Episodes

  1. 17/11/2023

    ‘We are not doing that well’: Mayor Olivia Chow on kids in the city

    Guests: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow In our series, The Kids Aren’t All Right, the Star has been highlighting the many ways in which children are struggling in Toronto. Mayor Olivia Chow talks about why she thinks a lot of these areas stem from housing affordability, and about her plan to try to break the logjam on that file. She also discusses her history of advocating for children at the city, and what inspired it, and gives some concrete steps she plans to take in the next year or two to try to make things easier for families and children. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Edward Keenan and Sean Pattendon.

    37 min

  2. 14/11/2023

    Nearly 30,000 Ontario kids are trapped on mental-health waiting lists

    Guest: Dr. Amy Gajaria, psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Wait times of up to two years. There are not enough publicly funded therapists. Emergency rooms are overwhelmed by children in crisis. Ontario's child and youth mental health system is at a breaking point. The Mental Health Commission of Canada reports that mental illness affects more than one million children and youth in the country. And while the provincial government has stood up and started to take notice with new funding announcements this year, there remain simply not enough resources to help young people suffering from mental illness. As part of The Kids Aren’t All Right series, Kenyon Wallace – who wrote on mental health and children – speaks with Dr. Amy Gajaria. Audio Sources: CBC News This episode was produced by Paolo Marques, Brian Bradley and Kenyon Wallace.

    24 min

  3. 06/11/2023

    Ontario schools are failing kids with ADHD

    Guest: Katie Daubs, senior writer As Ontario’s schools struggle with resources and ripple effects of the pandemic, experts say students with diverse needs like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aren’t getting the help they require. ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children, yet there is no official ministry categorization making it difficult to support in classrooms. As part of the Star’s “The Kids Aren’t All Right” series, senior writer Katie Daubs talked to one high school student about her experience. This episode was produced by Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley.

    20 min

  4. 03/11/2023

    Kids and violence: catching up with ‘the boy who lived’

    Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, crime reporter Many parents across Toronto struggle to balance keeping their kids safe and letting them develop a sense of independence. In a city where crime concerns are rising and rising faster for younger people, some weigh on that balance more than others. In one family, their son was shot before he was two years old. For the Star’s “The Kids Aren’t All Right” series, reporter Jennifer Pagliaro looked at life after a shooting and what could work to prevent others from suffering the same tragedy. This episode was produced by Paolo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

    22 min

  5. 02/11/2023

    As green space shrinks, how do we raise kids in a concrete world?

    Guest: Kate Allen, climate change reporter Fresh air, trees, grass on bare feet. The sound of birds while playing on a playground. Leisurely swinging in the shadow of a tree. Many of us have childhood memories outside in parks and forests, and research shows this time is key to our physical, mental and social well-being and development. So what about the children being raised in urban centres like Toronto, where green space has shrunk significantly over the past two decades as the region faces pressure to build housing and city reports warn that the amount of parkland per person risks falling further. As part of the Star’s “The Kids Aren’t All Right” series, climate change reporter Kate Allen joins “This Matters” to discuss the impacts on children and their development. This episode was produced by Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley.

    18 min

  6. 01/11/2023

    Kids are going hungry. What can we do about it?

    Guest: jade guthrie, FoodShare Toronto When kids don’t get enough to eat at home or they worry about running out of food, it can affect everything in their lives from their ability to learn and grow, to their ability to be healthy and resilient. Yet food insecurity is the reality of 1.8 million kids in Canada. In this episode from the Star’s “The Kids Aren’t All Right” series, guest host Alyshah Hasham and jade guthrie of FoodShare Toronto discusses what we can do to turn the crisis around. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Alyshah Hasham.

    21 min

  7. 31/10/2023

    What it is like for kids who lose the place they call home

    Guest: Victoria Gibson, affordable housing reporter Housing affordability and accessibility are only getting worse. For many Canadians, they might be just one bill or unexpected expense away from being unable to afford that month’s rent. Renovations, rent, or repair expenses are all factors that have led to more than 600,000 kids growing up in precarious housing across the country. As part of the series “The Kids Aren’t All Right,” we take a look at what that means and how a child might experience these challenges. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Saba Eitizaz.

    22 min

  8. 30/10/2023

    Thousands of children are waiting for surgery. Some for years

    Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter Ever since the COVID pandemic, Canada’s health care system is near a breaking point and may take years to fix. Among the issues, experts are worried that many children are not getting needed surgery within the safe medical window. An estimated 17,000 children are on long waiting lists for surgeries that could improve the quality of their lives. Some of them wait for months or years. Some might never recover. The Star’s health reporter Megan Ogilvie unpacks the impact it has on children and their families. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

    20 min

  9. 26/10/2023

    How we know the kids aren’t all right

    Guest: Amy Dempsey, series editor In many different aspects of life, kids in Toronto are struggling right now. Housing is unaffordable, educational supports are lacking, surgical wait times are long and the social safety net is frayed. Amy Dempsey is editor of the series “The Kids Aren’t All Right,” which looks at the varied and interconnected ways we’re letting down the next generation and what we might start doing to fix it. This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

    30 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

If Nelson Mandela was right that there is no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats children, Canada has reason to worry. Our kids are struggling — and no wonder. From education to health care, climate to housing, we are leaving them an inheritance of crisis and anxiety. The Toronto Star looks at how our country is failing a generation, the toll it’s taking on our kids — and how we can turn things around.

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