Dear CanChild,


Welcome to the February 23rd edition of CanChild Today! In this newsletter, you will find news about CanChild at the House of Commons, an upcoming CP-NET webinar, a featured CanChild shop item, opportunities to participate in research, and plain language summaries of recent publications.


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CanChild and KBHN at the House of Commons!

From left to right: Connie Putterman, Nicky Lewis, Andrea Cross, and Donna Thomson

Watch the Opening Speech by Nicky Lewis:

Nicky Lewis' opening speech at the House of Commons

On February 16, Nicky Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) presented on the CanChild/KBHN Family Engagement in Research (FER) program at the House of Commons. Andrea Cross, Connie Putterman, and Donna Thomson (Co-founders of the FER Program) traveled to Ottawa to be in attendance and meet with Members of Parliament. What an impactful opportunity to share insights and experiences about citizen engagement to Canadian policymakers!

Learn more

Upcoming Webinar!

Meet the Author: Amanda LeDuc

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space

Speaker: Amanda Leduc

Thursday, March 9th from 1:00-2:00pm EST


Join CP-NET and author, Amanda Leduc, for a webinar on her book Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space. Learn more about Amanda's book here and register for the event here on. Come to the event to hear her perspective and engage in an open conversation!

Register Here

Featured CanChild Product!

"Evaluation tools such as the MPOC - 56 and MPOC - 20 and PEGS have been critical to our ongoing research in Australia."

The Measure of Processes of Care (pronounced "em-pock") is a well-validated and reliable self-report measure of parents' perceptions of the extent to which the health services they and their child(ren) receive are family-centred. The original version of MPOC is a 56-item questionnaire; as of 1999 there is a shorter, 20-item version. There is also the MPOC-SP, a self-assessment tool for pediatric service providers that measures the extent to which the services they provide are family-centred. MPOC has been used internationally in many evaluations of family-centred service.


Visit the CanChild shop to explore the various versions of MPOC (available in multiple languages)!

Shop MPOC

Participate in Research!

Youth and Caregivers: What supports do you need from school, community and health services?

If you have a child between 8-21 who has a disability…


Researchers at CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research, McMaster University invite both you and your child to participate in a research study about your experiences during Covid and ideas about improving health and education services and supports. We will work with each family to figure out a way for all youth and parents to share their stories in a way that works for them. For more information, email Anna Swain at minchena@mcmaster.ca.

Learn more

Ongoing Research!

Do you want to participate in more CanChild research?

  • Adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy, and their healthcare providers: We want to explore the influence of sexuality and gender on the health care transition. Interested? Contact us at lbrunto3@uwo.ca or usalma@uwo.ca
  • Seeking occupational therapists in Ontario to explore the ethical tensions experienced during the transition from traditional pull-out approaches to tiered service delivery in school-based occupational therapy, and to identify the appropriate practice support needs. Contact Sandra VanderKaay at vandes22@mcmaster.ca.
  • Transition to Adulthood During COVID-19 Research: Recruiting Canadian youth (ages 16-24) with special healthcare needs to participate in an online interview.

Recent Publications by CanChild Members!

*How Did Governments Address the Needs of People With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Analysis of 14 Countries’ Policies Based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities.


This study looked at COVID-19 policies from 14 different countries to see how well they aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The UNCRPD is an agreement between 184 countries that aims to eliminate discrimination and ensure equality for people with disabilities. The authors used a text mining approach to analyze the policies and identified common themes such as the continuation of services, intersectionality and equity, and disability considerations in regulations and public health measures. The most frequently identified UNCRPD articles were related to risk and humanitarian emergencies, home and family, education, and community living. Six countries produced policies that were specifically focused on disability. The study concludes that there is a need for more comprehensive approaches to addressing the rights of people with disabilities, especially as new policies are developed and existing ones revised.


Shikako, K., Lencucha, R., Hunt, M., Jodoin, S., Elsabbagh, M., Hudon, A., Cogburn, D., Chandra, A., Gignac-Eddy, A., Ananthamoorthy, N., & Martens, R. (2023). International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 1. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.2023.7111

*Organization of rehabilitation services for youth with physical disabilities and mental health problems: A scoping review


This paper discusses the organization and delivery of healthcare services for youth with childhood-onset physical disabilities and mental health problems. The authors conducted a scoping review of scientific literature and identified two models of service delivery and 12 key principles that can guide improved service delivery for this population. Highlights include the importance of addressing mental health concerns for young people with physical disabilities and the need for developing collaborative healthcare delivery models and evaluating their effectiveness.


Tremblay, S., Lal, S., Xiang, L., Ferro, M. A., & Anaby, D. (2023). Organization of rehabilitation services for youth with physical disabilities and mental health problems: A scoping review. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 4, 1085827. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2023.1085827

*Open Access

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