For a future where every child can thrive
We are a national, cross-sector collaborative advancing policies that ensure children grow up grounded in real friendships, play, exploration, and rest — not shaped prematurely by social media.
The Problem
Today's children are carrying a burden they were never meant to carry
Children are losing sleep, battling anxiety, and being pulled into endless cycles of comparison and self-doubt by platforms engineered for adults and optimized for profit. These systems shape their identities, harvest their data, and expose them to harmful content long before they are developmentally ready. Parents are left trying to protect their kids in digital environments even experts struggle to regulate — and children are paying the price with their confidence, safety, and wellbeing.
This crisis is unfolding in real time, on the screens in our children’s hands.
The Vision
A better tomorrow is within reach
Imagine a generation of children whose days are shaped by curiosity, creativity, and connection — who move through both digital and real-world spaces with confidence, rest, and a sense of belonging.
Imagine children who sleep well, think clearly, and have the time and attention they need to learn, play, and build meaningful relationships. Whose identities are shaped by supportive adults, peer communities, and their own growing interests — not by algorithms engineered to capture their vulnerabilities.
This isn’t about going backwards. It’s about creating a healthier, more intentional digital landscape so children can grow with presence, resilience, and joy.
And it is entirely within reach.
About Us
We are the Children's Wellbeing Collaborative
We are a growing collaborative of parents and caregivers, researchers, clinicians, educators, and policymakers working together to align Canada’s digital landscape with what developmental science tells us children need to thrive.
Our work is driven by a shared set of values:
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Resolve — a commitment to confronting systems that are out of step with evidence
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Integrity — grounding every recommendation in rigorous research
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Compassion — understanding the pressures facing families, children, and communities
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Collaboration — bringing together diverse expertise and lived experience
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Wellbeing — the outcome at the center of every decision we make
This is collective work—systemic work—aimed at creating healthier digital conditions so children can grow with confidence, clarity, and connection.
The Plan (Three Strategic Priorities)
Our path to change
1. Build Unshakeable Political Will
We bring parents, experts, and leaders together to build strong public and political support for evidence-based policies that align digital environments with what developmental science shows young people need.
2. Deliver a Credible Implementation Blueprint
We provide government with a clear, evidence-based model — including a draft bill, age-verification framework, regulatory plan, and Charter analysis — proving this policy is both necessary and achievable.
3. Shift Cultural Norms Toward Healthier Childhoods
We lead a national narrative that normalizes social-media-free childhood, empowering parents and reframing early access as a public-health issue, not an inevitability.
What Success Looks Like
When we act, children thrive
Let’s design a future where young people:
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Grow confident, grounded, and resilient, supported by environments that match their developmental needs
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Have the attention, rest, and bandwidth to learn, imagine, play, and explore their interests
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Build meaningful relationships both online and offline, without constant comparison or performance pressure
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Develop identities shaped by curiosity, community, and lived experience—not by algorithms engineered to influence their sense of self
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Navigate digital spaces designed with their wellbeing in mind, not adult commercial incentives
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Have the time, support, and conditions they need to flourish in a world that understands what growing minds require
This is the future we can create—through evidence, collaboration, and collective resolve.
Join the Collaborative
Your voice can change the future for children
This work cannot be done alone. When parents, educators, health professionals, and leaders unite, we create the momentum that drives real policy transformation.
