CanChild is a research center focused on childhood disability and development located at McMaster University. It was founded in 1989 and currently has over 60 scientists, 30 staff members, and engages families and youth. CanChild conducts research to develop tools for assessing child development and functioning. It also creates knowledge translation materials for families and healthcare providers. CanChild aims to facilitate collaboration between researchers and involve families in all aspects of research.

1. CanChild
“What can we do together?”
Olaf Kraus de Camargo
Briano DiRezze
Co-Directors

2. Working together
Tree of Peace of the Five Nations Confederacy
(Haudenosaunee) (1570 – 1600)/(1190)
• Mohawk
• Oneida
• Onondaga
• Cayuga
• Seneca
• Tuscarora (1722) – “Six Nations”
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

3. Developmental Paediatrics
§ Principles
§ Developmental Perspective:
§ “signs and symptoms” are extremely variable and have different significance at different
ages
§ “learning” is a major component of development
§ development occurs always in a context
§ Transdisciplinary Competencies
§ Early Childhood Education, OccupationalTherapy, PhysicalTherapy, Psychology, Social
Work, Speech and Language Therapy, etc.
§ Nursing, Nutrition
ØWorking together and learning from each other is central to developmental
paediatrics

4. CanChild History
§ Founded in 1989 by Mary Law and Peter Rosenbaum
§ Supported by School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Pediatrics and
Clinical Epidemiology
§ Until 2008 funded by Ministry of Health
§ Currently self-sustained with an annual operating budget of CAD$ ~600K
§ Located in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences (SRS/Dept. Pediatrics)
§ Goal
§ Facilitate the collaboration of scientists with complementary skills and
common research interests from the “niche” field of Developmental Pediatrics
§ Obtain continuity to move from “Projects” to “Programs” of research

5. Structure
§ Staff
§ 2 part-time co-directors
§ 2 fulltime staff
§ Dayle McCauley (Research)
§ RachelTeplicky (Business)
§ 2-3 part-time staff
§ Temporary work students

6. Philosophy and Objectives
§ Philosophy:
§ A biopsychosocial framework for health (International
Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health)
§ Centrality of ‘family’ and their wellbeing
§ Focus on ‘Functioning’ rather than ‘Normality’
§ Objectives:
§ Develop and validate classification and measurement
tools for our field
§ Create knowledge translation materials for families
and frontline service providers
§ Teach/train people in our broad field of childhood
disability
“generating knowledge & transforming lives of children and youth with developmental conditions and their families”

7. Children,Youth and Families
§ United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (2006): “Children with disabilities have the right to express
their views freely on all matters affecting them.” (Art. 7)
§ Strategy for Patient Oriented Research:“Patients need to be involved in all
aspects of research to ensure questions and results are relevant”
§ World Health Organization:“ICF respects the rights of every person and
actively avoids labelling, stigmatisation and discrimination.”

8. People - 2021
§ 67 Scientists and Associates
§ 33 Research and KT support staff
§ 33 PhD students
§ 19 Post-Doc Fellows

9. Places

10. Products - Research
§ Grants - 2021
§ 39 grants received
§ Total CAD$ - $5,2 Million (3,2
Million with participation of
Department of Pediatrics
members)

11. Products - Research
§ BrothErs and Sisters involvement in health care TranSition
for youth wIth Brain-based disabilitieS (BEST SIBS) Study
§ Canada,The Netherlands
§ ENablingVIsion And Growing Expectations (ENVISAGE)
§ Canada,Australia, Croatia
§ Back2Play App Study
§ Ontario, Québec

12. Products - Consulting
§ Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
§ Measurement Service
§ Training of Staff at Children Treatment Centres
§ Policy Development
§ KidsPlus Foundation,Australia
§ Implementing and Evaluating Family-Centred Services
§ British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development
§ Policy Development

13. Products – Knowledge Translation
§ Facebook - Parents Participating in Research
§ Ca. 380 members (mostly parents/caregivers)
§ Family Engagement in Research Course
§ Build KT capacity
§ Family members and researchers
§ ~200 graduates
§ Publication and Dissemination of KT materials on the
website
§ CanChild World – Translation of materials

14. Impact - 2021
§ Publications
§ 141 publications (51 co-authored by
Department of Pediatrics members)
§ Presentations
§ 9 Keynotes
§ 108 presentations and talks
§ Engagement Website
§ 900,000+ pageviews
§ 60,000 downloads
§ Engagement Social Media
§ Facebook: 6K followers
§ Twitter: 6K followers
CanChild publication titles over the last 20 years

15. Impact - 2021
§ Policy
§ SmartHubs – Connecting Families with child development services*
*MCCSS Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (2022). Retrieved from
https://files.ontario.ca/mccss-smart-start-hubs-policy-and-practice-guidelines-en-2022-05-02.pdf

16. Working together
§ SharingValues
§ Embracing Diversity
§ Building Trust
§ Investing Time

17. Working together:
§Is your research focused on children’s participation in
their different life domains (home, school, leisure etc.)?
§Do you have research interests in children’s and families’
quality of life?
§Are you interested in developing research together with
children, youth and families?

18. Contact Us
canchild.ca
@canchild_ca
905.525.9140 x27850
facebook.com/canchild.ca
canchild@mcmaster.ca
Institute for Applied Health
Sciences, McMaster University
1400 Main Street W., Room 408
Hamilton, ON, Canada