Family Resources
Links
These links are provided to help families explore the internet for useful information regarding children’s health and general parenting information. The Child Development Centre attempts to keep these links current and up-to-date, but does not take responsibility for the content of the following websites. If you have any questions regarding the content of any of the websites, please direct your questions or concerns to your primary health care provider or your Child Development Centre team member.
General Health and Development Information:
- Sleep Resources:
Tips for good sleep in early childhood. Click to view PDF - Picky Eating Resources:
Tips for food pickiness in early childhood. Click to view PDF - Child Development & Rehabilitation:
Great family resource page. http://www.childdevelopment.ca/family.aspx - Caring for Kids:
Information for parents from Canadian pediatrician. http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/ - Island Health / Healthy Children:
The following links will take you to health information and resources for every stage of your child’s health. https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/children-youth/ - BC Children’s Hospital:
Preventing and treating your baby’s flat head. http://www.cw.bc.ca/library/pdf/pamphlets/BCCH1630_PreventingFlatheadParentsGuide_2012.pdf - Health Link BC:
Safe Sleeping for Babies. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/hlbc/files/documents/healthfiles/hfile107.pdf - HealthLink BC:
Contains medically-approved information on more than 5,000 health topics, symptoms, medications, and tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You can also search the online Directory to find health services near you. www.healthlinkbc.ca - Greater Nanaimo Early Years Partnership:
This website is your one stop shop to resources, events, and tools for families with children under the age of 6 in the Greater Nanaimo area. http://www.nanaimoearlyyears.org/
- Best Chance:
This website is filled with up-to-date and practical information, useful tools and resources for women, expectant parents, and families with babies and toddlers up to 3 years of age. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/babys-best-chance - Zero to Three:
Includes information regarding child development from birth to age three. www.zerotothree.org - Hanen:
The Hanen Centre is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable organization committed to supporting parents, early childhood educators and speech-language pathologists in their efforts to promote the best possible language, social and literacy skills in young children. www.hanen.org - Canadian Paediatric Society:
The national association of paediatricians, committed to working together to advance the health of children and youth by nurturing excellence in health care, advocacy, education, research and support of its membership. www.cps.ca - About Kids Health:
Trusted health answers from The Hospital for Sick Children. www.aboutkidshealth.ca - Canadian Recalls and Safety Alerts:
http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/index-eng.php - Transition to Adult Care:
The goal of transition to adult care is to support youth with special health care needs and their families or caregivers to gain the confidence, skills and knowledge to be ready to enter the adult health care system. www.ontracbc.ca
Parenting and Community Supports:
- SD 68 Strong Start Program:
https://www.sd68.bc.ca/programs/early-years/strong-start/ - At Home Program Guide:
This guide provides detailed information on all aspects of the At Home Program and is intended to assist both parents and health care professionals with understanding how the program works. http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/family-and-social-supports/children-teens-with-special-needs/at_home_program_guide.pdf - Family Support Institute:
Its aim is to strengthen and support families faced with the extraordinary circumstances that come with having a family member who has a disability. http://www.familysupportbc.com/ - BC Easter Seals Camps:
Provides free overnight summer camping experiences for children and teens with physical and/or mental disabilities throughout British Columbia. https://www.eastersealsbcy.ca/summer-camps/ - The BC Association of Family Resource Programs:
A not-for-profit provincial organization dedicated to promoting and supporting community-based Family Resource Programs (FRPs). FRPs are parent/child (aged 0-6) community hubs where families access support, opportunities for engagement, and community resources. www.frpbc.ca
- Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children:
Overview of services available at Sunny Hill. http://www.bcchildrens.ca/our-services/sunny-hill-health-centre/ - Make Believe Play:
A PDF printout for families Make Believe Play. Click for PDF - Let’s Play:
The Let’s Play program is helping kids with physical disabilities become physically active early in life… and encouraging them to stay that way. http://www.letsplaybc.ca/ - ERASE Bullying :
http://www.erasebullying.ca/ The BC Ministry of Education has development this website which has information, resources and reporting options for parents, youth and children. - Autism Community Training:
http://www.actcommunity.ca/ - FASD Provincial Outreach Program:
http://www.fasdoutreach.ca/ - Know Your Rights – Guardian Edition:
https://ldasvi.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads//2015/06/rights_guardian.pdf - Know Your Rights – Student Edition:
https://ldasvi.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads//2015/06/rights_student.pdf
Adoption and Fostering in BC:
- Adoptive Families Association of BC:
AFABC provides province-wide support and advice if you are beginning to think about adoption, if you have decided to adopt, and if you have already had a child or children join your family. http://www.bcadoption.com/
- Foster Hope BC:
Provides Vancouver Island Region foster parents with peer support, education, networking and on-going training opportunities.. http://fosterhope.ca/ and http://fpsss.com/
Health and Development Research:
- CanChild:
A research centre dedicated to generating knowledge & transforming lives of children and youth with developmental conditions and their families. https://canchild.ca/ - Muscular Dystrophy Association:
A page dedicated to Neuromuscular diseases. https://www.mda.org/ - Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders:
CORD is Canada’s national network for organizations representing all those with rare disorders. http://raredisorders.ca/ - National Organization for Rare Disorders:
NORD’s Rare Disease Database provides brief introductions for patients and their families to more than 1,200 rare diseases. http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases
- Human Early Learning Partnership:
A collaborative, interdisciplinary research network, based at UBC. The HELP research explores how different early environments and experiences contribute to inequalities in children’s development. http://earlylearning.ubc.ca/ - Including All Children:
An inclusive project for children and families in BC. Includes find information, materials, and resources geared toward children who have been identified as vulnerable due to developmental delays, identified disabilities, or other challenges. http://includingallchildren.educ.ubc.ca/
Financial Resources:
- Persons with Disabilities Online:
This Government of Canada site provides access to services and information for persons with disabilities, family members, caregivers and all Canadians. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/disability/arc/reference-guide.html - Endowment 150:
Many people with disabilities struggle to save for their future. To help those who want to save, Endowment 150 offers one-time $150 gifts to Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP). http://www.endowment150.ca/ - Child Disability Child Disability Benefit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/child-disability-benefit.html#a3
- Variety, The Children’s Charity:
Together, raising funds and distributing grants throughout British Columbia to inspire hope, enrich lives and build a better future for children who have special needs. http://www.variety.bc.ca/ - Bear Essentials Program:
https://islandkidsfirst.com/bear-essentials/