About Us

Every child deserves access to mental‑health care — no matter their family’s income.

Calgary has a range of supports for child and youth mental health, but access isn’t equal. Families with lower incomes often face the steepest barriers—whether that’s the cost of private therapy, long waits, accessibility challenges or complex referral pathways. When kids can’t get help early, challenges can escalate, affecting learning, relationships, and long‑term wellbeing. Kids Matter Calgary exists to close that gap.

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Why this matters — the data is clear

National trends show that child and youth mental‑health care is increasingly shifting from hospitals to community settings, yet inequities persist. Canadian Institute for Health Information’s 2025 analysis found that children and youth from the lowest‑income neighborhoods had the highest hospitalization rates but the lowest physician visit rates—a pattern that signals unmet needs and difficulty accessing timely community‑based care.

In Alberta, mental‑health and substance‑use challenges remain significant. The Canadian Mental Health Association’s provincial profile reports higher‑than‑average rates of poor/fair mental health, higher prevalence of mood/anxiety concerns, and a higher burden of substance‑use disorders compared to national figures—along with ongoing unmet need for services. 

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Who we are

Kids Matter Calgary was founded by professionals with decades of combined experience in education and mental health. We’ve seen firsthand how often children who need counselling most are the ones least able to access it—especially when families are trying to navigate financial strain, system barriers, or limited specialized options.

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What we do

Kids Matter Calgary provides direct counselling support to children from low‑income families, allowing families to choose the registered provider for their child. Your donation helps cover the cost of therapy so kids can receive help sooner, in a setting that fits their needs, and with a therapist who is the right match.

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By funding counselling sessions, we help families:

• Overcome financial barriers to timely mental‑health care

• Access specialized support that may not be readily available through public pathways

• Choose a counsellor who aligns with their child’s needs, culture, comfort level, and area of the city

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