Program Description Provide parents with information and skills to help their children and youth develop to their fullest potential.
Support and promote breastfeeding.
(click here for breastfeeding supports in your community).
Objectives: - To increase the percentage of children and youth who meet physical, cognitive, communicative and psychosocial developmental milestones.
- To increase to 50 per cent the percentage of infants breast-fed up to six months by the year 2010.
- To reduce the prevalence of dental diseases in children and youth.
- To increase access to and the use of needs-based services and supports for children who are at risk of poor physical, cognitive, communicative, and psychosocial development, and their families.
- To increase effective parenting ability in high-risk families.
Activities: - Provide information, support and workshops for parents, childcare, health and social service providers, on topics including:
- Speech and language
- Hearing, vision
- Growth
- Motor skills
- Social interactions
- Behaviour, immunization
- Injury prevention and safety
- Nutrition,
- Preventive dental health practices
- Physical activity
- Communication
- Stimulation and play
- Parenting ability
- Family functioning
- Social supports and Coping skills.
- Promote and support breastfeeding.
- Support parenting programs and provision of information. Canadian Parent Help Line
- Healthy Moms/Babes Coalitions - Atikokan, Dryden/Ignace, Kenora, Sioux Lookout/Pickle Lake, Red Lake/Ear Falls, and the Rainy River District.
- Newsletters produced by local Child Health Coalitions 2 times per year. Distributed by coalition members and community partners. Newsletters also accessible on NWHU website.
Injury Prevention
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
Community Partnerships
Kenora Family Connection:
- Members meet monthly to identify and address the needs of prenatal and parenting families in our communities. The coalition also serves as the advisory board for the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program.
- The coalition meets monthly. Everyone is welcome. For information please contact Sue Morris at 468-3147 ext. 3324 or Donna Mior at 468-3147 ext.3323.
- Memberships include:
- Parents
- Addictions Services Kenora (ASK)
- Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP)
- Child Development Centre
- Infant Development Centre (IDP)
- First Nations and Inuit Health
- Kenora Area Health Access Centre
- Kenora Anishinaabe-Kweg Brighter Futures
- Kenora Midwives
- Lake of the Woods Hospital (LWDH)
- NeChee Friendship Centre
- Northwestern Health Unit
- Parents Attending Secondary School (PASS)
New Generation Network A Community Coalition Dryden, Vermilion Bay & Ignace, Ontario
- The Dryden and Area New Generation Network meet to identify and address needs of families in the community. Meetings are held every 1-2 months and are open to anyone interested in attending in the Dryden, Vermilion Bay & Ignace area.
- The coalition reflects interests from preconception through to sexual health, prenatal, infant development and parenting issues. If you have an idea for a new service or way of improving a service we want to hear from YOU ! For more information contact Kathy at 223-3301.
Memberships include:
- Dryden Ontario Early Years Centre
- Patricia Centre for Children & Youth
- Dryden Regional Health Centre
- Ignace Ontario Early Years Centre
- Vermilion Bay Ontario Early Years Centre
- Parents
- Mary Bergland Health Centre
- Ontario Works
Child and Family Health Network - Sioux Lookout
- The Child and Family Health Network meet every two months. Everyone is Welcome. For more information contact Tekla Rundle at 737-2292. ext.29
- Child and Family Health Network Community Partners include:
- Assault Care & Treatment Program
- Best Start Hub
- Firefly
- First Step Women's Shelter
- Healthy Generations Family Support Program
- Hugh Allen Clinic
- Municipal Childcare Centres
- Nishnawbe-Gamik Friendship Centre Family Support Program
- Northwestern Health Unit
- Ontario Native Women's Association
- Ontario Works
- Public Library
- Queen Elizabeth District High School
- Sioux Mountain Public School
- Sunset Women’s Aboriginal Circle
- Waninawakang Aboriginal Head Start
Coming Together for Kids Coalition - Fort Frances and Area
- Meetings are held every 2 months, and are open to anyone interested in attending. For more information or meeting dates contact Miranda Sigurdson in Fort Frances @ 274-9827, or Lori Wilson in Emo @ 482-2211.
- Memberships include:
- Fort Frances Clinic
- United Native Friendship Centre
- Sunset Country Metis
- Northwestern Health Unit
- Toy Lending Library
- First Nations Inuit Health Branch
- Country View Child Care
- Riverside Health Care Facilities
- La Leche League
- Rainy River Toy Library
- Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Authority
- Family & Children’s Services
- Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board
- Emo Toy Library
- Fort Frances Library
- Integrated Services Northwest
- Couchiching Band
- Stratton Toy Library
Next Generation Atikokan
- Members meet monthly to identify and discuss the needs of families in our community.
- Memberships include:
- Atikokan Native Friendship Centre
- 234 Playgroup
- Ontario Early Years Centre
- Family and Children’s Services
- Integrated Services Northwest
- Mother Goose
- Atikokan Public Library
- Northwestern Health Unit
Dryden Regional Health Centre Obstetrical Committee
- Kathy Bryck represents NWHU.
- 3 meetings per year to review and discuss issues related to maternal care.
- Memberships include:
- Community Care Access Centre
- Aboriginal Healthy Babies Healthy Children
- Palliative Care
Meno-Ya-Win Maternal Child Committee
- Amanda Landgraff represents NWHU.
- Meetings are held every other month to review and update policies for the Maternity/labour & delivery ward and discuss any issues and concerns related to the maternity ward.
- Memberships include:
- Physicians
- Maternity Nurse Manager
- Maternity Ward Registered Nurse
- Dietician
- Community Member (mother)
- Northwestern Health Unit
Acute Care Team at Riverside Health Care Facilities
- Lori Wilson represents NWHU.
- The team reviews the accreditation summary from 2003 and prepares for future accreditations including addressing recommendations noted in the summary.
- Memberships include:
- Riverside Health Care Facilities including management, registered nurses, dietitian, physicians, utilization coordinator, physiotherapist, pastoral care.
- Fort Frances Tribal Health Authorities.
- Northwestern Health Unit.
- Community Representative
Classes or support groups:
Classes & Support Groups in Your Community
IMPORTANT NUMBERS Toll Free Support Services:
Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Program
1-800-465-4377
Crisis Response Services
1-866-888-8988
Kids Help Line
1-800-668-6868
Motherisk-Alcohol & Substance Use Information
1-877-327-4636
Motherisk-Information for Pregnant & Nursing Mothers (not toll free)
1-416-813-6780
Poison Control
1-800-268-9017
Telehealth
1-866-797-0000