"Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, many families living in rural and northern parts of BC and raising young children with extra support needs, often faced social, economic and geographical barriers to accessing a wide-range of information, supports and services for their children’s early health, development and well-being. This longstanding lack of equitable access can increase the risk of rural and northern children with diverse abilities and/or complex health conditions having poorer early health and developmental outcomes and life opportunities compared to children living in closer proximity to urban centres. Given the importance of the early years, this ‘inequity from the start’ can have lifelong consequences on families and children’s quality of life and children’s life chances."
