Parent Resources

Parenting is rewarding, but it's also very challenging. Find useful resources for expecting parents, parents of newborns and parents of school-age children, including public health resources, community resources, and links to other useful websites.

Questions and concerns
If you have questions or concerns about your child, contact your healthcare provider. You can also call the Middlesex-London Health Unit to speak with a Public Health Nurse, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or get heath advice 24/7 by calling Health811 (Health Connect Ontario) (dial 811).

Table of Contents
Alcohol, Tobacco, Cannabis and Other Drugs	Mental Health Supports for Children and Teens
Basic Needs	Mental Health Supports for Adults
Breastfeeding	Nurse-Family Partnership ®
Caring for a Sick Child	Nobody's Perfect Parenting Tip Sheets (Public Health Agency of Canada) - Disponible en français
Car Seat Safety	Period of Purple Crying
Child Safety	Pregnancy
Dental Health	Poison Prevention
Fatherhood	Prenatal Health Education
Familyinfo.ca	Public Health Unit Locator
Food and Healthy Eating	Physical Activity
Growth and Development	Reading to Babies and Young Children
Healthy Babies Healthy Children	Secure Attachment and Parenting
Immunization Records - submitting your child's records	Sleep
Immunization Records & Programs of School-Age Children	Telephone Support
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)	Transition to School Resources

Telephone Support for Families

Prenatal Health Info & Resources

A Healthy Start to School

This helpful guide for parents and caregivers is available in French and English from the links below. Find helpful tips on packing lunches, reporting immunization, limiting screens and much more!

Healthy Start to Kindergarten (English PDF)

Un bon départ pour la maternelle (French PDF)

Alcohol, Tobacco, Cannabis & Other Drugs

Parent Support HUB: Drug Free Kids Canada

Tobacco and Vapour Products (MLHU)

Cannabis (MLHU)

Alcohol and Other Drugs (MLHU)

Learn more

Read Health Canada’s Public Advisory

Back to Table of Contents

Basic Needs Resources & Services for Middlesex-London

Information London: Help Yourself Through Hard Times (free downloadable PDF)

Emergency Food (MLHU)

The London Good Food box Program distribution of low-cost vegetables & fruit (GCCRC)

Northeast London services (LUSO)

Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services

Back to Table of Contents

Car Seat Safety

London Health Sciences Centre Car Seat Education (LHSC)

Car Seats (Parachute Canada)

Disponible en français

Choosing a child car seat (Ministry of Transportation)

Disponible en français

Back to Table of Contents

Food & Healthy Eating

Baby Food Videos (MLHU)

Introducing Solid Foods (MLHU_

Baby-led weaning (MLHU)

Infant Formula (MLHU)

Children's Nutrition (unlockfood.ca)

Speak with a dietitian (through Health Connect Ontario)

School Lunches (Ontario Dietitians in Public Health)

Disponible en français

UnlockFood.ca: Cooking with Kids of Different Ages

Disponible en français

Eating Together (MLHU)

A-Z list of food & healthy eating resources (MLHU)

Back to Table of Contents

Growth & Development

Secure Attachment & parenting, Infant and early childhood mental health

Newborn: The first few weeks (MLHU)

Child Growth: is your child growing well? (MLHU) (when should your child's growth be checked)

Looksee Checklist provided by the Nipissing District Developmental Screen (NDDS)

(The Electronic Look See Checklist by Nipissing District Developmental Screen is a developmental checklist that follows a child from one month of age to six years. It provides a snapshot in time of your child's development, and a starting point for discussion with a health/child care professional. Starting October 1, 2023 , there will be a one-time sign up fee. The 18 month Look See Checklist will remain free to all families)

Disponible en français

SmartStart Hub at TVCC - Thames Valley Children's Centre

(for children0-19: online referral form, school therapy service, preschool speech and language and more)

Disponible en français

Developmental Resource for Infants (DRI) - Thames Valley Children's Centre

(Intake and service coordination for children 2 years and under with developmental concerns - TVCC)

Ontario Infant Hearing Program- Southwest Region

Screen Time

(Information for many families about screens (e.g. phones, tablets, TVs). We know it's not good for our kids, but the reality is that screens are here to stay. So what can we do? - MLHU)

Resiliency (MLHU)

Back to Table of Contents

Physical Activity

YouTube Video: Canadian 24-Hour movement Guidelines for the Early Years (ages 0-4)

Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (0-4 years): An Integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep (CSEP)

Disponible en français

Tummy Time (TVCC) An important part of a baby's daily routine.

Disponible en français

Active For Life® Raising Kids who love to move

Disponible en français

2019 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy (CSEP)

Disponible en français

Early Years: Ages 0-4 (Participaction)

Disponible en français

Children and Youth: Ages 5-17 (Participaction)

Disponible en français

Adults: Ages 18-64 (Participaction)

Disponible en français

Adults: Ages 65+ (Participaction)

Disponible en français

Back to Table of Contents

Intimate Partner Violence

Information London: Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault community services directory

iHEAL (MLHU: Intervention for Health Enhancement and Living)

Back to Table of Contents

Mental Health Supports for Children and Teens

Tandem (24/7)

One-stop referral and intake point shared services Vanier Children's Mental Wellness, Humana Community Services and Craigwood Children, Youth, and Family Services

Vanier Children's Mental Wellness

Offers a range of services designed to offer support to families who have a child struggling with social, emotional, behavioural and mental health issues

Craigwood Children, Youth and Family Services

Provides a broad range of counseling, care and therapeutic services to adolescents and to their families, all designed to make a positive change in their lives

Humana Community Services

Formerly WAYS Mental Health Support and Anago (Non) Residential Resources

The Support Line

The Support Line from Canadian Mental Health Association provides confidential listening and support to individuals 16+ any time of day or night.

Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support

Disponible en français

Brighter Days

An Indigenous Wellness Program developed by Indigenous educators, school counsellors and community program workers to empower First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth with skills, tools and resources to support their well-being. The program is offered to Indigenous youth from six to 29 years old in both audio and video format.

Disponible en français

Children's Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) Parent & Caregiver Resources

Disponible en français

Back to Table of Contents

Mental Health and Community Supports for Adults

Perinatal Mental Health

Information and resources for pregnancy to first year postpartum - MLHU

Reach Out 24/7

Free, 24/7 bilingual confidential mental health and addictions support and services line for people living in Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford and London - Reach Out

Disponible en français

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Thames Valley

Information - CMHA

Family Service Thames Valley

Information, Counselling Services and more - Family Service Thames Valley

Hope for Wellness Help Line 24/7

Immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention to all Indigenous peoples across Canada - Hope for Wellness

Disponible en français

Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC)

Information and services including Indigenous-led child care and family centre, enhanced food security, and more- SOAHAC

Francophone Community Resources /Communauté francophone

Organisations ou programmes qui offrent des services principalement en français ou qui autrement appuient l'unité et le développement culturels au sein de la communauté francophone - Familyinfo.ca

Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration (MRCSSI)

Information and resources promoting family safety and wellbeing within London's diverse Muslim communities - MRCSSI

Back to Table of Contents

Reading to Babies and Young Children

Reading to babies and children supports brain growth and development, language development and preparation for school.

London Public Library Early Years

Baby's Book Bag: new and expectant parents can pick up a free literacy bag (scroll down the page)
other library resources

Middlesex County Library Early Literacy & Storytime

Early Literacy

ABC Read with Me Book Bags
Early Literacy iPads

Family Storytime and locations

La Ribambelle: les Baluchons de lecture pour bébé

My ABBC Aboriginal Book Bundles

Infant Book Bundles
Toddler Book Bundles
Preschool Book Bundles
Video: Aboriginal Book Bundle, Medicine for the Mind, Body and Spirit

Literacy, Right From the Start You Tube Video- English

also available in French Disponible en français

Read, speak, sing to your baby: How parents can promote literacy from birth (Canadian Pediatric Society)

Disponible en français

Murray and Bird - Children's Storybooks (MLHU)

Have fun reading along with Murray and Bird as they learn about different health topics

Disponible en français

Back to Table of Contents

Secure Attachment and Parenting

The Basics (Website for Parents)
Find resources in multiple languages, videos, tip sheets and more.

The human brain doubles to 70% of adult size during first year of life and 80% of adult size by age three. It is important to engage with your child often by doing activities together that: