Family Network

• Connect families to research projects
• Provide two introduction- to- advocacy sessions with a focus on owning your story and understanding where you fit in the system
• Provide advocacy opportunities at a Hill Day
• Include family partners in Pop-up event planning and execution
• Contributed to creation of Person and Family-Centred Care Award category for Children’s Healthcare Canada  
• Host a family partner led session at the 2022 and 2023 Annual Conference

1. Strengthen our national network of families and caregivers and endeavor to create a more diverse community where individuals from equity deserving populations feel welcome to join the conversations.   
2. Create more opportunities to connect family partners to discuss and prioritize issues of concern.
3. Amplify the national voice of families and caregivers of children and youth receiving services from our member organizations to be heard in Children’s Healthcare Canada advocacy efforts. 

As a member of the Family Network, you will receive notifications of opportunities to participate in child health research, advisory, advocacy and invited to participate in panels, surveys, and questionnaires. These are all voluntary activities.

Become a Member

Join us for an insightful and empowering webinar designed specifically for individuals within the lived experience community. As healthcare systems continue to evolve and adapt, your role as a partner is more crucial than ever. This session will explore how you can thrive as you balance the complexities of life and contribute towards impacting an ever-evolving healthcare system.

We will delve into strategies for enhancing your wellbeing while effectively contributing to the evolving healthcare landscape. Key topics include:

• Understanding the Evolving Healthcare Ecosystem and Where Partnership Plays a Role: Gain insights into current trends, challenges, and opportunities when it comes to partnering as someone with lived experience with the healthcare system.
• Self-Care and Resilience: Wellbeing as a lived experience partner isn't well defined but should be. Discover some practical approaches for maintaining your wellbeing amidst partnership commitments and personal demands.
• Discuss What Partnership Could Look Like as its Own Ecosystem in the Future: We'll discuss together what you envision a partnership ecosystem could look like in Canada down the road.

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your role and wellbeing as a vital partner in shaping the future of healthcare. To become a member of the Family Network, and register for this session, please complete this short survey.

Featured Speaker: 

Rae Martens is a Knowledge Broker and Research Engagement Specialist with the Family Engagement in Research Training Program and the UCalgary Azrieli Accelerator. From Calgary, Rae has been a lived experience partner for 10 years both as a parent in pediatrics and as an adult patient. Her work seeks to bridge the gap between organizations and community members through health relationship building and science communication.

Children’s Healthcare Canada Family Network wants to know what keeps your family afloat, what drags you down and
what are your hopes for the future as we collectively work toward improving and right-sizing children’s health systems.

The Family Network Steering Committee invites you to connect with other families and caregivers across the country
for a virtual interactive activity to better understand what is working and what needs to improve in children’s healthcare.

Our need is great, together our community is strong, and we can make positive things happen!

To join the Family Network and to attend this virtual session, please email Catherine Riddell, Manager - Health Networks at criddell@childrenshealthcarecanada.ca