THE ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH

Transcription

1 THE ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH

2 Table of Contents THEMATIC AREAS OF EVIDENCE GENERATION SUPPORTING OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS...4 CENTRE-FUNDED RESEARCH BRAIN AND EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT BUILDING COMMUNITY WELL-BEING IN FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS, RURAL & URBAN COMMUNITIES CHILD HEALTH CHILDREN IN CARE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, LEARNING AND CARE FAMILY & COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING FAMILY SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES FAMILY VIOLENCE, BULLYING AND TRAUMA FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER MENTAL HEALTH (INCLUDING MATERNAL) & ADDICTIONS OBESITY & HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PARENTING CAPACITY & PARENT-INFANT RELATIONS TRACKING LONG-TERM OUTCOMES YOUTH... 62

3 Supporting Our Strategic Directions The Centre collaborates with Alberta s child-serving Ministries as well as government-funded agencies in the pursuit of child well-being. In doing this, we conduct research and evaluation initiatives to achieve key outcomes that support our four strategic directions. Strategic Directions 1. Lead in the management, linkage, and analysis of administrative data and research to identify opportunities for improvement. 2. Build capacity for the generation and use of policy relevant, interdisciplinary research in the domains of child, family and community well-being. 3. Mobilize knowledge built on evidence to support cross-sectoral policy and service delivery. 4. Measure the impact of The Centre s initiatives. Core Functions Engage in research, evaluation, communication and knowledge mobilization Conduct, fund and build capacity in applied research Link, analyze and manage data Manage resources and strategic relationships Measure and communicate our impact and value The following initiatives, activities and projects undertaken by The Centre in 2014/15 align with our four strategic directions. LEARN MORE! To enable you to easily connect with us and learn more about a specific project, LEAD IN THE MANAGEMENT, LINKAGE AND ANALYSIS OF ADMINISTRATIVE DATA AND RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT. Canada FASD Research Network Diagnostic Assessment Data The Canada FASD Research Network collected diagnostic assessment data from multiple FASD diagnostic clinics across the country. The Centre assisted in the analysis of the data and preliminary results were shared with the research team from The FASD Network. The research team will consider depositing the data in the Research Data Repository of the Child Data Centre. The FASD data can potentially be used for the FASD 10-Year Strategy Evaluation Project that The Centre is leading. (SUZANNE TOUGH) Child and Youth Data Laboratory Longitudinal Study: Experiences of Albertan Children and Youth over Time, 2005/06 to 2010/11 The Longitudinal Study focuses on understanding the experiences of Albertan children and youth as they develop. The Study looks at service use within and across ministries, as it is related to key indicators and to the passage of time. Several major research themes were developed as a result of extensive consultations with participating ministries. These include youth transitions, resilience, early childhood experiences, service use trajectories, and experiences of disadvantaged youth. Data transfer and data matching have been completed. Partnering ministries are working together to assess the data linkage quality. Analysis will start when the assessment is done. Data preparation, visualization design, analysis planning, and metadata development are ongoing. (XINJIE CUI) Child Data Centre The Child Data Centre initiative continues to take shape and the governance structure and data transfer processes have been fine-tuned while The Centre continues to explore sources of funding. The data centre will store different types of data related to child and youth development, health and well-being. The data will be prepared and linked and access and use for secondary research and policy will be managed and supported. Data will include research, survey and government administrative data and, at a later stage, service delivery data. The Centre will provide proper technical infrastructure and governance processes for secondary use of data while ensuring privacy. Outcomes for Alberta s children, youth, families and communities will be improved through using and combining data in new ways to inform social, educational and health policy, practice and service planning. The Centre will build and leverage research capacity, (including infrastructure and both datarelated and child health and development-related content expertise) in an unprecedented way. Data deposit agreements are under development. Several research teams have agreed to transfer their data to the CDCA once data deposit agreements are signed. (XINJIE CUI) Child Intervention Service and Mortality and Vital Statistics Linkage Project Following the child death review roundtable and the Five Point Plan, The Centre worked with Service Alberta and Human Services to develop processes for the linkage between child intervention services and vital statistics datasets. The two ministries are to develop a Memorandum of Understanding aiming at routine linking of data so that more comprehensive analysis and reporting on child mortality and other related indicators can be carried out at The Centre to support system improvement. (XINJIE CUI) Secondary Use Data Platform Alberta Innovates Health Solutions is leading the development of a Secondary Use Data Platform in collaboration with many partners such as Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services, Strategic Clinical Networks, Innovation and Advanced Education and The Centre. The purpose is to facilitate secondary use of health data to support discovery and commercialization effort in health technology, products and approaches, and to support health policy and practice. The Centre has been involved in multiple Working Groups and contributed to the development of the conceptual framework and recommendations. The Centre has been asked to be part of a demonstration project. (ROBYN BLACKADAR) The Centre s lead is listed wherever applicable. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

4 BUILD CAPACITY FOR THE GENERATION AND USE OF POLICY-RELEVANT, INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN THE DOMAINS OF CHILD, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING. Aboriginal Research Strategy With vision, leadership and direction from the Aboriginal Advisory Committee, The Centre hosted Honouring Our Knowledge Gifts: An Aboriginal Research Symposium. The event was held in November 2014 in partnership with the Aboriginal Engagement and Strategy Division of Human Services. The event was an opportunity to share research, evaluation, promising programs and practice results with potential to inform social policy and improve the wellbeing of families and communities. Honouring Our Knowledge Gifts took place at Enoch Cree Nation, Treaty 6 Territory and brought together 240 academics, policy-makers, service providers, Aboriginal and non-aboriginal community members and youth to explore how we can make research with Aboriginal communities respectful, meaningful and sustainable. The Centre is dedicated to applying what we heard and learned in the development of Aboriginal Research Strategy with leadership from our Aboriginal Advisory Committee. Through this strategy, we will be committed to support community based research approaches that build on community achievements, existing strengths, local skills, values, wisdom, and culture. (TARA HANSON) Aboriginal Women s Economic Security In partnership with the Government of Alberta, The Centre is supporting Blue Quills First Nations College to lead a study focused on Aboriginal women s economic security. This community based participatory action research project will explore Indigenous definitions of economy, economic participation and well-being. Employing Indigenous Research Methodology and protocols, iterative dialogues will invite women, men, Elders, leaders, to articulate the role of Indigenous Knowledge and identity in understanding the context and identifying potential sustainable solutions. The findings will empower women in their own communities, on and off reserves and settlements, and will provide policy makers with clear direction and data to negotiate philosophies and cultural worldviews. (TARA HANSON) Advancement of the Housing and Homelessness Research Strategy for Alberta The Centre facilitated a research project to better understand the nature and context of rural homelessness in Alberta. Drs. Jeanette Waegemakers-Schiff and Alina Turner conducted case studies from 20 communities across Alberta. The results of the Rural Homelessness Research project were released at a webcast event in June The Alberta Interagency Council on Homelessness (IAC) and Human Services identified housing and homelessness issues for women fleeing domestic violence, with a special interest in Aboriginal women as a research priority. The Centre hosted a meeting in March 2015 in Calgary with stakeholders to discuss research projects with potential to generate evidence to inform for policy and practice decisions and improve outcomes for this population. Approximately 50 individuals participated from universities (researchers and students), women s shelters (on-reserve and off-reserve), health organizations, family shelters, and community-based organizations in the housing and health sectors. Based on this consultation and subsequent discussions with experts, The Centre will begin a scoping review on this subject. The Centre is currently working with Alberta Human Services to develop a Data Strategy aimed at maximizing the utility and information yield from Housing First, Youth Shelter and Emergency Shelter data. (TARA HANSON AND ROXANNE FELIX-MAH) Alberta Adverse Childhood Experiences The Alberta Adverse Childhood Experiences telephone survey of 1,200 Albertan adults asked about two main areas of childhood trauma: childhood abuse and growing up in a household where there was family dysfunction. The Alberta ACE study demonstrated that ACEs were common and there were strong associations between childhood trauma and increased risk for some chronic diseases in adulthood. The results from the study establish a baseline measure and support a focus on prevention and recovery from ACEs to decrease the burden of disease. The technical report was translated for a lay audience and knowledge mobilization activities took place in Spring (SUZANNE TOUGH) Alberta Benchmark Survey II: What Adults know about child development in Alberta - Differences between 2007 and 2013 A survey to understand what adults understand about child development revealed that specific knowledge of developmental milestones in young children is low, however, many adults are aware of general strategies that support child development (such as reading to children). Several publications are under development. Centre staff presented findings to provincial agencies and Government of Alberta policy makers and at numerous national conferences. (SUZANNE TOUGH, ANNA PUDJAS-BOTEY) Alberta Housing and Homelessness Research Strategy Alberta Human Services facilitated a partnership between the Alberta Interagency Council on Homelessness (IAC) and The Centre to develop a provincial housing and homelessness research strategy. The Centre led the development of the research strategy that generates and mobilizes evidence to inform IAC priorities, decisions and recommendations relevant to A Plan for Alberta: Ending Homelessness in 10 Years. The Alberta Housing and Homelessness Research Strategy for Alberta was launched in October The strategy supports the provision of better information through the development and use ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

5 of data and the mobilization of knowledge Alberta s Promise Best Practices in FASD Service Delivery: Early Childhood Development (ECD) generated from primary research and ongoing evaluation and monitoring. Three research priorities, with specific areas of emphasis, emerged from an extensive review of the literature and consultation with stakeholders; Aboriginal women fleeing violence, utilizing data and addressing not in my backyard NIMBYism attitudes. The unique needs and special circumstances of vulnerable populations and Aboriginal Peoples are to be studied in relation to each priority. (TARA HANSON AND ROXANNE FELIX-MAH) Alberta Mentoring Partnership: Research and Evaluation Standing Committee The Centre s CEO is Chair of the Research and Evaluation Committee for the Alberta Mentoring Partnership. This opportunity enhances The Centre s connectedness to community and front-line services for youth, adds to a growing partnership with Alberta Education and is a support to The Centre s long-standing partnership with Alberta Human Services. In addition, it will lead to increased Albertan and Canadian research and research capacity in mentoring. (ROBYN BLACKADAR) The Centre completed a literature review based on Alberta s Promises five promises. The first in a series of plain language summaries from the review, Mentoring: A Review of the Literature, related to the promise of Caring Adults was released and discussed the return on investment on mentoring. It is available on the Alberta Mentoring Partnership website. A draft of the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Alberta s Promise was also completed and presented to their Board of Directors. (CATHIE SCOTT AND CHRISTINE VANDENBERGHE) Alberta s Tomorrow Project The Tomorrow Project is a large, long-term study that seeks to understand what causes diseases such as cancer, heart disease and other long-term health conditions. The project launched as a provincial study in Alberta in 2000, recruiting 30,000 Albertans using random digit dialling. It is now a component of the larger Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (and Chronic Disease). The Centre s Scientific Director is a member of the Scientific Steering Committee to facilitate harmonization of data processes and shared expertise which include contributing to discussions with a focus on cohort retention, data collection, data repositories, including data access agree- A Self-Evaluation Tool Kit The Centre supported University of Alberta researcher Dr. Jacqueline Pei and students to develop a best practice guide and evaluation tool kit to assess current service delivery by providing indicators and outcomes that can be measured to inform practice improvement. The tool kit is currently being piloted with a community agency in Edmonton. (TARA HANSON) Calgary Thrives This project, led by Mount Royal University, aims to build and pilot a repository for the collection, analysis and dissemination of quality communitylevel child and family service data categorized using an indicator framework. The Centre continues to be actively involved in this project in an advisory capacity to support the development of this initiative. The project is currently integrating and analyzing aggregate data submitted by community agencies. (CATHIE SCOTT) Conducting an Evidence Analysis on Teen Mentoring Program Models and Evaluating the Corporate Mentoring Program The Centre is working with Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Edmonton on an evidence analysis of the school-based Research Innovation Strategy The Centre developed ECD Research and Innovation Strategy was approved by Alberta Human Services and will promote innovation, inform policy, program and practice; and, maximize outcomes for children, families, and communities. Its goals are to build awareness of existing research and create ways to utilize current evidence; influence the creation of new knowledge to address gaps and anticipate the ongoing need for research; and create a collaborative environment that enhances relationships between researchers, policy makers, practitioners and the public. (ROBYN BLACKADAR AND CATHIE SCOTT) Early Childhood Development Outcome Measurement and Evaluation Framework The Centre is supporting the development of the ECD Outcome Measurement and Evaluation Framework and continuing conversations around research and innovation opportunities. (ROBYN BLACKADAR) Early Development Index (EDI) The Early Child Development Mapping Initiative was a province-wide, five-year research project designed to determine what proportion of children were meeting developmental milestones when they ments. (SUZANNE TOUGH) Teen Mentoring Programs and an evaluation began kindergarten. The results of the EDI Initiative of the Corporate Mentoring Program. Evaluation were provided back to communities so they could of the effectiveness and outcomes will generate consider how best to meet the needs of children. valuable evidence to inform program and policy The EDI is a population based tool which has not decisions locally, provincially and nationally. been specifically designed to assess individual (ROXANNE FELIX MAH AND CHRISTINE VANDENBERGHE) ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

6 children, however, The Centre is working with the B. Home Visitation: Standards and Guidelines Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) edition look beyond conventional approaches University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services The Centre is gathering and synthesizing Youth Mentoring Program Evaluation to explore a multi-faceted understanding that to see if elements of the EDI may be aligned with gold standard measures of children s mental health. (XINJIE CUI, SUZANNE TOUGH, SHEILA MCDONALD) Early Childhood Development, Prevention and Early Intervention - Home Visitation The goal of the overall Home Visitation project is to inform improvement of early childhood development outcomes by improving prevention and early intervention program planning and service implementation, identify appropriate prevention and early intervention strategies for implementation of standards and guidelines for Home Visitation Practitioners and mechanisms for building in flexibility based on context; and develop a clear understanding of the supports required to ensure that Home Visitation Practitioners provide high quality services to children and families as they intersect with other prevention and early intervention services and programs. (CATHIE SCOTT) In support of Alberta Human Services, The Centre is conducting a number of projects. A. Home Visitation: Current State The Centre is conducting an environmental scan to describe the current state of Home Visitation services in Alberta, identifying gaps between leading practices in this field and current practice. The results will be used to inform the development of provincial Standards and Guidelines and a Community Capacity Building Framework for Home Visitation. evidence from multiple sources to inform development of Standards and Guidelines for both the Parent Link and Home Visitation Initiatives. In addition, The Centre will review current program logic models and facilitate updates as necessary. This project will involve consultation with stakeholders (Parent Link Centres, Home Visitation programs) and Ministry staff (Early Childhood Development Branch and Child and Family Services Regional staff). C. Home Visitation: Training Pilots Coaching and Reflective Practice (Alberta Home Visitation Network - AHVNA) The Centre is evaluating the implementation of training pilots which will inform future capacity building offered through AHVNA and the broader Home Visitation community capacity building framework. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Universal Screening The Centre participated in the development of processes and strategies to assist the Canada FASD Network in the analysis of national data to better understand the intake characteristics of those assessed for FASD. This data analysis was supported by the Child and Youth Data Laboratory (CYDL). A Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) grant was used to convene stakeholders from across Canada to develop strategies to secure funding for ongoing screening, and potential harmonization with other national data initiatives. Conversations are underway to expand this approach to children with other The Centre is managing the evaluation of a mentorship program for youth ages affected (or suspected to be) by FASD and who are currently involved with the youth correctional system or currently incarcerated. (TARA HANSON) Filming Interactions that Nurture Development (FIND) Evaluation This project will evaluate the implementation of the FIND program that was developed by Dr. Phil Fisher of the University of Oregon with 24 families who are primarily receiving home visitation services in different settings in Edmonton (16) and Calgary (8). Evaluation will be guided by the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) drivers of implementation (CATHIE SCOTT). First Peoples Child and Family Review Special Issue: Aboriginal Child and Youth Mental, Spiritual and Cultural Health The Centre partnered with the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada to create this special issue. It seeks to broaden the conversation on mental health as it relates to Aboriginal peoples, and particularly Aboriginal children. Madelynn Slade, a Michel Cree and Métis youth from Alberta was invited to be the guest Editor. In her editorial, she comments that the journal is a powerful and beautiful example of how our newest generation is already leading in a good way and how individuals and organizations, both Aboriginal and non-aboriginal, are leading with best practices for the wellbeing of Aboriginal children. The articles in this special respects Aboriginal worldviews and privileges traditional knowledge. (TARA HANSON) The Innovative Models Promoting Access-to-Care Transformation (IMPACT) The Centre is a key partner in the IMPACT initiative, a Canadian-Australian collaboration. This initiative brings together leading researchers in primary healthcare, health services, research and implementation science together with communities of practice in six regions in Australia and Canada. Its goal is to identify, refine and then trial world s best practice innovations to assist access, particularly for vulnerable populations. The Centre worked with primary healthcare leaders, researchers and community stakeholders in Southern Alberta to establish the Alberta Local Innovation Partnership (LIP) which will lead the design, implementation and evaluation of a primary healthcare innovation to address the needs of vulnerable populations. Demographic profiles of the southern Alberta region using publicly available data (e.g., socio-economic status, education, material and social deprivation) have been compiled. These profiles will guide decision-making regarding the initial focus of primary healthcare innovations to address access-to-care issues. The focus of the community intervention will include collaborative community outreach (e.g., mobile and pop-up services). (CATHIE SCOTT) developmental disorders. (SUZANNE TOUGH) ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

7 Maternal Newborn Child and Youth (MNCY) PAX/Triple P Randomized Control Trial Reforming the Family Justice System Initiative Laboratory for one-term practicum placements. Strategic Clinical Network (SCN) The CEO and Scientific Director are members of the Maternal Newborn Child Youth Strategic Clinical Network Core Committee. This is a critical mechanism to share The Centre s expertise, cross-sector focus and contribute to the data Alberta Health is funding a unique project led by The Centre that is testing the benefits of two scientifically well-supported strategies to protect children from lifetime mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders: the PAX Good Behavior Game and Triple P (Positive Parenting Program). In collaboration with Alberta Justice and Solicitor General, The Reforming the Family Justice System Initiative aims to ensure that the family justice system puts the needs of children and families first, while assisting families with early and final resolution of disputes. The Centre will provide Other graduate and undergraduate student opportunities related to project management, data analysis, skills in knowledge mobilization and translation are mobilized through the University of Calgary. (XINJIE CUI/CATHIE SCOTT/ SUZANNE TOUGH) and research platform for the SCN. The Centre s participation will lead to significant opportunities for new and stronger partnerships and ways to impact improvements in the health system and beyond. (ROBYN BLACKADAR) National Mentoring Symposium The Centre agreed to co-chair the research forum that is part of the November 2016 National Mentoring Symposium. This opportunity builds on the success of the 2013 symposium that provided evidence to support mentoring practices. (ROBYN BLACKADAR) Parent Child Assistance Program (PCAP) Evaluation in Six First Nations Communities The Centre is working with academics and stakeholders to develop an evaluation plan for the PCAP program (FASD prevention program) being introduced into six Alberta First Nations communities. Stakeholders are interested in learning if the PCAP model requires cultural adaptations to work with First Nation women living on reserve. The effectiveness of evidencebased programs may vary when they target people with different cultural backgrounds. It will be important to learn if the mentors have made changes or recommend different approaches or modifications in program delivery. There are 25 schools involved, (both public and catholic) from rural, urban and remote areas of the province. PAX provides reliable, simple to use, non-curriculum strategies to solve disturbing, disruptive, destructive and inattentive behaviors for schools. Triple P is a system of supports for every family, which can be delivered by diverse mechanisms, venues, and practitioners including schools, neighborhood settings, trained local providers, and even mass media or internet. The Centre has engaged five Alberta researchers to optimize the implementation of this project and scientific quality. The data from this project will be held in the Child Data Centre, and mechanisms for data linkage are under consideration. (TARA HANSON) PracticeWise Evaluation PracticeWise was identified as a promising on-line, evidence-based resource to support professionals working with children and youth who may have a spectrum of mental health challenges. The PracticeWise tool is being be piloted with service providers in two locations. The Centre is managing the evaluation, including an assessment of the training processes, staff training outcomes, staff experience with utilization of the tolls and client outcomes. The conclusions will identify conditions necessary for successfully relevant Child and Youth Data Laboratory reports, collaborate with the research and evaluation subgroup and help increase awareness of the initiative through Centre tools. (CATHIE SCOTT) Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) Evaluation The Centre is coordinating the developmental evaluation of the Alberta Health-funded Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) Training Program. The program is being used to train service providers in southern Alberta flood-affected areas and was developed in response to Hurricane Katrina. There is interest in determining whether and how the SPR Training Program can be adapted for broader applications within Alberta related to disaster recovery. This evaluation will not only generate evidence about the effectiveness of SPR Training Program, but will also contribute to its appropriate implementation in the province. (NAOMI PARKER) Student Training The Centre has been working with the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta to provide opportunities for student training. Several students have been placed in the Child and Youth Data TRANSFORMATION: Transforming Community-Based Primary Healthcare delivery through comprehensive measurement and reporting The Centre participated in shaping the knowledge management and mobilization plan for this program of research related to performance measurement and reporting for primary healthcare transformation. The Centre is also supporting development of the comparative case study design approach that will assess design and implementation of innovative primary healthcare measurement and reporting approaches in three provinces (British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia). (CATHIE SCOTT) Women s Equality and Advancement Framework Alberta Human Services is developing an Alberta Women s Equality and Advancement Framework. The purpose of the framework is to coordinate, align, maximize and advance policies and programs that support women and girls equality and advancement. The Centre is supporting this work by undertaking an environmental scan and survey to learn about the existing initiatives, programs and capacity in Alberta to inform the development of the Framework. (ROXANNE FELIX-MAH) (TARA HANSON) scaling out the resource. (TARA HANSON) ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

8 Year Seven Evaluation of the Government of Alberta s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) 10-Year Strategic Plan The Government of Alberta s FASD 10-Year Strategic Plan was uniquely developed by nine partnering ministries. Strategies were developed to achieve outcomes in three service areas: awareness and prevention, assessment and diagnosis, supports for individuals and caregivers. Evaluations were mandated for years five, seven, and ten of the plan to monitor targets and measure progress towards outcomes. The Centre managed the first large scale evaluation of the Strategic Plan in its fifth year of implementation. The Centre also managed the Year 7 Evaluation which describes key findings, Alberta s response to FASD, and the innovations resulting from the Year 5 Evaluation recommendations. (TARA HANSON) Youth Community Mental Health Program Alberta Health, Human Services and Alberta Health Services collaborated on the development of a new program to fill a gap in the continuum of services for a specific group of youth with complex needs and mental health and/or addiction diagnoses. The Centre is managing the three-year developmental evaluation of the program. (TARA HANSON) The Youth Prevention Survey Understanding Youth Perceptions of Alcohol, Drugs and Sex The Centre supported Dr. Jacqueline Pei to lead a research project with in Wellness, Resiliency and Partnership (WRaP) schools. Several hundred youth were surveyed about their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs with regards to sex, drugs and alcohol. Findings in the final report identified MOBILIZE KNOWLEDGE BUILT ON EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT CROSS-SECTORAL POLICY AND SERVICE DELIVERY Alberta Human Services: Child and Family Services Division Knowledge Management and Mobilization Strategy The Centre collaborated with the Child and Family Services Division to develop a Knowledge Management and Mobilization Framework that was approved. Training sessions with Directors within the division took place in late 2014 and early (CATHIE SCOTT) Change Makers Social Innovation Series As part of their Change Makers Series focusing on social innovation, The Centre partnered with Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) to host a social innovation forum titled, Social Identity: The Creative Power of Groups to Improve Community Well-Being. Three leading experts from CIFAR s program in Social Interactions, Identity and Well-being presented insights from their latest research on how we can think strategically about the power of belonging to develop strategies for tackling some of our toughest social challenges. In addition, three community leaders provided their insights based on experience mobilizing community action. Focused breakout sessions had community leaders and researchers exploring how to turn insights into action on the ground. (ROBYN BLACKADAR) Child and Youth Data Laboratory (CYDL) Longitudinal Study: Experiences of Albertan Children and Youth over Time, 2005/06 to 2010/11 The Centre s CYDL, in collaboration with the Government of Alberta s child-serving ministries, has developed a knowledge mobilization plan in advance of the release of findings about the factors critical to Albertan children s and youths lives in broad-use areas such as health and education, as well as in more specialized services such as justice system contact or receipt of income support. Policy and program development, both within and across ministries, will be informed by this incredibly rich source of new and exciting data. Two phases of activities will take place. Phase One (pre-release of data) will focus on increasing the awareness of the CYDL and the longitudinal project while Phase Two (post-release of data) will focus on communicating findings and incorporating both active and passive knowledge mobilization elements. (AIMEE CASTER) Child Intervention Service Quality Framework The Centre supported the Council for Quality Assurance (CQA) and Alberta Human Services Family Services Division by leading the development of an Alberta Child Intervention Service Quality Framework. The Framework will be used by Human Services, Child and Family Services (CFS) service providers, the CQA, the public and others as a quality lens for the Child Intervention system. The Framework will focus on children and families who interact with the system in order to define quality and the characteristics that demonstrate quality from their perspective. (TARA HANSON) Child Intervention Research Forum: Strengthening and Building Connections within the Child and Family Research, Policy and Practice Community Directed by Alberta Human Services, provincial stakeholders were invited to participate in this forum with a goal of facilitating and promoting multidirectional communication between Alberta s child intervention researchers, service providers, partners and decision-makers. This forum, sponsored by Human Services, was an opportunity for researchers and their partners in service delivery, program and policy environments to share their successes in and barriers to the conduct of policy-relevant research and the creation of research-based policies and programs. Presentations focused on impact on child intervention program, policy, practice and client outcomes; understanding the root causes of issues that affect the safety and well-being of children in Alberta; and en hancement of education, training and support for child intervention workers to strengthen casework practice. (AIMEE CASTER) Child Sexual Abuse Forum In support of the five-point plan to improve child intervention, Alberta Human Services requested The Centre organize, manage and MC this forum to bring focus to an issue that profoundly affects the safety and well-being of children. The forum highlighted emerging research and best practices a need for improved education about alcohol use and abuse. (TARA HANSON) ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

9 in the area of child sexual abuse to enhance prevention measures. The family violence-focused National Child Day former Children s Commissioner in the United and inform relevant policy and practice in Alberta. Researchers, practitioners, government representatives and members of the public participated in person and by way of live webcast and had an opportunity to provide input into the development of a comprehensive Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse Action Plan. (AIMEE CASTER) Children s Mental Health Learning Series sessions appealed to cross-ministry partners, victims and offender-serving organizations, multidisciplinary service providers, educators, health care providers, social workers, government and agency staff, policy makers and researchers. (AIMEE CASTER) FASD Learning Series In collaboration with Alberta Human Services, In partnership and collaboration with the Government of Alberta, major provincial cities and community agencies, The Centre lead the development of a provincial website that was key in sharing activities, relaying resources and documenting events and celebrations hosted across the Alberta in recognition and support of National Child Day. (AIMEE CASTER) Kingdom, and current President of the British Medical Association. (ROBYN BLACKADAR) Provincial Family Violence Treatment Program: Knowledge Sharing Forum The Provincial Family Violence Treatment Program (PFVTP) provides assessment and treatment for offenders who are mandated by the courts on charges related to domestic violence. Spearheaded and sponsored by Alberta Human Alberta Health and CASA, The Centre organized Prevention of Cruelty to Children The Knowledge Sharing Forum was a unique Services, the goal of this series was to create and managed the FASD Learning Series. and Better Start Blackpool knowledge exchange event supported by a lasting resource targeted to the learning needs of front-line staff, service providers, families and caregivers working with and within Alberta Human Services. The sessions were to provide tools that could be used enabling effective responses to and support of children and youth experiencing mental health challenges. A total of ten sessions were hosted in 2014/15 with an average viewing audience of 1,500 to 2,000. More than 90% of survey respondents indicated that learning goals were met, the content was relevant, and they could apply what they learned to their work. All sessions were recorded and are available on both The Centre s and Alberta Human Services websites. (AIMEE CASTER) Ending Family Violence: Intervention to Prevention: A Family Violence Research Symposium The Centre supported Alberta Human Services in the development and organization of a research day based on the Strategic Priorities as outlined Two sessions were held in 2014/15 as part of this unique, made-in-alberta series. The entire series, 81 sessions, is available on the Alberta Human Services website. (AIMEE CASTER) Honouring Our Knowledge Gifts: An Aboriginal Research Symposium The Centre supported its Aboriginal Advisory Committee in hosting a two-day symposium. Research with Aboriginal communities was featured with potential to improve wellness for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, families and communities. Discussion focused on how western science could be blended with Indigenous research methodology to make research with Aboriginal communities more meaningful, respectful and sustainable. Highlights of the Symposium included keynote presentations by Drs. Narcisse Blood, Willie Ermine and Reg Crowshoe. Keynotes and select concurrent sessions were recorded and are available to view on The Centre s website. This information and the content presented will The Centre s President and CEO was a guest of the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) on a visit to the United Kingdom in September As part of a panel whose goal was to inform and inspire the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Better Start Blackpool, The CEO presented an overview of The Centre and its related initiatives and projects. The Centre continues to exchange knowledge with Better Start Blackpool and has been part of other AFWI-led panel presentations including the Family Resources Canada National Conference in Hamilton, Ontario. While in the UK with the AFWI, The CEO had occasion to meet with Carol Homden, CEO of the Thomas Coram Centre for Children, one of England s oldest and largest children s charities in England, and Sir Albert Ainsley-Green, The Centre, that focused on new and innovative research and promising practices in the field of family violence offender treatment. It also provided sessions focused on developing and enhancing professional and clinical skills and knowledge. (AIMEE CASTER) Signs of Safety Overview with Collaborative Partners and Stakeholders With support from The Centre, Alberta Human Services hosted a gathering of community partners and service providers in child protection from across Alberta. They participated in Signs of Safety sessions focusing on creating and strengthening constructive working relationships between professionals, community partners and service providers. (AIMEE CASTER) Signs of Safety Spring Gathering Sponsored and directed by Alberta Human Services, this inaugural Alberta Signs of Safety Gathering was hosted for Child and Family in Family Violence Hurts Everyone: A Framework help inform one of The Centre s strategic priorities, to End Family Violence in Alberta. The Framework to develop an Aboriginal Research Strategy. is based on a solid foundation of intervention and A summary report is available on The Centre s website. (TARA HANSON) ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

10 Services Divisional staff, regional directors, Delegated First Nations Agencies, and child intervention researchers, practitioners and agencies. The Signs of Safety method continues to create enormous energy and interest because it is focused on what actually works. This gathering provided leading Signs of Safety practitioners and agencies in Alberta with the opportunity to share and learn from the successes, struggles, specialties, refinements and variations of their peers. Issues of practice leadership, organizational implementation and research were also discussed. (AIMEE CASTER) Strategic Pipelines to Accelerate Research into Care (SPARC) The Board Chair, President and CEO and Chief Analytics Officer attended the launch of SPARC in March SPARC is a brand for collaborative partnership focused on using research and innovation efforts to deliver health, social and economic gains for Alberta. The CEO presented on the Child and Youth Data Laboratory as a demonstration project. The President and CEO is providing her expertise to SPARC sub-group that is addressing Taking the Next Steps: Children and Youth with Complex Needs and Access to the Mental Health System In Alberta, similar to other provincial health systems, there is a challenge for children and youth with complex needs to access the mental health system. Often this unique group may require services from multiple providers spanning different ministries and sectors. It is a case of complex needs in a complex system. The Centre partnered with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) and the Mental Health Patient Advocate (MHPA) to bring together the most influential and knowledgeable individuals working at various levels of Alberta s mental health system, ask them how to change the status quo and ultimately transform the province s health system. This collaboration between The Centre, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate and the Mental Health Patient Advocate engaged 120 mental health field leaders in facilitated discussions focusing on moving recommendations forward to improve access, navigation and quality MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE CENTRE S ACTIVITIES Centre-Funded Research and Capacity Building Because the Centre is interested in building capacity for applied research, members of The Centre facilitate the development of grant proposals and personally meet with interested applicants and may broker connections with decision makers or policy makers, or other researchers. This level of personal involvement with researchers is unique in funding organizations. The Centre primary relationship is with Alberta Human Services. Our agreement with the ministry includes supporting research, analysis and knowledge mobilization related to the following strategic issues: addressing issues with respect to Aboriginal and recent immigrant populations; alleviating broader socio-economic conditions including poverty and homelessness; and, OpenText Implementation - Matrix The Centre has implemented a comprehensive document management system that will facilitate collaboration on projects across the Centre and support efficient management of work flow related to Grants, Contracts and Finance. The new system also has the capacity to monitor key functions to support assessment of impact (see previous initiative). (CATHIE SCOTT) Research Impact Assessment The development of a Research Impact Assessment is a fundamental project for The Centre and one that will inform our strategic directions in the future. The engagement process commenced with internal expertise and connection with Alberta Human Services research leads. Much more input and development will occur over the next year with the aim to design and implement the assessment so as to strengthen Centre partnerships, communications, processes and influence. (CATHIE SCOTT) Knowledge Mobilization enabling legislation, privacy, access, governance and analytics. (ROBYN BLACKADAR/XINJIE CUI/ SUZANNE TOUGH) in the mental health system. (TARA HANSON AND AIMEE CASTER) Youth Mental Health Website The Centre is working with The Government of Alberta to support the development of a website point of access to information, supports and services for the most common mental health issues experienced by youth. The Centre is responsible for youth engagement, marketing and evaluation aspects of the project. (TARA HANSON) meeting challenges related to disabilities and mental health. The Centre received 57 funding applications. A total of $540,260 was awarded to 14 of these projects. 25 projects commenced and 14 were completed. 308 unique team members from across Alberta were involved in these projects. (COURTNEY LUNDY) Where possible, datasets from Centre-funded projects will be deposited into The Centre s Child The Centre managed 27 events with 2,518 stakeholders attending in person and approximately 25,000 via webcast. Participants were from across Alberta while viewers watched from coast-to-coast and international locations. 72% of all event evaluation respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they would be apply what they had learned to their front-line practice or policy development work. Data Centre of Alberta for future use by other research teams. (SUZANNE TOUGH) ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

11 Centre-Funded Research Project Status COMPLETED INITIATED ONGOING The Centre funds policy-relevant applied research that has the potential to improve the wellbeing of Alberta s children, their families and communities; we are specifically interested in research that looks at outcomes for children and/or youth. We offer a variety of funding opportunities to get research started and sustain it for both trainees and independent investigators. We support Community-Based Research (CBR) and encourage researchers and communities to partner equitably in the research process. Funded research aligns with five research themes: Early Childhood Development Middle Childhood and Youth Wellbeing Family Capacity Building Community Capacity Building Tracking Long-Term Outcomes Our primary relationship is with Alberta Human Services and our agreement includes supporting research, analysis and knowledge mobilization related to the following strategic issues: addressing issues with respect to Aboriginal and recent immigrant populations; alleviating broader socio-economic conditions including poverty and homelessness; and meeting challenges related to disabilities and mental health. In 2014/15, the following projects were either initiated, completed or in progress from a previous year. Each project has been sorted into a thematic area. 1. Brain and Early Childhood Development 2. Building Community Well-Being in First Nations, Metis, Rural and Urban Communities 3. Child Health 4. Children in Care 5. Early Childhood Development, Learning and Care 6. Family and Community Capacity Building 7. Family Supports for Children with Disabilities 8. Family Violence, Bullying and Trauma 9. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder 10. Mental Health (including Maternal) and Addictions 11. Obesity and Healthy Lifestyle 12. Parenting Capacity and Parent-Infant Relations 13. Tracking Long-Term Outcomes 14. Youth ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

12 Brain and Early Childhood Development THE PROJECTS IN THIS SECTION WERE CO-FUNDED THROUGH A SPECIAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NORLIEN FOUNDATION ALBERTA FAMILY WELLNESS INITIATIVE. Dose Response Relationships between Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Neurocognitive Development among Children of the Early Years DR. VALERIE CARSON & DR. SANDRA WIEBE, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA Background: The early years are marked by an important period of brain development with short- and long-term health and well-being implications. Previously published systematic reviews found increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviour in the early years are associated with improved cognitive development and psychosocial health. A critical gap identified in the reviews is the dose-response relations regarding the effects of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on healthy growth and development in the early years have not been quantified. To fill this gap, an interdisciplinary team of researchers, students, and stakeholders will be developed to address three objectives. 1. Build on previous systematic reviews to examine the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and neurocognitive development in the early years. 2. Conduct a pilot study to explore dose-response relationships between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and neurocognitive development in the early years. 3. Use the results of the systematic reviews and pilot study to plan and prepare a CIHR Operating Grant Application. The combined findings of this work and the subsequent work it informs will have important implications on policy and practice regarding healthy growth and development, including brain development, among Canada s youngest children. Results to date No interim results are available. Action Team on Triadic Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH): Developing and Testing a Reflective Function Attachment Intervention DR. NICOLE LETOURNEAU, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: Parents suffering from toxic stress (depression, addictions, and/or family violence) are often unable to respond sensitively and appropriately to their infants. This interferes with the formation of secure parent-infant attachments, necessary for healthy infant and child development. Secure attachment is also influenced by parental reflective function (RF), the capacity of parents to understand and therefore regulate their own feelings and behaviour toward their child [1, 2]. As a relatively new concept, few RF interventions exist. Evaluations of the only two RF interventions found suggest that RF is modifiable and predicts improvements in maternal sensitivity and responsiveness, attachment security and infant development [3, 4]. While parent training programs are numerous, RF is not a typical intervention component, limiting their effectiveness. This proposed study seeks to develop (Phase 1) and pilot test (Phase 2) a RF intervention program, called RF+, suitable for adding on to existing parenting programs. Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS) is the Innovation Site for this project and will collaborate in the RF+ program development, adaptation, and pilot implementation into their existing services. The seed grant will also provide data to support successful funding applications to further test and expand the intervention program to additional partner sites across Canada. Results to date No interim results are available. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

13 Gestational weight gain and infant Perinatal Programming of Biomarkers Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Results to date The MBCT trial has undergone neurodevelopment at two years of age of Stress Resilience and Mental Health for Distress in Pregnancy multiple improvements over the past funding year. DR. PIUSH MANDHANE, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA & DR. RYAN VAN LIESHOUT, MCMASTER UNIVERSITY Background: Psychiatric disorders affect one in five Canadians. As brain development begins at conception, it can be adversely affected by maternal health problems during pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy overweight affects nearly 40% of Canadian women and 55% will gain too much weight during pregnancy. The intrauterine environment associated with excess maternal adiposity may adversely affect offspring neurodevelopment. The team has enrolled and followed 840 families as part of the Edmonton Site of the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study from pregnancy to two years postpartum. Already collected CHILD data provides an unparalleled opportunity to identify the early childhood origins of mental health and cognition including the role of prenatal programming. The proposed project will allow the team to: 1. Develop a new interdisciplinary collaboration between the University of Alberta and McMaster University, 2. Collect new data on pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain from mothers birth records, and 3. Develop future proposals examining the biological underpinnings of associations between prenatal exposures and childhood neurodevelopment using existing biological samples. Identifying associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG and neurodevelopmental problems provides a potential DR. GERLINDE METZ & DR. IGOR KOVALCHUK, UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE Background: Our ancestors stressful childhoods and lifetime adventures may change our personality, inflicting anxiety or resilience by altering epigenetic regulation of genes in the brain. A history of toxic stress during early childhood, or in ancestors, critically determines lifetime stress vulnerability and resilience. Epigenetic mechanisms of transgenerational programming may mediate both, stress vulnerability and resilience. The overall objective targets a framework that investigates the origins of maternal and offspring mental health through the transgenerational inheritance of behavioural, endocrine and epigenetic manifestations of stress. The focus will be to identify markers associated with stress resilience and mental health in the presence of a stressful environment. This interdisciplinary team will use a multi-level approach in an established, unique rat cohort of transgenerational stress spanning five aging generations. The team will identify robust biomarkers associated with prenatal and transgenerational programming of stress response and resilience to stress, maternal and offspring mental health. The main hypothesis is that early childhood and transgenerational experiences, through epigenetic regulation, critically influence healthy development, stress response and resilience, and maternal mental health. This innovative research program will advance the understanding of DR. LIANNE TOMFOHR, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: Early life experiences influence developmental trajectories leading towards health or disease. Among the earliest life experiences that confer risk is prenatal exposure to maternal stress and mood disturbances (i.e., depression and anxiety). Despite links between maternal distress and infant/ child outcomes, there is a surprisingly small research base to help guide women and clinicians in effective, non-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce stress and manage mood in pregnancy. This proposal will begin to address the research gap by conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) versus a control group in a population of pregnant women reporting distress and/or mood disturbances. MBCT was chosen as an intervention in this project because research suggests that it effectively treats current psychological symptoms in addition to preventing recurrence of symptoms. This project is the first in what the authors hope will be a long-term program of research investigating and disseminating evidenced based interventions for pregnant and postpartum women. Support from this seed grant will provide results that will inform an application for a larger trial assessing the impact of the intervention on child physiology and wellbeing over a longer period of follow-up. As a result of funding for this pilot project, the research team has significantly improved their data collection methods, including an integration of an ecologically valid assessment of mood states, which is now incorporated into each assessment visit. In addition, they have improved their psychological assessment techniques to be in line with the gold standard assessment recommendations. The team has also established infrastructure to complete assessment visits and has successfully piloted the MBCT intervention in groups of pregnant women experiencing psychological distress in pregnancy. Finally, investigators amended their recruitment and randomization methods. The study is now significantly stronger and more feasible and after completion of this pilot study, they will apply to the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) for additional funding to conduct a larger scale study, with a longer follow-up period. therapeutic target to prevent or reduce the severity the origins of maternal and child mental health, stress of mental health and cognitive problems across resilience and life health trajectories. the lifespan. Results to date No interim results are available. Results to date No interim results are available. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

14 Building Community Well-Being in First Nations, Métis, Rural & Urban Communities The participation of Indigenous populations in Health Services planning and development DR. WILFREDA THURSTON & DR. STEPHANIE MONTESANTI, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: This seed grant will support work to ensure effective community participation strategies with First Nations and other Aboriginal peoples in the planning of and decision-making about health services and programs to both urban and rural Aboriginal people in Alberta. Investigators will develop a research program that involves a series of case studies that examines effective participation strategies with First Nation s and other Aboriginal populations in health planning and decision making. This project will examine how to involve First Nations in the planning of and decision-making about policy solutions to address the social and health impacts from the recent flood disasters to First Nation populations in Treaty 7 communities in Alberta (Stoney Nakoda, Siksika and Tsuu T ina Nations, upstream, downstream, and adjacent from Calgary, respectively), as well as solutions for future flood prevention. The objective of the forthcoming program would be to continue this case study and to add case studies and new investigators. Future cases will include: The participation of Aboriginal people in decision-making about oil sand operations in northern communities in Alberta; and The participation of Aboriginal populations in the planning and delivery of primary and community care services in both rural and urban Aboriginal communities within Treaty 7 territory. Wildfire Evacuation Experiences of Residents in an Aboriginal Community in Alberta DR. TARA MCGEE, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA & DR. AMY CHRISTIANSON, NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA Background: This project will be a pilot study for the planned multi-year research study by the Aboriginal Wildfire Evacuation partnership. The aim of this project is to examine how Aboriginal residents in Driftpile Cree Nation in Alberta were affected by wildfire evacuations in The objectives of this proposed research are to: 1. Document how Aboriginal residents were affected by the 2011 wildfire evacuation; 2. Identify characteristics of the wildfire evacuation that influenced how residents were positively and negatively affected by the evacuation; 3. Identify characteristics of individuals, their social context, and the Aboriginal community affected how residents were positively and negatively affected by the wildfire evacuation; and 4. Identify ways to reduce the negative impacts of wildfire evacuations on Aboriginal people. Results to date Data collection was completed this summer/fall, with the main periods of fieldwork taking place in July and September The team completed 30 interviews with residents, with assistance from two community research assistants. The interviews have been transcribed and data analysis is underway. The team plans to return to the First Nations community with which they are working to seek their input as part of the data analysis process. Results to date No interim results available. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

15 Developing an Evaluation Framework Life Skills Journey for Metis Children: Post-camp surveys show an 8% decrease (acceptance of others, restraint, self-efficacy) for an Intergenerational Trauma Pilot Implementation in at-risk behaviours, with low levels and external supports (positive relationships, Prevention Project DR. WILFREDA THURSTON, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: A phenomenon labelled intergenerational trauma (IT) has been seen in the descendants of survivors of trauma. IT accounts for how the residential school experience has had traumatic effects in the lives of children and grandchildren of Aboriginal survivors of residential schools. Research and advocacy by multiple researchers and stakeholders have increased awareness of the impact and consequences of the residential school experience (among other events and policies) on Aboriginal communities, and have linked these ideas to a range of health consequences. Based on the DR. FAY FLETCHER, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA Background: Métis Settlements in Alberta, like other Aboriginal communities, experience disproportionate rates of social, health, and economic burdens compared to non-aboriginal people in Canada. The Métis, despite being one of the three constitutionally recognized Aboriginal groups in Canada, are often overlooked within Aboriginal health research, including community-based participatory research. Métis have been addressed primarily within pan-aboriginal studies. This research partnership with Buffalo Lake (BLMS) and Kikino (KI) Métis Settlements relied on building strong relationships between the University and community - as well as within the community - to implement, evaluate, and ultimately of aggressive behavior 76% of kids at BLMS indicated that peer relationships were a significant strength 67% of kids at KI indicated in the post-camp survey that they had a positive adult mentor Children reported increases in some inner strengths, such as empowerment, self-concept, and social sensitivity Camp facilitators developed leadership skills Building resilience is key to giving children and youth the tools to adapt to challenges in their lives and respond to inevitable pressures in their environment. It is important to focus on both internal resilience peer and family support). Implications for policy include: prioritizing strong relationships between community partners and researchers as key to the success of community work, the need to provide long-term funding for social change across communities, flexible budget lines that allow researchers to make decisions that enhance the quality of the partnership and outcomes, and funding for community offices to support community staff. significant impact of IT, an intervention program for sustain a summer day camp program for children aged youth and families has been developed. This project seven-14. This pilot was the first implementation of will work alongside the intervention to develop an the Life Skills Journey program with seven-ten year evaluation framework, including an evaluability assess- old children at BLMS and KI, involving over 50 camp ment and a partial formative evaluation. Outcomes will participants and six Settlement youth hired to facilitate include recommendations to enhance the intervention the program. and development of an application for long-term funding of an evaluation. Results The research team met with the agency selected to implement the program early on and discussed a partnership and the role Results Impacts of the Life Skills Journey pilot include: Children have increased knowledge of substance use/misuse and bullying as framework developers. There was discussion of roles in relation to the project; however, the partnership was not solidified. A draft evaluability assessment was prepared and shared with the research team, but was not put in to action. Unfortunately, further discussions of partnership have not moved forward. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

16 Child Health Caring for late pre-term infants: public health nurses and parents experiences DR. SHAHIROSE PREMJI, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: This study aims to improve communitybased care of late preterm infants (LPIs) (defined as babies born after 34 weeks but before 37 weeks gestation). Understanding about public health nurses and parents experiences of caring for LPIs is limited. Combined with the lack of accepted evidence-based guidelines to direct standards of care, public health nurses have to rely on their practical knowledge and modify the standards followed for full-term infants. This important first step examines the parents and public health nurses experiences to determine the range of clinical problems faced by families of LPIs. Strategies will be explored to design approaches that enhance the capacity of both public health nurses and families in the interest of child and family development. Results to date The team has recruited two-thirds of their sample of mothers; participants are completing 3-4 week assessments, 6-8 week telephone breastfeeding assessments, and 6-8 week questionnaires. Recruitment of fathers has been difficult. All public health nurses have been interviewed and analysis is nearly complete; a presentation will be given to public health nurses and will then be presented at a conference in Vancouver. Evaluating the effectiveness of neuromuscular training in decreasing the risk of sport and recreational injuries and improving healthy outcomes in junior high school students DR. CAROLYN EMERY & DR. BRENT HAGEL, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: Sport and recreation participation are extremely important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but are also the leading cause of injury in youth. Each year, an estimated 35% of Alberta youth sustain an injury requiring medical attention from participating in sport and recreation. Research has established that the lower limb, particularly the ankle and knee, are common sites for musculo-skeletal injuries for junior high students, accounting for over 60% of sport and recreational injuries. These increase an individual s risk of developing early-onset osteoarthritis, a sedentary lifestyle, other degenerative diseases, and are a financial burden on society. While we strive for an active population, participation in physical activity must consider the risk of injury and integrate evidence-based injury prevention strategies. In this study, an injury prevention, neuromuscular training (NMT) program delivered as a warm-up to physical education (PE) class, will be implemented and evaluated in 12 junior high schools. The research team will develop, in collaboration with end users through focus groups, a video and educational resources of the NMT program. A specialized PE teacher will deliver the program twice a week during PE class. They will evaluate changes in healthy outcomes at the start and end of the program, and obtain injury information all year. The team expects that the NMT program will reduce injury risk, improve cardiovascular fitness, and decrease measures of adiposity. This study not only aims to reduce the risk of injury in youth who directly participate, but will also help influence changes in the PE curriculum, which would have a lasting effect, beyond completion of this study. With full engagement and support from Ever Active Schools and the Government of Alberta, it is expected that appropriate and effective evidence-based policy change will result. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

17 Children in Care Child welfare process and outcomes for children of parents with cognitive impairment II DR. DAVID MCCONNELL, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA Background: The number of children referred for protective services who have a parent with cognitive impairment (CI) is increasing. There is however scant data on the child maltreatment investigation process and outcomes for children of parents with CI in Canada. In the only Canadian study to date, investigators analyzed data from the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2003) and found that 10.1% of child maltreatment investigations featured parents with confirmed or suspected CI. Further, the analysis found that cases featuring parents with CI are more likely to result in (a) substantiation; (b) the case remaining open for ongoing protective services; (c) the out-ofhome placement of the child; and, (d) child welfare court action. More than one in four investigations resulting in court action involved children of parents with CI. Further research is needed to identify predictors of different investigation outcomes for children of parents with CI. Utilizing the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, the proposed study will replicate and extend McConnell et alii analysis of the CIS There are two parts to the proposed study. The first part will involve the statistical modeling of child maltreatment investigation outcomes. One hypothesis is that the odds of out-of-home placement and court action are greater in cases featuring parents with CI than in all other cases, due in part to the conglomeration of psychosocial risk factors. The second part of this study will involve the statistical modeling of maltreatment type and child functioning issues. One hypothesis is that parental CI is associated with a heightened risk of child functioning issues. A second hypothesis is that the association between parental CI and child functioning issues is partially explained by parental mental health issues, socioeconomic hardship, and low levels of social support. Aging out of care: Rural youth in transition DR. ANNE-MARIE MCLAUGHLIN, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: This study endeavors to understand the processes of transition for rural youth leaving care in order to build knowledge regarding how communities and service providers can better support these youth and improve long- term outcomes. The investigators will examine the experiences and perspectives about aging out of care from those most closely connected to the issue: the youth and those who care for them. Results to date The team completed many interviews with social workers from across the northern Alberta including Slave Lake, Athabasca, Whitecourt, Bonnyville and Cold Lake. Interviews have been completed with caregivers and youth who have aged out or are in the transitioning phase of aging out of care. Data analysis has begun. An additional number of youth have been recruited and are in the process of being interviewed. Preliminary findings have been presented at a number of conferences. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

18 Early Childhood Development, Learning and Care The Elephant in the Room: Talking to Children with ASD about their Diagnosis DR. ADAM MCCRIMMON & DR. DAVID NICHOLAS, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: This project will address a pervasive issue within the ASD community: parental disclosure of the diagnosis to their child. To date, the majority of clinical and research efforts have focused on assessment of ASD and disclosure of results to parents. This project will be an Alberta-based exploration of the lived experience of parents of an individual with ASD with a focus on parental decision-making regarding diagnostic disclosure to their child. A strong investigative team consisting of researchers, trainees, and prominent community partners will facilitate the project and effective dissemination of new knowledge arising from it. A robust qualitative research approach will be utilized with a two-stage data collection procedure to effectively gather and analyze information on parental experiences and perceptions of this important topic. This research will benefit the ASD community through improved understanding of parental decision-making and experience with diagnostic disclosure to their child. The results of this project will form the basis of the creation of a free and publicly available experience-based manual and will inform practical community-based guidelines to support families regarding how to navigate issues of diagnostic disclosure. Accordingly, the study offers tangible benefits (i.e., enhancement of self-esteem and self-awareness) that will serve to enhance the support and services provided to the ASD community, augment parental strategies and skills, and inform policy and practice in the aim of better serving individuals with ASD and their families. Improving Social Participation for Children with ASD in Elementary School: Proposal Development DR. SANDRA HODGETTS & DR. SHARON PHELAN, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA Background: This seed grant will support proposal development for peer-reviewed funding to evaluate child-specific versus general indirect interventions aimed at improving social participation of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in elementary school settings. Specifically, this request is to fund three activities: 1. developing a research team; 2. building community partnerships; and 3. preparing a comprehensive research proposal (including a publishable scoping review). Specific outcomes expected from these activities include the development of a comprehensive research team, including researchers, relevant policy/decision makers, service providers, and community-partners, well positioned to carry-out and obtain tri-council funding for the proposed study; completed scoping review of evidence related to child-specific and general interventions aimed at improving social participation for children with ASD in classroom settings, which will be submitted for publication; and additional funding will be sought for pilot work (if necessary), and/or other relevant operating grants. Results to date The team has engaged in team development, community-partnership building (ongoing), and proposal preparation based on a scoping review. They are in the process of doing the final stage of analysis and writing of the scoping review. The research team plans to apply for a CIHR Knowledge Synthesis grant to expand on this work. Bridging cultural and professional practices in early learning and care: an action research project DR. CAROLE MASSING & DR. ANNA KIROVA, GRANT MACEWAN UNIVERSITY Background: Alberta child care programs employ large numbers of immigrants and refugees, mainly women. These child care educators bring a wealth of knowledge that can help the profession work more effectively with children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

19 Unfortunately, this knowledge tends to be lost to community cohort. A community-based prospective Secondly, the findings of this pilot study will inform Background: Adolescents with ASD often have us in the face of Western-based professional practices. longitudinal pregnancy cohort of 1023 mother-infant the preparation of a longitudinal study designed impairments in communication and social interaction As well, the marginalization of their personal and cultural pairs in metropolitan Calgary, Canada were followed to find rigorous longitudinal evidence regarding with repetitive behaviours and restricted interests. knowledge creates uncertainty for the educators, who across five time points, before 24 weeks gestation, pre-linguistic gestures that will enhance methods Their most frequent activities are watching TV, playing are already struggling to adapt to life in a new culture. between weeks gestation, and at 4, 12, and of early identification for language/communication video games, and using the Internet. Based on research This work aimed to identify tensions between the cultural 24 months postpartum. Toddlers who scored < 10th delay and early intervention strategies. with typically developing adolescents, media use is knowledge that immigrant child care educators bring to their work and professional knowledge in the ELCC community of practice, and to find way to productively and meaningfully resolve these in everyday Early Learning and Childcare (ELCC) practice. Results The research identified a huge need among immigrant and refugee child percentile on The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories - Words and Sentences form between 24 and 30 months were identified as late talkers. Candidate risk factors for late talking were identified from studies that theoretically and/or empirically linked child, familial, and environmental factors to language development and/or language impairment. Results To objectively map the progress of gesture development the research team created computer soft-ware in the movement assessment lab at the ACH that was able to utilize motion detection technology to partner with observational methodology in real video format and in cartoon format. They used traditional standardized outcome measures for infant linked to well-being and personal relationships. Parents play an important role in shaping responses to media. Little is known about media-use patterns and the effects of different types of media for adolescents with ASD. Parents role in their use of media and how this role changes over time is also unknown. Results Adolescents with ASD spent care educators for support in learning about Canadian Results The prevalence of late talking development including the parent report CDI and the an average of 2.5 hours watching TV, 2.5 hours child care practices, improving their English skills, was 12.6%. Risk factors for late talking included male CSBS-DP as benchmarks. The team also refined and playing video games, and 1.7 hours surfing websites, and accessing career guidance and support. sex and family history of late talking or diagnosed validated an observational code that was applied to a total of 6.7 hours of media use per day. They most At the same time, there is a need for the profession speech or language delay. Toddlers who were read the video of each infant while in the process of CSBS- frequently watched TV with parents preferring comedy. to recognize the value of the cultural knowledge that to or shown picture books daily, engaged in informal DP administration. The code provided the team with They played video games and surfed websites alone. newcomers bring and to facilitate their entry into post- play opportunities, or primarily cared for in Child Care quantity, rate and quality of gesture data. Complex They preferred role-playing and shooting games and secondary study. Areas of tension between personal/ centers, were significantly less likely to be late talkers. video output of gestures accompanies the real video entertainment websites. Their siblings had similar cultural knowledge and Western-based professional Risk for late talking may be decreased by creating and displays gesture quality. The outcome measures media-use patterns. Siblings preferred sports games knowledge included the nature of the adult-child a language rich environment that includes talking, were sensitive enough to detect differences in develop- and social networking sites. Most adolescents with relationship, the image of the child, learning through playing, reading, and sharing books. Pediatricians ment between high and low risk infants. The project ASD interacted with people on the Internet either daily play, safety versus exploration, familial-home versus and health professionals are well positioned to has received attention through podium presentations or 2-3 times per week. Parents were concerned about institutional practices, guidance and communication, assess risk for late talking with reliable risk evidence. and local media broadcasts. The research team has TV content, quantity of time spent video gaming, and gender roles. Tensions with respect to curriculum and pedagogy arose from instructional style, time constraints, the range of English language skills, the life realities of the participants, and organization The quality of early movement and gesture development predicts later language: How to measure? A pilot study video data to analyze with a refined observational code to build on the initial pilot data. Attention from investigators in the US who have similar labs leads this team to believe a secondary pilot study would be possible, and lack of interest in other activities. Benefits of media use included gaining information, learning social skills and humor, and interacting with peers. About half of the parents felt stressed managing media use, of learning materials. The investigators present information on resolving these tensions in their final report. Risk Factors for Early Language Delay DR. SUZANNE TOUGH, DR. BEVERLEY COLLISSON, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: Late talkers are toddlers between 18 and 35 months who fall at the bottom of the population distribution for productive vocabulary, with or without a concomitant delay in understanding their ambient language. The objective of this study was to identify risk and protective factors for late talking in a large DR. SHIRLEY LEEW, ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES Background: The quality of communicative gestures (quantified as rate and quantity) used by an infant predicts later language development. Currently, there is little evidence of how communication gesture development in infants and toddlers at high risk for language and communication disorders differs from that of children at low risk for language and communication disorders. The primary purpose of this study is to discover and explore any relationships between the quality of gesture and language development over 12 months of an infant s first and second year of life (six months to 18 months). where a larger sample recruitment would be successful. Media use among adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: patterns of use, associated factors and effects on development DR. MELISSA HSIN-YU KUO (DR. JOYCE MAGILL-EVANS AND DR. LONNIE ZWAIGENBAUM, SUPERVISORS) particularly video gaming. There were conflicts about video gaming with negative effects on parent-child relationships. Other factors that contributed to stress included prolonged gaming, obsession with video gaming and negative emotions when asked to stop playing. The investigators present implications for parents and professionals in their final report. ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE

20 Family & Community Capacity Building Mobilizing community resources for literacy development: new pedagogies for new times DR. RAHAT NAQVI, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Background: Every year, Canadian classrooms are becoming progressively more culturally and linguistically diverse (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2012). The research proposal asks: How can Grade seven students (with a high percentage of English language learners) potentially thrive in an environment where there is affirmative action being taken to validate their home languages and affirm their identities, specifically through the use of dual language books (texts written in two different languages, but contained within the same book, with one language on one page, and the other language on the facing page)? In partnership with the Calgary Board of Education, the researcher will engage in a one year qualitative study involving twice weekly readings of DLBs in Grade seven classrooms located in four different schools. Readings will be carried out in Punjabi, Urdu and English. Research shows that learners benefit from culturally/linguistically responsive pedagogical practices (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995), yet classroom practice has failed to keep pace. This gap comes with a very real risk to students identity, literacy engagement and achievement, both immediately and into the future, and fails to take advantage of the gains multilingual dispositions afford all learners. Beyond these reasons, recent research (Naqvi et al., 2012) at the elementary level examined the role Dual Language Books (DLBs) played as a resource for tackling some of these issues. Because of the success of this project, the Calgary Board of Education has expressed a strong interest in continuing the research at a higher level (Grade seven), where a reading slump often occurs with many students, due primarily to the transition to junior high structures and expectations (Chall, J.S., 1996). A CBE team is already in place, with a strong mandate to achieve the objectives put into place by the Standards of Practise for English Language Learners document and is excited about the potential results. The Health and Well-Being of Children and Families of Temporary Foreign Workers: A Pilot Stakeholder Consultation DR. BUKOLA SALAMI, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA Background: Approximately 66,000 temporary foreign workers are present in Alberta and some transition to permanent resident status with their family, yet there is little research on the health or well-being of their children and families. As a first step in developing a program of research on the health of children and families of temporary foreign workers in Canada, this pilot study is a stakeholder consultation on the health and well-being of this population. The research team will interview ten to 20 representatives of social, immigrant, and health service organizations in Alberta as well as policy makers to shed light on the health and well-being of these children and families, the barriers in accessing programs and services, and how future research can best inform policies and programs on the needs of this population. The future outcome of this study is to collect preliminary data that will be useful in applying for a CIHR operating grant on the health of children of temporary foreign workers in Canada. Community Capacity Building for Sexual Violence Prevention DR. FLORENCE GLANFIELD, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA Background: The objective of this project is for the implementation of a pilot study that applies a community development approach to engage community members in the initiation of processes to reduce sexual and intergenerational violence. The project, based in a rural Alberta Métis community, will enhance local family well-being and build community capacity to address these issues. It will assist community members to become local change agents by facilitating the development of a critical understanding of structural factors contributing ALBERTA CENTRE FOR CHILD, FAMILY & COMMUNITY RESEARCH / THE STORY OF THE CENTRE