Topic: Parenting resources

Today I thought I would focus on parenting resources as this is a question that has come up a few times lately and there are quite a few good ones to recommend. Even the best parents have doubts and they certainly have questions! I have chosen to focus on Canadian resources as these are the ones I recommend to my families.

Caring for Kids (Eng/FR)



In their own words:

Caring for Kids is designed to provide parents with information about their child's health and well-being. Because the site is developed by the Canadian Paediatric Society—the voice of Canada 's 2,000+ paediatricians—you can be sure the information is reliable.

Most documents on Caring for Kids are based on CPS position statements, which are created by our expert committees and approved by our Board of Directors. Position statements are reviewed each year to ensure they are up-to-date.

Best Start (Eng/FR)



In their own words:

Best Start: Ontario's Maternal Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre supports service providers across the province of Ontario working on health promotion initiatives to enhance the health of expectant and new parents, newborns and young children.

Growing Healthy Kids: A guide for positive child development (Eng/FR)



In their own words:

Growing Healthy Canadians: A Guide for Positive Child Development, was created to promote and illustrate a simple idea: that the healthy development of children and youth is a shared responsibility. There has been much debate about who should be doing what in order to grow healthy children. The truth is, everyone has important contributions to make in ensuring that young people grow up in the kinds of conditions they require to thrive. At the same time, no one type of contributor – not families, communities, workplaces, nor governments – can successfully raise the next generation on their own.

Invest In Kids (Eng/FR)



In their own words:

Invest in Kids is [a national charity] dedicated to helping parents become the parents they want and need to be. By translating the science of parenting and child development into engaging, easy-to-understand, relevant resources for parents and professionals, Invest in Kids aims to strengthen the parenting knowledge, skills and confidence of all those who touch the lives of our youngest children to ensure the healthy social, emotional and intellectual development of children from birth to age five.

For information about the history, people and research of Invest in Kids visit the about us section of their website. You can also visit Parent Help Line for links to useful resources. "Parent Help Line is a service of Kids Help Phone in collaboration with Invest in Kids."

Canadian Association of Paedeatric Health Centres (CAPHC)

In their own words:

CAPHC was established in 2001 through a transformative process of organizational renewal of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Hospitals. This watershed activity was undertaken to respond to member needs arising from emerging healthcare challenges and the shifting landscape of child and youth health service delivery in Canada - child healthcare organizations were undergoing fundamental structural changes.

Today CAPHC is a forty-two member organization representing multidisciplinary health professionals that provide health services for children, youth and their families within: quaternary and tertiary health centres; community health centres; rehabilitation centres; and home care provider agencies nationwide.

All children’s hospitals and their respective Children’s Hospital Foundations in Canada are members of CAPHC, thereby providing linkages to clinical care, education and research. A complete list of CAPHC member organizations can be found here.

Montreal Families (Strangely this resource is only available in English, however many of the resources listed are French)



In their own words:

Montreal Families is locally owned and operated. Our mission is to provide local information and professional advice to enhance all aspects of parenting and family life.

Montreal families also publishes a free monthly newspaper, a biannual resource directory, and organize camp and education fairs. There isn't a whole lot of information about them on their website but the fairs are listed on the Government of Canada website so they seem to be considered a reliable source of information. Certainly the local information they provide is useful.