Child Health Programs
Last updated/revised: September 11, 2024
About Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic or stressful events occurring in the first 18 years of life. ACEs also include experiences shaped by family history, where you live, and broad societal structures. They can have an impact of lifelong physical and mental health and wellbeing, education level, and socioeconomic status later in life. Examples of ACEs include:
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Physical or emotional neglect
- Witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV)
- Parent or caregiver with mental illness
- Parent or caregiver with substance use
- Experiencing poverty or racism
Locally, the incidence of perinatal mental health issues and substance use exceeds the provincial average. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) continues to be an underreported and critical issue in our local area, for more information and local statistics, click here.
Fostering strong, stable, nurturing relationships and safe environments can help to mitigate toxic stress and the development of ACEs. Universal developmental screening, like the enhanced 18-month well-baby visit, can help support lifelong physical and mental health, socioemotional skills, and school readiness.
Resources for ACEs and Resilience
Below is a list of local resources if you are looking for further information to help you better understand ACEs and resilience or looking for someone to speak with if you have concerns about ACEs and resilience.
Local
- Building Resilience With Your Child. Check out our new one pager for ideas on how to build resilience with your child and why it is so important.
- Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit (Ontario)
- Home Visiting Programs (PPH) – see drop-down menus below
- Parenting in Peterborough (PPH)
- SmartSmart Hub (Five Counties) – centralized place for families to get connected with child development support
- What’s Available for Families (PPH) – links to local resources for parents in all areas of health & parenting
Online
- Alberta Family Wellness Initiative – resources & videos on brain development, ACEs, & resilience
- Brain Story (Alberta Family Wellness Initiative) – brain development through playing in childhood
- Community Resilience Coalition of Guelph & Wellington – local evidence and free training courses on ACEs and promoting resilience
- Zero to Three – research advocacy, & knowledge translation of early childhood development
- Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University – Science-based resources to achieve better outcomes for children facing adversity.
The Healthy Babies Healthy Children program provides support and resources, while connecting families with community programs, to help give children the best start in life. The program includes frequent home visits by a Public Health Nurse and Family Home Visitor. Services include prenatal education, breastfeeding and child nutrition support, parent-child attachment and healthy growth and development support. Note: client consent must be obtained before submitting a referral.
Eligibility:
- Pregnant or actively caring for a baby/child who hasn’t started school yet
- Experiencing challenging life situations, limited supports and/or lack of resources, including concerns about:
- Wellbeing of the client and/or baby/child
- Child’s development and/or growth
- Parent-child relationship
- Lack of informal and/or formal support systems
- History of physical and/or mental illness that are impacting the client’s ability to parent
- Life stressors (e.g., precarious housing or intimate partner violence)
- Living in Peterborough City or County
- Available for home visits Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Program Referral Form
Completed form can be submitted by fax (705-741-4261) or mail (Peterborough Public Health, 185 King St., Peterborough, ON, K9J 2R8)
Resources for Clients:
The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program is a free home visiting program where a Public Health Nurse visits young, first-time parents weekly during their pregnancy and the first two years of their child’s life. The program can help support parents to have a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby, and continue to meet their education and work goals. Note: client consent must be obtained before submitting a referral.
Eligibility:
- 24 years of age or younger
- Pregnant with their first child or first-time parenting
- Pregnant 28 weeks or less
- Experiencing challenging life situations, limited supports or resources (e.g., socioeconomic challenges)
- Living in Peterborough City or County
- Available for home visits Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Program Referral Form
Completed form can be submitted by fax (705-741-4261) or mail (Peterborough Public Health, 185 King St., Peterborough, ON, K9J 2R8)
Resources for Clients:
The Infant and Child Development Program offers home visits, consultations and support for families with infants and young children who are or may become delayed in their development. Infant and Child Development Consultants offer assessments, activities to support learning and development, and service coordination with other community agencies.
Eligibility:
- An infant or young child from birth to school entry who:
- Have a history of prenatal, perinatal, neonatal and/or early developmental events that may increase the risk of developmental delay (genetic or chromosomal syndromes, neurological disorders, prematurity)
- may become delayed in development because of psychosocial, or environmental factors if combined with other developmental concerns
- are demonstrating delays in development
- A medical diagnosis is not required
Program Referral Form
Completed form can be submitted by fax (705-741-4261)
Resources for Clients:
The Healthy Babies Healthy Children program provides support and resources, while connecting families with community programs, to help give children the best start in life. The program includes frequent home visits by a Public Health Nurse and Family Home Visitor. Services include prenatal education, breastfeeding and child nutrition support, parent-child attachment and healthy growth and development support. Note: client consent must be obtained before submitting a referral.
Eligibility:
- Pregnant or actively caring for a baby/child who hasn’t started school yet
- Experiencing challenging life situations, limited supports and/or lack of resources, including concerns about:
- Wellbeing of the client and/or baby/child
- Child’s development and/or growth
- Parent-child relationship
- Lack of informal and/or formal support systems
- History of physical and/or mental illness that are impacting the client’s ability to parent
- Life stressors (e.g., precarious housing or intimate partner violence)
- Living in Peterborough City or County
- Available for home visits Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Program Referral Form
Completed form can be submitted by fax (705-741-4261) or mail (Peterborough Public Health, 185 King St., Peterborough, ON, K9J 2R8)
Resources for Clients:
The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program is a free home visiting program where a Public Health Nurse visits young, first-time parents weekly during their pregnancy and the first two years of their child’s life. The program can help support parents to have a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby, and continue to meet their education and work goals. Note: client consent must be obtained before submitting a referral.
Eligibility:
- 24 years of age or younger
- Pregnant with their first child or first-time parenting
- Pregnant 28 weeks or less
- Experiencing challenging life situations, limited supports or resources (e.g., socioeconomic challenges)
- Living in Peterborough City or County
- Available for home visits Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Program Referral Form
Completed form can be submitted by fax (705-741-4261) or mail (Peterborough Public Health, 185 King St., Peterborough, ON, K9J 2R8)
Resources for Clients:
The Infant and Child Development Program offers home visits, consultations and support for families with infants and young children who are or may become delayed in their development. Infant and Child Development Consultants offer assessments, activities to support learning and development, and service coordination with other community agencies.
Eligibility:
- An infant or young child from birth to school entry who:
- Have a history of prenatal, perinatal, neonatal and/or early developmental events that may increase the risk of developmental delay (genetic or chromosomal syndromes, neurological disorders, prematurity)
- may become delayed in development because of psychosocial, or environmental factors if combined with other developmental concerns
- are demonstrating delays in development
- A medical diagnosis is not required
Program Referral Form
Completed form can be submitted by fax (705-741-4261)
Resources for Clients: