Children and Youth

Fill in the funding gaps

I came to the conclusion that COVID has had a very negative influence on our lives, but also some positive ones.

Reflection of the effects of the pandemic

The pandemic and has transformed me in ways that were mental, physical and emotional in nature.

Re-imagining global health care, person by person, mission by mission

Author and physician Jennifer Wilson reflects on the decision to offer her medical services in Northern Ghana and the writing of her book, Grant Us Tomorrow.

Book excerpt: ‘Oh God. What am I doing here?’

An excerpt from Jennifer Wilson's book, Grant Us Tomorrow.

Plan on ‘aging in place’? Start early and be patient

Alcina Sung and the Togethering team are compiling resources that may better educate families, designers and developers on accessibility considerations and other resources to make aging at home a reality for as long as possible.

Unprecedented wait list for health care will have long-term toll on children

Ontario’s rapidly expanding wait list for children’s health care will have long-term consequences for health and increase costs to the health-care system.

The Faces & Phases of COVID-19

The Faces/Phases Project is a portrait of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Through a series of data visualizations, we cover the first two years of the pandemic.

Youth engagement essential for healthy school environments

Despite the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children, in Canada and across the globe children and youth too often do not have their voices heard, or their perspectives adequately considered. Issues related to child and youth health are no exception.

‘Literally, neither here nor there’: Caring for aging loved ones from a distance

A growing number of us are caring for aging parents and loved ones from a distance. Thanks in part to technology, intergenerational families separated by borders and oceans can stay connected and offer support. A dozen distant caregivers highlight the unique and invisible challenges they face and offer learning opportunities.

A pandemic silver lining? Research shows drop in bullying in school and online

The COVID-19 pandemic may have shut down schools but, as new research shows, it also shut down both in-person and online bullying. And bullies are still lying low. But why hasn’t bullying returned since students have gone back to school?

‘We take care of our own’: Shared family values guide Togethering

Stella and Derek are an example of proactive "Togethering." When the couple were expecting their first child, they purchased a home across the street from Stella's parents to stay close. Part two of the togethering series explores how Stella and Derek are considering new ways of "togethering" as Stella's parents require more care.

Togethering in the face of a degenerative disease

After Andrea's father was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015, it became difficult for her to provide him care in Toronto from her home in the U.S. Eventually she would have to figure out a shared living space that worked for both of her parents and her and her husband. Read Andrea's story navigating "Togethering" in part three of the series.

Togethering – Exploring housing options and the concepts of care

Togethering is unique for each family. It can take many different forms in where we live, how we support each other and how we transition together as an intergenerational “circle of care.” This introduction to the "Togethering" series explores some housing options built around concepts of care.

To tackle food insecurity, school adds hunting and fishing to reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic

Faced with rampant food insecurity in the Eel Ground First Nation, New Brunswick, one elementary school principal started the Kelulk Mijipjewe food program to provide nutritious meals and teach students about Indigenous food culture.

‘As a matter of policy, kids were hungry in residential schools’: The dark history of Canada’s food guide

Canada's Food Guide has its roots in controversial experiments conducted on Indigenous children and adults in the 1940's and 50's.

National child-care program is worth celebrating but new mothers deserve more support

The federal government’s national $10-a-day child care program is cause for celebration. But there is a lot more that still needs to be done in both the public and private sectors to support parents post-partum.

Misleading label creates yet another barrier for IV iron use in pregnancy

In 2021, the FDA and EMA announced a new adverse event label for the use of intravenous (IV) iron in pregnancy. But the label is misleading and could worsen already inequitable access to an important treatment for iron deficiency in pregnancy.

How I have been lonely during COVID and benefited from It

While COVID has progressed we have had the need to wear masks to slow or prevent the spread of COVID. The good thing about this is that while wearing a mask no one expects me to show emotions so I can just sit there in silence.

How the Pandemic Affected Me

Because we are into two years of this pandemic and I'm so on the verge of losing my cool I can't contain it any longer and I bet you would all agree with me because you want this all to end.

Fear of the unknown: Parents want information and transparency when deciding to vaccinate their children

Through interviews and focus groups held with parents of kids 5 to 11 years old, Health Commons Solutions Lab learned about their motivations, beliefs and questions when it comes to vaccinating their kids – and what resources they need.