Families are central to the lives of children. Regardless of how children join their family, through birth, foster placement, adoption, intergenerational caregiving, or step-parenting, all new parents can experience a period of adjustment \u2013 physically, emotionally and cognitively. The often-daunting task of parenting can include many joys and challenges as parents navigate their new role. While parents certainly hold a large portion of responsibilities for their children, there are broader societal responsibilities for optimizing high quality child development that need to be considered. Community programs that support parenting, social policy that supports optimizing children\u2019s full potential, and inclusion practice that considers the diverse socio-cultural contexts of all children and families can have a lasting effect on children\u2019s developmental trajectories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The late Dr. Alan Mirabelli, former executive director, explains how the vision of the Vanier Institute of the Family supports children, families and society.<\/p>\n\n\n