The BC Children’s Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre team has received the 2026 Innovation & Impact Award in Family and Person-Centred Care from Children’s Healthcare Canada. This award is in recognition of the Kelty Centre’s outstanding contributions to supporting families navigating child and youth mental health challenges across British Columbia.

Michelle Cianfrone (Director, Health Promotion) and Sanaa Majid (Program Manager, Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre), accepted the award at the Children’s Healthcare Canada Conference in Calgary on June 1, 2026. The ceremony was part of Children’s Healthcare Canada’s Annual Conference - Tomorrow’s Promise, Today’s Plan: Transforming Children’s Healthcare in Canada.

The Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre has been supporting the mental health and well-being of BC children, youth and families for over 15 years. The Kelty Centre provides BC families with compassionate, personalized family peer support and trusted system navigation.  The Kelty website covers a variety of mental health topics via accessible, evidence-based content and resources - some of which are available in multiple languages. The team also supports families through innovative digital outreach, including a strong social media presence, a monthly blog and newsletter, webinars, and their ‘Where you Are’ podcast. 

The services and supports provided by the Kelty Centre can be a lifeline for families during some of their most difficult moments. The Kelty team centers on lived experience, elevates family voices, and builds meaningful collaboration with clinicians, schools, and community partners. By doing so, the Kelty team has transformed how families access information, feel supported, and engage in their child’s mental health journey.

The Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre is part of the broader Health Promotion and Health Literacy department at BC Children’s Hospital. The department works collaboratively on a variety of initiatives to enhance the well-being of BC children, youth and families, with a focus on health promotion and prevention.

Congratulations to the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre team!

Pictured from left to right: Kathryn Jahn, Project Coordinator; Amy Franses, FamilySmart Family Peer Support Worker; Mirella Russell, FamilySmart Family Peer Support Worker; Sanaa Majid, Program Manager; Michelle Cianfrone, Director; Bryn Askwith, Project Manager.