Roundtable Discussion
Communities with the Tools and Engagement to Support Healthy Early Years
Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 2:45 to 4:15 p.m. (EST)
The Healthy Early Years (HEY) program was launched in 2019. Its purpose is to improve the state of healthcare and overall well-being of children aged 0 to 6 from minority Francophone and Acadian communities and their families. Led by the French Language Health Networks of Canada and by mobilized project leaders, the HEY program is showing its first successes and having an impact on families and professionals.
This roundtable discussion is a chance to make the connection between identifying the factors that influence development in Francophone children, on the one hand, and implementing targeted efforts to ensure communities have the tools and engagement they need to promote healthy early years, on the other. Come discuss with our panelists about the challenges overcome, the improvements made, and projections for the future.
Panelists:
- Frédérique Beaudemont, Executive Director, Réseau Santé en français de la Saskatchewan (RSFS)
- Dr. Elaine Deschenes, Social Pediatrician, Southeast Social Pediatric Centre
- Sandra St-Laurent, Director, Partenariat communauté en santé (PCS)
- Marie-France Talbot, Project Coordinator, Réseau de santé en français au Nunavut (Résefan)
Frédérique Baudemont
Executive Director, Réseau Santé en français de la Saskatchewan (RSFS)
Frédérique Baudemont has been executive director of Réseau Santé en français de la Saskatchewan (RSFS) since 2017. She has been involved in Fransaskois organizations for over thirty years. In that time, she has worked both as a professional and as a volunteer in the arts sector (theatre) and parenting education and support. After a few years spent with the Department of Canadian Heritage, she elected to continue her involvement within the RSFS and, together with the network’s team, to help improve access to French-language health services by mobilizing and supporting health partners in Saskatchewan.
Dr Elaine Deschenes
Social Pediatrician, Southeast Social Pediatric Centre
Originally from Quebec City, Dr. Deschênes is a graduate of the University of Sherbrooke and has worked as a general pediatrician in Moncton within the Vitalité health network since 1998. In 2018, she officially became a social pediatrician. With a passion for children’s best interests and optimal development, Dr. Deschênes ardently believes that putting childhood at the centre of our societal goals fosters community resilience and strengthens the social fabric. When communities protect children by removing the silos between professions, socio-economic levels, and generations, they have the power to create societies that are more equitable, healthy, and prosperous. Surrounded by her dedicated team, Dr. Deschênes works to develop community-based social pediatrics for children living in vulnerable situations in Memramcook, Kent South, and Kent North. Inspired by the model of the Dr. Julien Foundation in Montreal, this approach encompasses expertise in children, family, law, health, and social services and mobilizes communities to take care of their children.
Sandra St-Laurent
Director, Partenariat communauté en santé (PCS)
Sandra St-Laurent is the director of the Partenariat communauté en santé (PCS). She has master’s degree in anthropology of health as well as a graduate specialization in tropical medicine and international development. The great magnetic north has always held a fascination for her; she left an international career behind for one in the Yukon, where she has made her home for over 20 years. She first developed the Maman, papa et bébé en santé program, the perinatality journal Le Nombril, and (in 2003) the PCS. As a French-language health network, PCS offers a program of early childhood activities (swimming, a healthy toy guide, a set of 13 discovery kits for children aged 0–6, etc.). PCS also administers the Healthy Early Years (HEY) initiative for the territory, which has resulted in the production of two resources: Mission Possible (which deals with healthy screen time management) and Au cœur des émotions (which deals with children’s mental and emotional health). She says it was Yukon’s physical landscape that first attracted her, but it was the human landscape that nourished her and led her to put down roots there. A busy mother of two young daughters, she enriches her bundles of joy through arts and family time in the outdoors.
Marie-France Talbot
Project Coordinator, Réseau de santé en français au Nunavut (Résefan)
Marie-France has lived in Iqaluit since 2013. She is a chiropractor by training and has a strong interest in family wellness. She also serves her community as a doula and volunteers for La Leche League Canada (a breastfeeding support organization). In her spare time, Ms. Talbot cooks for her family and does some knitting.
Since 2019, Ms. Talbot has worked as a project coordinator for Résefan, a role to which she brings her community knowledge and enthusiasm for all things health. She is the project officer for Healthy Early Years (HEY) and the Welcoming and Professional Integration Service (SAIP), which welcomes healthcare interns. She also lends a hand with Résefan’s other activities and projects.
