By Rosana Salvaterra Canada, Canadian government, child and family services, child development, failures, family support, government care, government system, indigenous, public policies, social policies, vulnerable children
How a basic income guarantee could improve health A version of this commentary appeared in the Hill Times, Ottawa Life and Huffington Post Across Canada, and around the world, people from all sides of the political spectrum are starting to talk about the BIG idea of a basic income guarantee (BIG), also known as a […]
By Dylan Cohen Canada, Canadian government, child and family services, child development, failures, family support, government care, government system, indigenous, public policies, social policies, vulnerable children
Supporting youth to 25 years of age an essential first step A version of this commentary appeared in the Toronto Star, Ottawa Life and the Huffington Post Growing up in government care in Manitoba was difficult. The deep politicization of child welfare didn’t help matters. Polarized public opinion and a controversy-avoidant government shaped the legislation and policies that […]
By Nicole Letourneau and Suzanne Tough ADHD, autism, child development, Child health, childhood education, community support, dépression
Genetics will save the day — at least that’s the message you see pretty much everywhere in the media, and sometimes even in the academic literature.
By Chris Harper child and family services, child development, Child poverty, Child well-being, children, children in care, children's health, first nations children, Low-income children
Last year at a camp in southern New Brunswick I met Evan. Before turning eight, he had bounced from foster home to foster home. He was sent to camp without a bathing suit or sufficient lunch. Regardless, Evan smiled constantly, excelled in school and had a striking sense of compassion. I still think about Evan all the time — what allowed him to thrive in spite of the cards he had been dealt?
Some of the most complex needs of my patients stem from poverty and not disease alone
By Laura Stymiest with Elizabeth Lee-Ford Jones ADHD, child development, Child poverty, Child well-being, childhood education, hunger, social conditions, social paediatrics
A young girl is referred to a paediatrician’s office for inability to pay attention in the classroom. The child’s teacher is concerned she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and possibly, a learning disability.
By Nicole Letourneau and Justin Joschko Canada, child development, Child health, Child poverty, childhood education, education, Health care in Canada, health education, maternity care in Canada
UNICEF recently released a report card ranking child well-being in the 29 richest countries on earth. Canada came 17th, placing us in the bottom half of the pack on factors such as child poverty, emotional well-being and life satisfaction.
By Nicole Letourneau Canada, child development, Child well-being, childhood education, children, chilhood education, early childhood programs, environment, family, health, stress, Unicef report
Il y a quelque chose qui cloche au Canada. Un rapport publié par UNICEF en 2014 comparait la santé et le développement des enfants canadiens à ceux de 28 autres pays nantis.
By Nicole Letourneau Canada, child development, Child well-being, childhood education, children, chilhood education, early childhood programs, environment, family, health, stress, Unicef report
Something is amiss in Canada. A 2014 UNICEF report compared the health and development of children in Canada with 28 other wealthy nations. In spite of being a G8 country, Canada’s children rank number 17th, a status that has not budged in the last 10 years.
By Nicole Letourneau and Gerald Giesbrecht baby, child, child development, Epoch Times, father, father's role, infant
It’s almost Father’s Day, a time when many of us reflect warmly on the role our fathers and grandfathers have played in our lives. It’s no secret that dads are important, and that their role as caregivers has, for many families, broadened in the last fifty years. But there’s one period of our development where dads tend to take a back seat — the first nine months, to be precise.
By Nicole Letourneau and Justin Joschko child development, Child health, Child poverty, childhood, children, cognitive ability, dépression, infant, prenatal stress, toxic stress
Last month, it was reported that an Edmonton woman was badly beaten by her spouse. Though the attack put her in the hospital, the police offered a silver lining by stating that her unborn baby, at least, wasn’t harmed. Sadly, this claim underestimates the profound effect severe stress can have on children’s development in their first years of life, including while they’re still in the womb.