Reaching children in need wherever they are.

Community social pediatrics reaches out directly to vulnerable children and families to provide them with the care and services they need. A social pediatrics centre is a safe, accessible and welcoming space. Located within the community it serves, the centre offers medical practice that is adapted to the reality of that community. With the help of local partners, the centre is part of civic life. Above all, a centre is a place to go to find people you can trust, like a neighbour or a friend.

Centres of expertise affiliated with the Fondation Dr Julien

The centres of expertise are not only the birthplace of community social pediatrics; they are true places of innovation, research and training for the Foundation and the Community Social Pediatrics Institute. In 2019, these three centres provided care and support to more than 2,700 children in vulnerable situations.

La Ruelle d’Hochelaga

This centre (a.k.a. Assistance d’enfants en difficulté or AED), is the first created by Dr. Julien and it is also where he continues to treat and care for many children. It remains firmly rooted in the Hochelaga neighbourhood and is a beacon in the community.

Atlas, Côte-des-Neiges Community Social Pediatrics Centre

The centre is dedicated to empowering and providing quality care and services to children (ages 0 to 17) in Côte-des-Neiges whose development is affected by difficult living conditions. We accompany children and families along their life journey.

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Le Garage à musique, centre spécialisé de pédiatrie sociale

As the first specialized community social pediatrics centre, it has developed powerful tools based on neuroscience, including collective music learning and school access.

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Caring for and empowering more children in need

Today, there are more than 40 independent centres operating in Quebec. Together, they serve over 12,000 children and their families. Thanks to the support of the Government of Quebec, several new centres will be opening in the coming years.

An expanding network

The community social pediatrics network continues to grow both in Quebec and beyond its borders.

Our objectives

We support initiatives everywhere

Urban areas

Rural areas

Urban areas serving First Nations

Ontario

New Brunswick

This model of social entrepreneurship cannot be achieved without dedicated professionals, committed volunteers and the entire community forming a protective circle around each child. That is why the Fondation Dr Julien is supporting a growing number of these independent community social pediatrics centres and teams, providing training and certification. And since mutual aid knows no borders, we support initiatives across Canada and internationally.

The Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Rimouski-Neigette was opened in March 2019 after three years of work among its major partners. It is the first centre in the Lower Saint-Lawrence region. It aims to support vulnerable children aged 0 to 12 and children with refugee status. This project was led by Dr. Marie-Hélène Lizotte, pediatrician, Patricia Boucher, teacher, and Odette Lefebvre, educational advisor. They joined forces to offer medical, psychosocial and legal services free of charge.

La Guilde du Pain d’Épices in Saint-Jean-de-Matha (Lanaudière) is a project led by Louise Mathieu-Mills, a young-at-heart octogenarian. The mission of the “gingerbread guild” is to help children thrive by giving them access to a quality education, one gingerbread cookie and one book at a time, through the development of a social economy. The new centre, which is set to open in 2021, will be developed within the Maison du Pain d’Épices cultural centre to support the region’s most vulnerable children.

The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal (NWSM) is the only shelter in Montreal that provides front-line services to Indigenous women and their children. The goal is to promote their empowerment and independence within an Aboriginal framework. The shelter is developing a second-stage social housing facility for these families. This circular social economy initiative will also host a social pediatrics clinic, which is expected to open in 2021. The Fondation Dr Julien is proud to support the team bringing this project to life.

In 2017, the Vanier Social Pediatric Hub was the first centre to open in Ontario, in the Vanier neighbourhood of Ottawa, within the existing Community Service Centre. This initiative is the product of a collaborative effort between the Vanier Community Service Centre, CHEO, Montfort Hospital and Sandy Hill Community Health Centre. The Hub supports vulnerable children and their families, whether they speak English or French. The data collected as part of this initiative will form a body of knowledge that will go on to inform poverty reduction programs across the province.a

In 2018, the network expanded to Memramcook, New Brunswick, thanks to the efforts of social pediatrician Dr. Élaine Deschênes. The Centre de Pédiatrie sociale Sud-Est serves vulnerable children in the southeastern part of the province. In late 2019, pediatrician and researcher Dr. Sarah Gander founded New Brunswick Social Pediatrics in St. John. The clinical approach is based on Dr. Julien’s model and the work of the research chairs. With the support of the New Brunswick Child and Youth Advocate, these two physicians hope to further expand the social pediatrics network within their province.