Health and Safety External Resources
Children’s Mental Health
For help with understanding mental health issues, finding a directory of mental health services available in Ontario, or on line education and resources for a variety of mental health issues including resilience, the following websites offer a good overview. Children's Mental Health Ontario www.kidsmentalhealth.ca Mental Health First Aid www.mentalhealthfirstaid.ca Parents for Children’s Mental Health www.pcmh.ca The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario www.onthepoint.caBlind/Low Vision Early Intervention Program in Ontario
When children are diagnosed with blindness or low vision, a referral can be made to the local Blind - Low Vision Program by a physician, ophthalmologist, optometrist, parent or caregiver. The Blind - Low Vision program offers three types of services: Family Support, Intervention Services, Consultation Services. There is a full description of current services on their website.Children’s Aid Societies Across Ontario
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.
Community 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.
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.
ABC’s of Feeding Preschoolers
This short and easy-to-use resource helps answer nutrition questions and concerns, and offers ideas on feeding young children.Read More…Guides to Physical Activites
Public Health Agencies of Canada offers three downloadable PDFs, designed to assist in increasing physical activity in children up to the age of nine. Encouraging kids to build physical activity into their daily routine helps to create a pattern that may stay with them for the rest of their lives! Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and YouthAbout Kids Health
Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) presents a comprehensive website, designed to “provide families with reliable, current information about all areas influencing child health and family quality of life, in a format that is easy to understand.”
www.aboutkidshealth.ca/
Included are online “Resources Centers” on:
- major issues in children’s health such as ADHD, asthma, diabetes and pain management;
- “Health A-Z”, with hundreds of articles on various topics;
- “How the Body Works,” an animated interactive atlas of child anatomy and physiology for parents and caregivers;
- “Just for Kids,” with colourful, interactive pages and downloadable activity sheets, bookmarks, etc.;
- “Ask Dr. Pat,” a question-and-answer page; and
- a newsletter with articles on all aspects of children’s health, development, relationships and safety.
Of particular interest to child care providers working with newcomer children are recent articles like “Helping Immigrant Children Succeed” and “Attending to the Health of Immigrant Children”.
Recalls (link)
http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/