Opening a social pediatrics centre is accessible to everyone

Whether you are a doctor, a teacher, a social worker, a manager, a lawyer, a health care professional or a citizen who cares about your community, you can open a centre. Since innovation is at the heart of the community social pediatrics model, it can be adapted to the specific needs of any region. The Fondation Dr Julien will guide you through the process, all the way from the creation stage to achieving and maintaining certification. In Quebec, centres that are certified or on the road to certification have formed an Alliance , which is there to provide administrative support.

Find a center

Why open a centre?

Caring

To contribute to the full development of children and support families in vulnerable situations.

Acting

To make a difference in the life of a child in need by creating a protective circle around them.

Mobilizing

To rally your community around a social entrepreneurship project.

How to open a centre in Quebec

1. Partnering

Attend the information session given by the Fondation Dr Julien
Create a start-up committee
Build the core clinical team, including a physician and a social worker

2. Training

Enrol in the social pediatrics introductory program
Meet with other centres in the area to learn and share

3. Demonstrating

Identify the community’s needs
Get to know your territory and determine whether it meets the established vulnerability criteria
Demonstrate the added value of a centre

4. Preparing

Secure funding through private and public partnerships
Build your communication and philanthropy plan
Strengthen your network of contacts

5. Building

Create a business plan
Submit the plan to the Foundation by September 30
Work with the Foundation to refine the plan for its official submission

6. Qualifying

Receive permission for the project from the government and the Foundation (coordinating committee)

7. Setting up

Set up your enterprise: enterprise register, NPO number, etc.
Hire your team
Establish a board of directors, etc.

8. Opening

Ensure compliance with best practices (re: certification guidelines)
Open your clinic and offer services (in Quebec, receive $50,000 provincial grant)
Prepare for certification

Different set-ups

Coude à Coude, Shawinigan

Centre Mihawoso in Manawan, Lanaudière

L’Étoile mobile, Montérégie

Les Petits renards, Montreal

The Coude à Coude social pediatrics and family resource centre opened in 2012, aiming to take a different approach to supporting the well-being of Shawinigan’s children and families. This social initiative, which required a great deal of conviction and optimism from the outset, was supported by local partners committed to their community. Based in its specially designed family-friendly premises since 2014, Coude à Coude is a unique place at the heart of the community offering care and many stimulating activities free of charge.

Coude à coude

The opening of Manawan’s Centre Mihawoso in April 2019 was a great victory after years of effort and persistence. Long sought after by the Atikamekw community, this social pediatrics centre provides services with the support of the extended family, in perfect harmony with the cultural traditions of this community, where the need is enormous. The Mihawoso health centre houses the social pediatrics centre and an early childhood centre in the same building, making it a one-stop shop.

https://www.facebook.com/centremihawoso/

L’Étoile – Pédiatrie sociale en communauté du Haut-Richelieu was founded in 2009 and certified by the Fondation Dr Julien. Seeking to reach more children in the Haut-Richelieu area, the centre is breaking new ground by creating L’Étoile mobile. Housed in a school bus near the town of Lacolle, this mobile social pediatrics pilot project is being launched in 2020. Its aim is to serve children in need in rural areas and to create a place for teenagers to express themselves. L’Étoile mobile will eventually be present in three other parts of the Montérégie region.

https ://letoilehr.org/

This well-established social pediatrics centre in Verdun is deeply rooted in the life of its community. Open since 2012, Les Petits Renards is surrounded by organizations that also provide services to children, such as an early childhood centre and JAME, with which it continues to develop partnerships. With the support of the borough behind them, these organizations offer their services in a municipal building—a very practical solution for families.

https://www.cpscverdun.com/

Opening a centre outside Quebec

The plight of vulnerable children knows no borders, and the Fondation Dr Julien would like to see its model spread far and wide so that children living in difficult situations outside Quebec can also receive the care and services to which they are entitled. Since every country, territory and community has its own systems and characteristics, the Foundation offers flexible support to project leaders in order to meet the needs and adjust to the realities of various clienteles, in a spirit of innovation and cooperation.

https://fondationdrjulien.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/4.1-k-Vanier-Sophie-Trudeau-1.jpg