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New CIHR Team Grant: Early origins of addiction in children and youth

acaster@research4children.com — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

Funding Organization	Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Program Name	Team Grant: Early origins of addiction in children and youth (Canada - Finland)
Partner(s)/Collaborator(s)	The Academy of Finland and the CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health in partnership with the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health, the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, the Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research, Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions, and the Norlien Foundation
Program Launch Date	2010-02-12

For more information, visit http://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca/rnr16/viewOpportunityDetails.do?progCd=10036&org=CIHR

Centre releases 2008/2009 Annual Report

acaster@research4children.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

Centre releases 2008/2009 On-Line Annual Report
(As there is audio, please ensure your volume is turned on.)

Now in its sixth year, The Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research is recognized as a public sector innovation and for its ability to effectively and efficiently moblize policy relevant knowledge with its stakeholders. In this start-up year for The Child and Youth Data Laboratory (CYDL), Director, Xinjie Cui, assembled a stellar team whose dedication and hard work position the CYDL well for success. The CYDL developed the design and methodology of its first project, a cross-sectional study analyzing the experiences of youth and their use of government services in Alberta.

We are pleased to announce the release of our annual report. For this year's on-line annual report, we decided to learn what it's like growing up in Alberta through the eyes of a child. The Centre contacted Ministers and MLA's who graciously connected us with children and families living in their ridings. This year's annual report features the faces and personalities of 22 children talking about what they enjoy doing in their free time, what their families are like, why they love Alberta, their school, their friends, what keeps them on the straight and narrow and where they see themselves in the future. We're sure you'll appreciate and be amused with what they have to say.

While we've always aspired to be creative and unique with our communication tools, we also look for cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions. With that in mind, this year's annual report was designed as an on-line, interactive narration.

We would be remiss if we didn't take this opportunity to thank each of the individuals and organizations with whom we've met over the past year. Your guidance has been insightful and directional.

Our growth and achievements have been the result of exceptional leadership and commitment from our Board of Directors, Committee Members and staff. We look forward to 2009/2010 and the opportunity to continue to promote dialogue and mutual learning about policy-relevant research among researchers, policy makers, service providers and the community.

School Readiness and School Success Conference

acaster@research4children.com — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MST

Ready for School? Ready for Life?

School Readiness and School Success: From research to policy and practice conference

Join us for this conference on the determinants of school readiness and school success.

You are a researcher, a student, a service planer, an early childhood educator or even a policy maker and are interested in learning about the latest research on school readiness, in sharing your thoughts on policies and in acquiring new skills from the best practices available? This conference is for you!

Co-organized by the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (CEECD) and the Strategic Knowledge Cluster on Early Childhood Development (SKC-ECD), this event will be held on November 12 and 13, 2009 in Quebec City at the Hôtel Château Laurier Québec.

Goal of the Conference

Organized under the joint auspices of the Strategic Knowledge Cluster on Early Child Development (SKC-ECD) and the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development, this conference will bring together researchers (international and national), policy-makers and practitioners to discuss research, practice and political issues related to school readiness.

This conference will highlight research findings showing that school readiness (1) is multi-faceted and can be reliably assessed in preschool, (2) predicts a variety of later school outcomes, including school persistence and school dropout, (3) can be predicted by a variety of child and family factors, and (4) can be improved by a range of policies and programs.

Centre's Scientific Director named Calgary Woman of Vision

acaster@research4children.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

Congratulations Dr. Suzanne Tough!

The Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research is pleased to announce that its Scientific Director, Dr. Suzanne Tough, was recently named Calgary's Woman of Vision for the month of May 2009. Dr. Tough, one of the province's leading researchers in the field of child development, has been heralded for her research in the area of maternal and infant health.

Global Television's Woman of Vision celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding women - women who have implemented their passion and whose personal dedication and actions inspire us all.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Suzanne Tough.

To view the article on Global News, please click here. To read the article printed in The Calgary Herald on June 2, 2009, please click here.

CIHR and Mental Health Commission of Canada partner on new opportunities for research in mental health and homelessness

acaster@research4children.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 MST

Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI)

CIHR and the Mental Health Commission of Canada partner to create exciting new opportunities for research in mental health and homelessness

Background

One of the top priorities of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is to support research that finds ways to help the growing number of homeless people (and those at risk and in transition) who have a mental illness.

PHSI Partnership Funding

The MHCC may contribute up to $1 million for successful projects submitted to the April 2009 PHSI competition and to the two subsequent competitions (or until funds run out) that are complementary to the MHCC's 5 City Research Demonstration Homeless Project. As a PHSI competition funding partner, the MHCC will contribute up to $150,000 in partnership funding per successful project in the provinces of BC, AB, ON and QC, and $100,000 in partnership funding in all other provinces. With CIHR's partnership contribution of $350,000 or $400,000 per project (depending on province of residence), successful teams are eligible for up to a total of $500,000 per project over a three year period.

Eligible Research Areas

Three priority areas within mental health and homelessness are eligible for MHCC partnership funds:

Mental health and homelessness in youth
Mental health and homelessness in the northern territories (i.e., one or more of the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
Mental health and homelessness. Possible areas for investigation include:

development of policy-relevant method(s) that enable cross-provincial analyses of homelessness trends and enhance policy makers' understanding of the causes and consequences of homelessness
participatory action research to develop innovative prevention and service programs
evaluations of effective strategies for achieving collaboration across governmental levels to address homelessness
understanding and modifying the causes of homelessness in at risk populations

Please note

Applicants are required to contact the MHCC to request partnership support and page one of CIHR's partnerships module no later than March 2, 2009. Requests for support must be accompanied by a detailed research summary that enables MHCC to assess the relevance of the project.

Key Dates

PHSI competition launch date	December 15, 2008
Deadline to contact MHCC to request partnership funding and partnership module	March 2, 2009
PHSI competition application deadline	April 15, 2009
Notice of decision	September 2009
Funding start date	November 2009

PHSI Partnership Development Funds

CIHR's PHSI Partnership Development Funds grant is intended to provide development funds (seed funding) for researchers and/or decision makers to facilitate the formation and development of partnerships with a view to PHSI. Only researchers and/or decision makers interested in applying to the full PHSI program (next competition: April 2009) should submit an application for PHSI Development Funds.

Partnership Funding and Eligible Research Areas

To help support the formation and development of partnerships between researchers and decision makers interested in submitting an application to the full-scale PHSI competition that is relevant to one of the three priority areas in mental health and homelessness listed below, the Mental Health Commission of Canada may also contribute up to a total of $60,000 for successful applications in the next four PHSI Partnership Development Funds competitions (including the February 2009 competition), or until funds run out, that are relevant to one or more of the following priority areas within mental health and homelessness:

Mental health and homelessness in youth
Mental health and homelessness in the northern territories (i.e., one or more of the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)
Mental health and homelessness. Possible areas for investigation include:

development of policy-relevant method(s) that enable cross-provincial analyses of homelessness trends and enhance policy makers' understanding of the causes and consequences of homelessness
participatory action research to develop innovative prevention and service programs
evaluations of effective strategies for achieving collaboration across governmental levels to address homelessness
understanding and modifying the causes of homelessness in at risk populations

Please Note

The MHCC requires that successful applicants invite the MHCC to participate as a partner in the MPD development activity.

Key Dates

Partnership Development Funds Launch Date	December 15, 2008
Application deadline	February 2, 2009
Funding start date	May 2009

Contact Information

Questions regarding the PHSI program or the PHSI Partnership Development Funds can be addressed to:

Meghan McMahon, Senior Project Officer
Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Phone: 416 978 5172
Email: meghan.mcmahon@utoronto.ca
PHSI website: www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/34347.html

TV, Computers and Outdoor Play: An Event for Parents on November 2

acaster@research4children.com — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 MST

TV, Computers and Outdoor Play:
Their effect on your child's social and emotional development
-- A free, on-line seminar for Alberta's parents --

Alberta parents are invited to participate in a free, on-line seminar focusing on children's television and video game habits, cyber bullying and outdoor play. The seminar will be webcast live from the Calgary Coast Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre on November 2 from 7 - 9 p.m.

Parents are welcome to attend the seminar in person, but there's no need to hire a babysitter, or perhaps deal with poor road conditions. Parents with access to the Internet will be able to take part in the event from the comfort of their own homes. Whether attending in person or participating from home, everyone is asked to register in advance by clicking here.

Harvard Medical School's Dr. David Bickham will present on the effects media have on child development. Dr. Andrea Faber-Taylor from the University of Illinois will provide an overview of the impact environments have on child development. Dr. Tanya Beran of the University of Calgary will focus on the social and emotional effects of cyber and school-ground bullying.

Those who take part from home will have access to the speakers and able to ask questions via e-mail.

Centre releases findings from Benchmark Survey

acaster@research4children.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 MST

Centre releases results of Benchmark Survey,
What Alberta Adults Know about Childhood Development

The Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research funded a provincial benchmark survey to determine what adults know about child development. Over 1,400 Albertans from across the province participated in this phone survey. The results were released September 29, 2008 at stakeholder evernts in both Edmonton and Calgary.

The purpose of the survey was to learn:

What adults and parents know about children's developmental milestones and strategies to support optimal child development
Albertan's beliefs about child care and children's issues, including the availability of programs and resources
Where parents obtain information about child development
What parenting strategies are used

The Many Faces of Childhood Well Being III: November 3

acaster@research4children.com — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 MST

The Many Faces of Childhood Well Being III: The Middle Years 7-10
Monday, November 3, 2008
Calgary Coast Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre

This is a FREE event. There is no fee to register.
Delegates are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.

To register click here.

Infants and Trauma: What do Babies Remember?

acaster@research4children.com — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 MST

This article originally appeared in the Calgary Herald on Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Infants and Trauma: What do Babies Remember?
By Evelyn Wotherspoon, MSW, RSW

The recent tragic events that unfolded in our community have lead to a number of questions about the experience of infants who witness traumatic events. How much do babies remember about the bad things that happen to them? Do babies grieve the loss of loved ones? Are babies emotionally harmed when they witness violence? What can we do to help them?

Very early on, even in the first days of life, babies show evidence of what researchers call ‘implicit' memories. To understand implicit memories, think of the way a song on the radio can evoke a powerful feeling, maybe a nostalgic yearning or a feeling of sadness. Implicit memories are the reason we seek out ‘comfort food' to help us feel better. Real Estate agents are evoking implicit memories when they have cinnamon apple baking in the oven during an open house. These different sights, sounds and odours are cues or triggers that evoke feelings of good times, albeit often on an unconscious level. How does this apply to traumatic memories?

Thankfully, babies do not specifically recall traumatic events, such as witnessing the sudden loss of a loved one. It does appear though, that these memories endure and influence feelings and behavior even when the individual is not aware of it. As an example, when my son was eight months old he received a nasty bite from a cat. He does not ‘remember' getting bitten but to this day he will tell you that he does not care for cats. He avoids cats whenever he can. This is likely because cats evoke an unpleasant feeling that is not a fully formed memory. His current behavior (avoiding cats) is influenced by an event from the past that he cannot recall.

What does all this mean for babies who witness violence or who lose someone they love? How will they remember these events and how will it affect them?

The very notion of infants experiencing trauma is a disquieting one. We do not like to think that infants grieve or despair over the loss of a loved one. We prefer to believe that very small children will quickly forget traumatic events that have occurred in their lives. We tend to view infants as more resilient.

Generally infants who are otherwise well cared for but who experience a single traumatic event, even a catastrophic one, will not likely suffer permanent emotional damage as long as they receive the comfort and nurturance of an attentive caregiver. This is reassuring news for many parents and family members who have suffered a tragedy.

Babies are capable of intense feelings of joy, sadness, grief and terror. They need the presence of a caring adult to manage these feelings in a healthy way. If parents consistently respond to their baby's distress in a loving manner, their baby will eventually learn how to handle these feelings independently. Parents don't have to be perfect all of the time, we all have bad days. They just have to be emotionally available most of the time, especially when the baby is hurt, lonely, ill or very upset. Following a tragic loss, it can be difficult for caregivers to be emotionally available to their infants. All members of the family will need support. Parents should not assume that as long as their baby was not the direct target of violence that he or she is not affected and won't remember.

Infants cannot talk about their distress the way older children can. What they can do is give powerful messages such as inconsolable crying (crying that cannot be explained by colic or illness), excessive tantrums, listlessness, altered sleep patterns, feeding or digestion problems; messages that are easy to overlook or misunderstand. Parents who are concerned about their baby should seek professional advice. We need to intervene at the earliest opportunity and support all members of the family, including infants.

Ms. Wotherspoon is an infant mental health consultant with the Calgary Health Region.
Evelyn Wotherspoon, MSW, RSW
(403) 297-3691

New Employment Opportunities with Alberta Child and Youth Data Laboratory

acaster@research4children.com — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 MST

Employment Opportunities within the Alberta Child and Youth Data Laboratory

The Alberta Child and Youth Data Laboratory (CYDL) is an innovative data and research centre conducting policy-relevant research using linked administrative databases from multiple ministries. Implementation funding has been received from the Alberta Government. This ground-breaking data lab will influence public and social policy making. We have exciting opportunities available for individuals who would like to be involved in shaping this new entity. We are looking for individuals who are creative, flexible and passionate about the well-being of children and youth.

To review the employment opportunities available, click here.

Child and Youth Data Laboratory seeks four individuals to fill exciting research and partnership positions

acaster@research4children.com — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 MST

We have opportunities available for individuals who would like to be involved in shaping this new entity. We are looking for individuals who are creative, flexible and passionate about the well-being of children and youth. Detailed job descriptions are available by clicking here. We encourage you to forward these positions to colleagues who you feel would be interested.

Family Centred Care in Context Conference Executive Summary

acaster@research4children.com — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 MST

For a direct link to the Family Centered Care in Context Conference Executive Summary click here.

Many Faces of Childhood Well-Being: The Very Early Years Symposium

acaster@research4children.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 00:00:00 MST

The Many Faces of Childhood Well-Being:
The Very Early Years
and
The Power of Positive Parenting
November 24 and 25, 2005

Thank you for your interest in our most recent symposiums.

PowerPoint presentations, delivered at both events,
have been posted on our web site. Both events were recorded
and are available for viewing here, on our site.

Copies of both events, on DVD, may be purchased from The Centre for $50 inclusive of taxes, shipping and handling. If interested, please e-mail your request to acaster@research4children.com.