Family & Child Health

If you’re thinking about getting pregnant, make an appointment before you conceive. One of our community health nurses will help you plan for a healthy pregnancy. They’ll answer any questions you have.

They’ll also provide prenatal education (one-on-one or in classes). You will learn about maternal health, immunizations, stages of pregnancy, cannabis and alcohol use during pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and more.

Please make the appointment through our Medical Office Assistant (MOA) to meet with a community health nurse.

A birth and postpartum doula provides a range of supportive services to families before, during, and after childbirth. Overall, doulas aim to enhance the physical and emotional well-being of both the birthing person and their family during this transformative time.

Birth Doula services typically include:

• Prenatal Support: Providing emotional support and information during pregnancy, helping prepare for childbirth.
• Birth Planning: Assisting in creating a birth plan that outlines preferences for labour and delivery.
• Partner Support: Supporting and guiding partners in their role during labour and birth.
• Continuous Labour Support: Being present during labour and birth to offer physical comfort measures, emotional support, and advocacy.

Postpartum Doula services typically include:

• Emotional Support: Providing reassurance, empathy, and encouragement during the postpartum period.
• Practical Support: Assisting with newborn care, including feeding support (breastfeeding or bottle-feeding), diapering, and soothing techniques.
• Resource Referrals: Offering information and referrals to community resources as needed.

We offer group, one-on-one and virtual education and support for expectant mothers, following PEI Prenatal Education Guidelines, with a commitment to using culturally sensitive education materials.

Services include:

• Pregnancy tests and confirmation
• Prenatal care, including Doppler assessments (ultrasound)
• Initial prenatal appointment
• Pregnancy follow-up and support with 1:1 prenatal appointments
• Prenatal education including information on breastfeeding, labour and delivery comfort measures, drug and alcohol use, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) education, and building trusting relationships
• Fruit/Vegetable & Milk vouchers for expectant mothers
• Referrals to doctors, SHORS (Sexual Health Options and Reproductive Services), our dietician and other required supports

Please make an appointment through our Medical Office Assistant (MOA) to meet with a community health nurse.

Our community health nurses provide several services for new families after their baby has arrived to support the post-natal health of the mom, baby, and the entire family.

• Initial home visits with parents and baby in the first 24-72 hours of discharge from hospital
• Follow-up home visits as required
• Breastfeeding support
• Postpartum education
• New baby education
• Weight checks
• Newborn assessments
• Referrals as required to support mom, baby, and family
• Referrals to home-visiting programs including Best Start and/or Maternal Child Health (Nogemag)
• Breastfeeding education and support
• Referrals to the lactation consultant (if required)
• Referrals to the Child Development Team
• Help signing up for the Dolly Parton Imaginary Library

Please make an appointment through our Medical Office Assistant (MOA) to meet with a community health nurse.

The LIHC offers in-home visits to families during pregnancy, at birth, and throughout the child’s early years, up to age 7. The purpose of these visits is to provide families with information, emotional support, and any specific assistance you may need.

Our team will share information on topics such as:

• Prenatal health
• Newborn care
• Safe sleep
• Going back to work
• Dealing with temper tantrums
• Baby food-making

If you have any questions, we will help find the answers. We’ll also help connect you with health professionals who can help with your specific needs (e.g. dietician, health nurse, mental health).

We also bring fun activities designed to stimulate your child’s growth, encourage development, and build attachment.

This service is provided to all new families. You do not need to sign up unless you are.

New Beginnings supports new families from hospital discharge through the first eight weeks. This is when questions arise such as:

• “Is my baby getting enough milk?”
• “How often should my baby be waking/sleeping?”
• “What can I expect about my own health following the birth of my baby?”

A community health nurse or PEI Provincial Public Health nurse will visit you at home. They’ll share health promotion information and education, including insights on the Period of Purple Crying. They will also provide referrals to other programs and services, including the Provincial Best Start Program.

Launching Little Ones offers health clinics for infants/children aged 2, 4, 6, 12, and 18 months, and 4 years of age. A Public Health Nurse will immunize your child according to PEI’s Childhood Immunization Schedule, as directed by the Chief Public Health Office.

The nurse will also assess your child’s development in areas such as:

• Growth and nutrition
• Vision and hearing
• Oral health
• Gross and fine motor development
• Speech and communication
• Problem solving
• Personal/social development

Your nurse will answer any concerns and provide you with current information and tips for keeping your young family healthy and safe.

Our community health nurses and Maternal Child Health team provide home visits to new moms who need breastfeeding support. They provide breastfeeding education and assistance, and can make referrals to a lactation consultant. Breast pump loans are also available through the LIHC to new moms.

Hand pumps purchased with a prescription are covered through NIHB (non-insured health benefits). Ask your nurse or healthcare worker for more information.

Please make an appointment through our Medical Office Assistant (MOA) to arrange a home visit with one of our nurses or maternal child healthcare workers.

The Maternal Child Health team offers fitness training for pregnant and new moms at the Eagle’s Nest Gym.

Sessions are one-on-one and designed with the safety of you and your baby in mind. Your fitness program will be customized to suit your needs during and after pregnancy.

Exercises designed to improve muscle strength and endurance can help improve your labour and delivery experience, as well as reduce backaches, improve circulation, prevent constipation, and support overall health during this transformative time.

The LIHC hosts weekly playgroups along with planned outings, events, and sessions for community members with children aged 0 to 6. Parents/caregivers are welcome to attend with their child but are not required to.

Details about weekly group activities, including what’s planned and when/where it will take place, are usually shared the week prior with families.

Families interested in attending weekly playgroups can reach out to Rhonda Coyle at the Health Centre and inquire about taking part in the group.

Theraplay is a program that helps parents/caregivers and their children build better relationships through attachment-based play. Strong attachment between a child and the important adults in their life is essential to building lifelong good mental health and resilience in the face of adversity.

Families may receive a referral to Theraplay from another service provider (with the family’s consent) or can connect directly with April Perry or Lori Shea to arrange Theraplay sessions with our team.

The LIHC team, including our dietitian and community nurses, provide nutrition support before, during, and after pregnancy, including:

• Nutrition screening, education, and counselling
• Gestational diabetes education and support
• Physical activity guidance
• Breastfeeding promotion and education
• Healthy baby feeding and growth education

Well-Baby Clinics focus on the ages and stages of your baby’s development from 2 months to 18 months. The clinics also offer parents/caregivers the chance to learn more about health promotion, the growth and development of their child, and injury/accident prevention.

During these visits, a community health nurse will provide:

• Education and assessments of growth and development based on your baby’s age
• Vision and hearing screening
• Immunizations according to the provincial schedule
• Health promotion and injury prevention education
• Mental health assessments for mom
• Referrals to pediatrician, mental health, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathologist, ophthalmologist, dietician, and Jordan’s Principle

Contact Name: Medical Office Assistant
Contact Number: (902) 831-2711
Contact Email: Melissa.clements@lennoxisland.com

The Lennox Island Health Centre provides families with education, services, and complementary safety items to help prevent injuries and promote child safety.

These include providing new families with:

• Safety and injury prevention education provided during prenatal classes, Well Baby clinics, and home visits
• Convertible car seats, along with education on how to install and use (as required)
• Guidance on car seat installation and education
• Naloxone education
• Safety education, including education on:
• Car seat safety; providing information and installation of car seats
• Fire safety
• Helmet safety
• Medication safety
• Water safety
• Bike safety
• Poison prevention
• And more

The Child Development Team includes professionals with varying expertise, including early childhood development, community health, education, and mental wellness.

This multi-disciplinary team works with parents to develop health plans that keep their children happy, healthy, and safe.

The team maintains ongoing support and involvement with families. They provide support, guidance, and the resources necessary to empower parents as the most important people in their children’s lives.

They also identify gaps and prevent duplication of services for families.

The team includes four working groups:

• Primary Care Working Group
• Healthy Child Development Working Group
• Mental Wellness Working Group
• Education Working Group

Information from these working groups is then shared with the Coordinating Table, which includes:

• The FASD Project Lead/Child Development Team Lead
• The Community Health Nurse
• The Elementary School Principal
• The Early Childhood Programming Lead
• The Mental Wellness Programming Lead

Our LIHC community health nurses provide health education and services to children throughout the school-aged years.

These include:

• Health education on topics that are age-relevant. Programming may take place in class or in after-school groups.
• Screening as required in elementary, junior, and high school.
• Annual health classes on sexuality, and the C.A.R.E (Challenge Abuse Through Respect Education) Program.
• Grade 6 Gardasil immunization for HPV.

The Lennox Island Health Center offers dental health education for families, including:

• Promoting Dental Health Month
• Providing information and dental care products at Well Baby Clinics, wellness clinics, and during prenatal classes
• Providing referrals to the Children’s Oral Health Initiative (COHI)

The Children’s Oral Health Initiative (COHI) offers services for children aged 0 – 7. These include:

• Providing regular fluoride treatments at the health centre, daycare, school, and in-home
• Providing oral health information
• Supplying toothbrushes, floss, and toothpaste
• Working with a dental therapist as required in oral health checks and treatment
• Providing dental referrals

Contact Name: Jolyssa Simon/Nicole Gorrill
Contact Number: (902) 831-2711
Contact Email: jolyssa.simon@lennoxisland.com/nicole.gorrill@lennoxisland.com
Location: LIHC

Post-Majority Support Services (PMSS) are wrap-around supports and services provided to First Nations youth and young adults who are the age of majority (18 in PEI) or older. PMSS is designed to provide wrap-around support that meets the distinct needs of First Nations youth, allowing them to thrive.

The focus is on providing holistic support that meets the distinct needs of First Nations youth, including:

• Physical, emotional, cultural, and relational well-being
• Psychological safety & security

The following First Nations youth/young adults are eligible for PMSS:

• Youth aging out of care
• Young adults who were formerly in alternative care from the age of majority (up to and including the age of 25 until the day before their 26th birthday)
• Youth who are in FNCFS (First Nation Child and Family Services) care* approaching the age of majority and transitioning out of FNCFS care
• Youth who are in care* funded by the province or Yukon, ordinarily resident on reserve, and are approaching the age of majority

*A youth is in FNCFS care when the care costs for the child or youth are funded by the FNCFS Program.

If you think you or someone you know may be eligible for these support services, please reach out to Jolyssa Simon or Nicole Gorrill.