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Program Updates |
The Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment
CPCHE is a multi-sectoral collaboration of organizations (OPHA is a partner) formed in 2001 that is working to protect children’s health from environmental exposures and toxic chemicals by moving children's environmental health issues into the minds of decision-makers, service provider organizations, individual practitioners, parents and the public.
Staffing Update
CPCHE bids a fond farewell to Tonya Surman, previous Partnership Director, who will assume a full-time role as Executive Director for the Centre for Social Innovation, Toronto, Ontario. A warm welcome to Erica Phipps, who joins us from a vast background in environment and health consultancies including work with Health Canada, the United Nations, and former head of the children’s health and environment program for the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation.
Project Update
Local Champion's Project: The Local Champion's project commenced in July 2007 with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This two-year project was designed to facilitate the creation of over 40 Local Champions on children's environmental health issues in five regions and three sectors across Ontario. Work on a curriculum to promote and target CPCHE's health promotion strategies for new Local Champions took place over the fall of 2007, while the coordinator networked with relevant organizations, professional groups, associations and CPCHE partners in search of suitable candidates. By late December (2007) a final curriculum had been established and marketing and promotional materials had been developed.
Two train-the-trainer Local Champion's Workshops were delivered in Toronto at the Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Avenue, one January 24-25th, 2008 and February 26- 27th, 2008. Twenty-three participants attended the January workshop and twenty-two participants attended the February workshop for a total of 45 new local champions in over five sectors and seven regions of Ontario. Public Health Inspectors Project: The Public Health Inspectors project commenced in December 2007 with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and was conducted by the Ryerson School of Occupational and Public Health (SOPHe). The research study, which included an environmental scan and two survey instruments, was aimed at Public Health Inspector supervisors/managers and inspectors. The research attempted to gain insight into current practices, existing limitations and barriers, and public health inspectors’ needs/interests in further training and other supports, to strengthen their capacity to address children's environmental health issues in day care and school settings.
The outcome of Phase 1 will be a research report (near completion) containing specific recommendations that will serve as an important input into the design and implementation of Phase 2 activities. A final report is near completion, including recommendations that have been vetted by the project's advisory committee.
Phase 2 of the project will focus on development of materials for public health inspectors to enhance their capacity to address chemical exposures and other environmental health issues in day care and school settings, building upon CPCHE expertise and resources in this area. National Policy Consultation/Vision and Strategy: CPCHE Partners with Pollution Probe as its lead, facilitated a six-city National Policy Consultation (NPC) workshop series that involved 228 participants from a wide range of sectors and disciplines including healthcare, policy, academic, and the environment from both Canada and the United States.
The following topics were themed:
- Context for Children’s Health and the Environment (Ottawa, 23-24 January 2007)
- Air Pollution: Implications for Children’s Health (Toronto, 27-28 February 2007)
- Research Informing Policy (Edmonton, 18-19 April 2007)
- Environmental Risks to Brain Development (Moncton, 30-31 May 2007)
- Toxic Substances in Consumer Products (Montreal, 25-26 September 2007)
- Putting it All Together (Vancouver, 22-23 November 2007)
A final NPC report will encapsulates relevant dialogue from each of the NPC's and is anticipated for publication in April 2008. The NPC report is serving as a key input into the development of CPCHE's Vision and Strategy for Children's Health and Environment in Canada (anticipated for April/May 2008). Due to the success of the year-long National Policy Consultation workshop series, and with its Vision & Strategy for Children's Health and Environment in Canada near completion, CPCHE is poised to enter a new phase in its policy engagement work.
For more information on CPCHE see: www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca
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