Childrens' Issues

• Canadian Institute of Child Health
  
• Children's Mental Health Ontario
  
• Roots of Empathy
  
• Services for Children and Youth
  
• Education Quarterly Review
  
  

Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH)

The Canadian Institute of Child Health monitors the health and well-being of children and youth in Canada. Social, economic and political factors, psychological, genetic and biological factors, personal health practices, community resources and the physical environment all shape the health of children and youth The CICH profiles successive stages in child development, information on the health and well-being of children and youth and issues that confront children and youth and their families such as income inequity, mental health, disability and children's environmental health.

The Canadian Institute of Child Health aims for coordinated actions by all levels of government and by communities for collaborations, services and new attitudes to children and youth and to their place in our adult-oriented society. The population of this province is diverse. Strategies to improve and promote the health and well-being of children and youth must be flexible and responsive to community needs. Building confidence, self esteem, good attitudes to health and relationships with peers builds a resilience during the school years and makes an important contribution to long-term well-being.

For more information on the Canadian Institute of Child Health see www.cich.ca

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Children's Mental Health Ontario

OPSBA has lobbied the Minister of Education and the Minister of Community and Social Services for collaborative funds for school boards to enable them to have on site mental health workers at school.

The Ontario Association of Children's Mental Health Centres is working to make a difference in mental health care for children and youth. Developing close, continuous and effective partnerships with children's mental health centres is one of the best ways for schools to identify children at serious risk.

The organization's goal is to have a school-based mental health program where students can access services quickly in a less formal, comfortable setting, avoiding the long waiting lists for mental health services across the province. Immediate availability of counselling services is a critical point in the strength of school-based programs. On-site mental health workers help students explore alternatives to violent behaviour and actively work with them to choose constructive solutions. Other school-based programs help students learn the skills of conflict resolution, anger management and peer mediation. These programs have a direct impact in reducing aggressive behaviour and potentially violent incidents.

Pilot projects have already demonstrated enormous benefits for children in schools, but there is no ongoing funding to support them. The Ontario Public School Boards' Association and Children's Mental Health Ontario have urged the government to expand the number of partnerships between children's mental health centres and schools to reach more children earlier and more effectively.

More information on Children's Mental Health Ontario is available on their website www.cmho.org

The Roots of Empathy^TM is a classroom parenting program that teaches human development and nurtures the growth of empathy and compassion. A baby and parent(s) visit a classroom; an instructor works with students before, during, and after each visit. Students' learn about parenting, about themselves, about how others feel, and teachers almost always learn something new about their students. The Roots of Empathy^TM is a non-profit organization that is universal in access but the program targets those at high risk.

The program, in place in classrooms Kindergarten to Grade 8, has received wide spread interest from around the world. It is viewed as an asset to conflict resolution and reduces victimization, bullying and violence in schools. The program is socially inclusive, teaching understanding and respect of race, ability and diversity. It also complements the classroom curriculum incorporating math skills, problem solving, infant development, team building, teen pregnancy and infant safety.

Schools in Ontario that have established programs have had excellent results. Visits to classrooms by the baby, its parent(s) and a Roots of Empathy^TM instructor are 35 minutes in length. The program provides schools with specialized curriculum for different grade levels, appropriate books and toys for the family visit, training, supervising visits and ongoing support through e-mail, newsletters and on-line connection for instructors.

More information on the program can be found on The Roots of Empathy^TM website www.rootsofempathy.org