News Item

Preventing and responding to children’s exposure to intimate partner violence

The risks of intimate partner violence intensified due to the pandemic context. The Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development has launched an infographic summarizing the latest knowledge on the consequences associated with children’s exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and on ways to mitigate and avoid them. We invite you to share this infographic with your networks, as we all work together to put in place, as quickly as possible, the most promising interventions to reduce the distress and hardship of domestic violence.

A Look Around the World – Cultural Celebrations

We live in a diverse world where children are exposed to many different people and experiences, and they begin to recognize these similarities and differences at very young ages. In CNC, it is important to help children understand and respect similarities and differences among people, and exploring these similarities and differences positively is a good place to start. And decisions about what holidays to celebrate are best made together by teachers, parents, and children! The world is immense, and there are nearly endless customs and cultures to explore. McCormick Centre for Early Childhood Leadership has highlighted (listed chronologically) four diverse cultural celebrations, and created a helpful infographic, for inspiration.

49 fun physical activities to do with kids

Children between 2-4 years old don’t only need a lot of movement, they also need a lot of variety of movement. So while it’s essential to make time for unstructured, active playtime, it’s also important to have access to plenty of fun, simple activities that you know will help them get active and develop skills in a variety of ways. This list of 49 fun activities for kids is the ultimate go-to for any playdate, home child care setting, or a morning or afternoon with a caregiver. Whatever the situation, short attention spans mean that it’s a good idea to have a few of these up your sleeve!

Toronto Youth Drop-In Programs: Summer in the 6IX

For many young people, the last 18 months have been extremely stressful. And after being isolated, youth are looking for opportunities to connect! In response, the City of Toronto reached out and asked us to spread the word about their Summer in the 6IX drop-in programs for Toronto youth.

Newcomer families’ experiences with programs and services to support early childhood development in Canada: A scoping review

It can be difficult for families with young children to navigate early childhood development supports. In particular, newcomer families often encounter additional barriers and require resources, programs, and services that are tailored to their unique assets, experiences, and needs. A team of researchers conducted a scoping review of the literature published between 2000 and 2019 to explore what is known about newcomer families’ experiences with programs and services to support early childhood development in Canada. Their report identifies common themes and the need for informed, meaningful and culturally relevant policies, programs, and services for newcomer families to support their children’s well-being.

Share 8 Great Reading Tips with Families (in 16 languages)

There are many ways that families of English language learners (ELLs) can support language and literacy at home. Colorín Colorado has a beautiful new series of 8 posters and reading tips for families - and they are available in 16 languages so you can easily share them with parents!

Health Canada announces recalls for 18 more hand sanitizers

Health Canada has announced the recall of more hand sanitizers, adding 18 more products to their list because of issues such as containing ingredients not allowed by Health Canada or not being authorized for sale in Canada. Since the beginning of the pandemic, hand sanitizer sales and production have gone up, and Health Canada has previously issued recalls for almost 100 products.

Book series teaches children about their cultures and lives of those different than their own

The best thing about books is that they can transport us anywhere and give us a glimpse into other worlds. Children’s books are no exception. And in a country as diverse as Canada, it is important to offer children from all backgrounds an opportunity to learn about their own cultures and about the experiences and lives of those different than their own. Aine Moorad, hopes that her books do exactly that. Aine Moorad has written the O Canada series chronicling the journey of Zayd, an eight-year-old Canadian immigrant. The books touch on the themes of family, adventure and change, familiarizing children about Canada’s food, sports, animals, values, people and way of life. Moorad’s books are geared for children aged between 4 and 10.

WEBINAR – Beyond COVID 19: Reintegrating to the New Normal

We have all been dealing with a whole new reality for more than 16 months. For many children whose families may have been struggling to make ends meet, wonder if they still had a job, or deal with medical crises, this may have been a very stressful or even traumatic time. Now, more than ever, you need to be emotionally strong and ready to support all of the children who will be counting on you. This webinar will provide insight that will help participants to look at their own stress level and ways to build resilience, identify the impact of stress on children's behaviour, and develop strategies to scaffold children's social, emotional and physical needs that have resulted from the pandemic.

National Indigenous History Month: The language of dance is universal!

A group of new immigrants and Indigenous peoples meeting for the first time discover that they share many of the same traditional dance moves in this beautiful highlight from the CBC documentary Behind the Bhangra Boys, which follows the Maritime Bhangra Group along their journey of joyful activism.