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Articles

Vol. 8 (2017)

Falling Through the Cracks: Barriers to Accessing Services for Children with Complex Health Conditions and their Families in New Brunswick

Submitted
December 7, 2017
Published
2017-11-23

Abstract

Access to a wide range of services is essential for children with complex health conditions and their families to ensure family-centred care that promotes positive outcomes. Despite this, these families often experience difficulties accessing the services they require. This study examined the services available and the barriers to accessing these services in New Brunswick, Canada. We conducted an environmental scan of services and semi-structured interviews with nineteen families and sixty-seven stakeholders from the health, social, and education sectors. We identified a wide range of services available to children with complex health conditions and their families. Barriers to accessing services were identified and organized into three categories: (1) service availability, (2) organizational, and (3) financial. These findings will inform policy and practice to improve services for these families.