The Problem
Raising a child with a disability or developmental concern can be complex and challenging. While we strive to improve our services to see families as quickly as possible, families need better access to resources, advice, and peer support early in their journey so they can take care of themselves and their child.
The Solution
In collaboration with CanChild, KidsAbility will be the first organization in Canada to implement ENVISAGE (ENabling Visions and Growing Expectations) within our Early Engagement Strategy. ENVISAGE-Families and ENVISAGE- Service Providers are validated, evidence-informed programs co-created by family caregivers, service providers, and researchers in Canada and Australia. ENVISAGE-Families is a five-week online program that empowers, connects, and supports caregivers of children with developmental concerns by providing early exposure to best practices in childhood development and disability. The program encourages information-sharing and connection among caregivers, significantly enhancing their sense of empowerment, parenting confidence, and wellbeing. By integrating ENVISAGE-Families, we seek to transform the early journey at KidsAbility, offering meaningful support to families from the very beginning.
KidsAbility will work with McMaster/CanChild researchers to evaluate how ENVISAGE-Families helps families by looking at who participates, how well it works, and how easy it is to use. We’ll also check how well it fits into KidsAbility’s services and how we can sustain it going forward. These insights will help us spread the program to other institutions like KidsAbility across the province and the country.
The McMaster/
CanChild Research Team
Elizabeth Chamber The McMaster/CanChild Research Team Bios:
Dr. Andrea Cross – Principal Investigator
Dr. Peter Rosenbaum – Principal Investigator
Dr. Samantha Noyek – Post Doctoral Researcher
Elizabeth Chambers – Family Lead/Knowledge Broker
Debbie Hughes – Program Manager
