Resources
Growing Up in a New Land
This guide is for service providers who work with newcomer families who have children aged zero to six. It will help service providers understand the special needs of families that are new to Canada. The resources include programming suggestions. Growing Up in a New Land
How to Talk to Parents When a Child Needs Extra Support
Newcomer families are experiencing the difficult transition of starting life in a new country after leaving friends, family and their support network behind. As one of the first points of contact, your program’s support is vital to all newcomer families, but this can be especially true when a child needs extra support. Some children come to our programs with a diagnosed special need, while others come into our care with unidentified needs that require additional support. And, sometimes, after spending time observing and interacting with a child, we have concerns about their development that we need to discuss with parents. This tip sheet, available in English and French, will offer strategies on how to talk to parents when their child needs support.
Enhancing a sense of belonging in the early years
We invite our readers to reflect on how the theme of a sense of belonging relates to young children. After a conceptual overview by Martin Woodhead and Liz Brooker which philosophically roots the subject firmly in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, this edition of ECM goes on to include contributions from the field in Israel, Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands, Mexico, Lebanon and Australia, together with an interview with Cameroonian academic A Bame Nsamenang and reflections on promoting a sense of belonging in the especially challenging circumstances of conflict zones and refugee camps. Enhancing a sense of belonging in the early years
Healthy U
Healthy U was developed as a public information and education campaign to support and encourage Albertans to lead healthier lifestyles by providing them with access to information on healthy eating and active living.
Story Bird
Imagine creating your own stories, adding pictures, and doing it in many languages.Explore story making with the children.
Resource Kit for New Immigrant Parents
https://cmascanada.ca//wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Parenting_Resource_Kit1-2.pdfCommunity Resources
Provincial
Ontario Children’s Aid Society’s
The Ontario Children’s Aid Societys provide child protection services and parenting programs. This website can link you to your local CAS.
EarlyON Centres
EarlyON centres offer free drop-in programs for caregivers and children from birth to 6 years old. You can learn and play with your child, meet people or get advice.
Ontario Public Health Association
The Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) galvanizes communities, governments and decision makers to manage current public health challenges.
Preschool Speech and Language Program
The provincial Preschool Speech and Language Program is a program of the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Click here for local PS&L programs.
Culture and Diversity links
The Canadian Council for Refugees is a non-profit umbrella organization dedicated to advancing the rights and protection of refugees in Canada (and around the world) and to the settlement of immigrants and refugees in Canada.
Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development
The Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development is a consortium of researchers and academics who identify, synthesize, conduct and disseminate research on early childhood social and emotional development. The site offers summaries of research, a regular bulletin and occasional reports.
Child Care Resource and Research Unit
This site is linked to U of T’s Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU). In it you will find free articles about quality research into excellent childcare methods, free access to interesting and noteworthy developments about early childhood education, fact sheets and videotapes plus much, much more.
ConnectABILITY
ConnectABILITY is a project of Community Living Toronto. The ConnectAbility website is a virtual community dedicated to lifelong learning and support for people who have an intellectual disability, their families and support networks.
mylanguage.ca
mylanguage.ca is the website of Dr. Roma Chumak-Horbatsch, a professor at Ryerson University’s School of Early Childhood Education. The website is devoted to raising awareness of and providing resources to support home language retention in very young second language learners.
Health and Safety Links
Government of Canada Websites
Health Canada
General information on health issues, including product recalls, product warnings and advisories.
Consumer Product Safety
Health Canada’s site with information on products for use by the general public. On this site you can also subscribe to receive email alerts on product recalls, advisories and warnings.
“Is your child safe?”
A series by Health Canada on the safe use of toys, cribs, clothing, and other products children and parents use.
healthycanadians.gc.ca
Established by the Government of Canada to inform families of recalled food and children’s products.
Other Child Health and Safety Websites
Caring for Kids
Caring for Kids is a project of the Canadian Paediatric Society. The site provides child health information from Canada’s paediatric experts, including information on immunizations, childhood illnesses, and general health promotion.
Safe Kids Canada
Safe Kids Canada works with partners across Canada to conduct research, raise awareness, and educate families and practitioners on how to create safe environments for children and prevent childhood injuries. The site includes information on playground/outdoor play safety, seasonal safety issues (winter, sun-safety), poisoning, scalds and burns. Safe Kids Canada also has an Ethno-cultural program, and translates information and resources into several languages, including a series on injury-prevention.