Pre-Conference Speakers Shawna Lee Children’s Mental Health Consultant and Child Care Program Supervisor, Kinark Child and Family Services Shawna Lee is a Children’s Mental Health Consultant and Child Care Program Supervisor for Kinark Child and Family Services, and an ECE faculty at Seneca College.  Shawna’s professional role has allowed her to experience and integrate a unique perspective to Early Learning programs in a variety of environments. She has proven leadership skills which continue to develop, strengthen, and empower the collaboration between families, schools, child care programs, and community partners. Greg Lubimiv Executive Director, Phoenix Centre Greg Lubimiv (MSW) is currently the Executive Director of the Phoenix Centre, a children’s mental health centre, serving Renfrew County, Ontario.  As well, he is a consultant with Invest In Kids and a trainer with the Canadian Association of Child and Play Therapy.  Greg has worked in the field of children’s mental health and Child Welfare for over 30 years and leads an agency which is known as one of the most innovative in Ontario, providing not just services to at risk populations such as military families or traumatized children, but, also hosting an award winning child poverty network (Child Poverty Action Network) and developing creative school based prevention programs such as The Friends and Neighbours Puppet Program.  Greg believes that the focus on bullying needs to be provided at all levels, individual, family, school, community as well as through provincial and national policies and standards and needs to have an increased focus on prevention. Katie Neu and Rob Frenette Founders, www.BullyingCanada.ca Katie Neu is one of two Founders of the website www.BullyingCanada.Ca, which is the first youth created anti-bullying website in Canada.  She and Rob Frenette launched BullyingCanada December 17th, 2006 as a place for victims to go and share their stories to learn that they were not alone in the bullying world.  Today, just over three years later, BullyingCanada is more than just a place for victims to go and share their stories about bullying.  Victims, bystanders, bullies, parents, school officials and the community at large can share their stories, seek help and support as well as information on bullying and a variety of many other youth issues.  Hundreds of people visit the website every day from all over the world.  Katie was bullied from the first day of kindergarten right through until she left high school at the end of grade 9 to finish her school career online.  She and Rob work every day trying to meet their one and only goal – to make sure no one else ever has to go through what they did.  Katie and Rob measure their success not by the international attention they have received, but by the personal emails of those who have received help and hope though their work. Melanie Rosen, M.A., Expressive Arts Therapist Therapeutic Clown Practitioner, Hospital for Sick Children Child Psychotherapist Melanie Rosen is a creative spirit who is passionate about play! She has been working with children for more than twenty years in educational and therapeutic contexts. Melanie has focused on enriching early childcare education through her own movement based expressive arts programs. She works at The Hospital for Sick Children as a therapeutic clown practitioner and has a private practice as a child psychotherapist. Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt Professor, University of Ottawa, McMaster University, and Offord Centre for Child Studies Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt is a Canada Research Chair in Children’s Mental Health and Violence Prevention at the University of Ottawa in the Faculty of Education and the School of Psychology. She is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University, and a core member of the Offord Centre for Child Studies. Dr. Vaillancourt’s research examines the links between aggression and bio-psychosocial functioning, with particular focus on bully-victim relations. Dr. Vaillancourt is currently leading a Community-University Research Alliance on the prevention and intervention of bullying which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Welcoming Address Elaine Kicknosway is a swampy Cree woman, a member of the Peter Ballanytyne Cree Nation in Northern Saskatchewan. She is the Sacred Child Coordinator at Minwaashin Lodge in Ottawa. She is mother of one, traditional dancer, step mother, helper, and is Wolf clan. When Minwaashin Lodge: the Aboriginal Woman’s Support Centre was founded in 1993, it’s main goal was to provide a safe place where Aboriginal women could receive culturally relevant and appropriate support to start on their healing journeys. The Lodge continues to be committed to providing client-centered support in an environment where Aboriginal women can come to learn, give and receive support in an open, caring, and safe environment that encourages and empowers them to start to reclaim their Aboriginal identity. The basis of all programming at Minwaashin Lodge are the seven sacred teachings and the Medicine Wheel, thereby ensuring that all parts of the individual are addressed (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual). Keynote Speakers Dr. Robin Williams, MD, DPH, FRCPC Medical Officer of Health, Niagara Region Public Health Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University A pediatrician and a public health physician, Robin Williams has been the Medical Officer of Health for Niagara Region since 1995. She is widely recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for her contributions to the area of children’s health and welfare. She is Chair of the Council for Early Child Development and her outstanding work in the area of early childhood development led to her appointment as Chair of the 18-Month Expert Panel. Recently, Dr. Williams has worked diligently to shine a spotlight on the issue of poverty and its significant impact on children, families, and the community. Nancy White Performer Singer NANCY WHITE, whose tuneful take on motherhood, the cd "Momnipotent: Songs for Weary Parents" has saved the sanity of many of frazzled mom over the years, is also the co-author of the musical "Anne and Gilbert", mother of two singing girls, and an accomplished if not slick performer. She and her witty piano player Bob Johnston will sing of pregnancy, kids, daughters of feminists, stickers on fruit, thwarted love for Leonard Cohen, multitasking, freefloating anxiety, and many other things. Possibly even social worker burnout. Get a taste at MySpace.com/nancywhitemusic. Dr. Clyde Hertzman Council on Early Child Development Dr. Hertzman is Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP); Tier I Canada Research Chair in Population Health and Human Development; and Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. Nationally, he is a Fellow of the Experience-based Brain and Biological Development Program and the Successful Societies Program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Since 2008, he has been President of the Canadian Council on Early Child Development. Merry-K Moos Professor (retired), Maternal Fetal Medicine Division, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina Merry-K. Moos is recognized as a pioneer in advocating that the delivery of health care to women of reproductive age be restructured to use a women's wellness platform to achieve improved levels of preconceptional health to prevent poor pregnancy outcomes. She is a member of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Select Panel on Preconceptional Health and Health Care and creator of the U.S. national preconception curriculum and resources guide for clinicians (www.beforeandbeyond.org).   Session Speakers Melissa Egan Educator, Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange Melissa Egan is the Ontario HIV/AIDS Educator for CATIE (Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange). With many years of experience developing workshops on topics related to HIV/AIDS and sexual health for youth in schools, she recently received her Bachelor of Education from Simon Fraser University, specializing in international education and curriculum development. Caroline Maltepe Coordinator, Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP) Helpline, Motherisk, The Hospital for Sick Children Caroline Maltepe is the coordinator of the Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP) Helpline at the Motherisk Program. For over 14 years, she has been counseling women, their partners, and health-care providers regarding dietary strategies, pharmacological, and non-pharmacological treatments to effectively manage NVP. Additionally, she continually conducts and publishes several studies to improve management of NVP. Suzanne Nickel National Safe Sleep Coordinator, The Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths Niagara Consulting, Marketing, and Management Specialists Suzanne Nickel, National Safe Sleep Coordinator for The Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, brings over 20 years of experience in the not for profit sector and has coordinated campaigns that have raised over $7.8 million for Canadian charities. Suzanne’s consulting firm is Niagara Consulting, Marketing, and Management Specialists. Karon Foster, R.N., BScN, M.Ed. Director of The Parenting Partnership, Invest in Kids Karon Foster is the Director of The Parenting Partnership Program, a prenatal and parenting education program. She has over 30 years of combined nursing and teaching experience. She is intimately familiar with the needs of expectant and new parents through her work conducting prenatal and parenting classes, supervising prenatal classes, and her past experience as a public health nurse. Palmina Ioannone, Ph.D. Director of Research and Evaluation, Invest in Kids Dr. Palmina Ioannone is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Invest in Kids. She has spent more than 15 years working with young children, families, and early childhood professionals in various settings including schools, childcare centres, and family support programs. Hiltrud Dawson, RN, BTech (neonatal nursing), IBCLC Health Promotion Consultant, Best Start Resource Centre by Health Nexus Hiltrud has over 25 years of experience in the maternal newborn field as a nurse, midwife, and lactation consultant. As a lactation consultant she became interested in child health and child health promotion. Currently she is a health promotion consultant for Best Start, Ontario’s Maternal, Newborn, and Early Child Development Resource Centre working on maternal, newborn, and child health topics. Prior to this she worked as coordinator of the Breastfeeding and Newborn Assessment clinic at St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton. During that time Hiltrud pulled together a multidisciplinary team that implemented the Baby-Friendly Initiative. St Joseph's Healthcare became Ontario's first Baby-Friendly Hospital in March 2003. Her passions include breastfeeding, mother’s mental health, the adjustment of mothers and families after the birth of their baby, and the impact of mother's physical, social, and mental issues on infants and children. Aldona Ollen, RN, BScN Public Health Nurse, York Region Public Health Services Aldona has over 15 years of her nursing experience in many different fields. Presently, she is working at the Regional Municipality of York as a Public Health Nurse in the Early Identification Program, where she promotes and disseminates the York Region Red Flags Guide to Early Years Professionals working with children up to six years of age. As part of her role in Public Health, she chairs the Early Identification Network Committee, which is comprised of various community members who are working collaboratively towards early identification and early intervention. She has also recently chaired meetings for the Red Flags Task Group in which members were responsible for revisions of the Red Flags Guide. As a result, the revised York Region Red Flags Guide was released in September 2009. The goals of the Early Identification Program are that all children from birth to six years of age are screened for developmental delays, and those children identified as at-risk, are linked to appropriate programs, supports, and services in the community as early as possible in order for them to achieve their healthiest outcome. Laurie McLeod-Shabogesic FASD Program Coordinator, The Union of Ontario Indians Lynda Banning FASD Regional Program Worker for the Northern Superior Region, The Union of Ontario Indians Laurie McLeod-Shabogesic is the FASD Program Coordinator for the Union of Ontario Indians and Lynda is the FASD Regional Program Worker for the Northern Superior Region. Lynda’s educational background includes a Social Services Worker Diploma and an Honors Degree in Psychology.   Laurie has been working in the health care field since 1992. She is a former HIV/AIDS Coordinator for the Union of Ontario Indians and National Health Promotions Officer for the Assembly of First Nations. In 2002, she was invited to Malawi as a HIV/AIDS Specialist to assist in the development of a national education strategy for the African country. Launched in May 2002, the primary goals of the Union of Ontario Indians’ Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Program are to promote awareness regarding FASD and to provide capacity-building training within their 41 First Nations to caregivers working in the fields of health, justice, education and social services. To date, the UOI FASD Program has conducted over 450 specialized workshops and training sessions. The FASD Program Team consistently strives to incorporate traditional teachings and cultural practices as a means to raising awareness and creating strategies to effectively address FASD in First Nation communities. Melanie Rosen, M.A., Expressive Arts Therapist Therapeutic Clown Practitioner, Hospital for Sick Children Child Psychotherapist Melanie Rosen is a creative spirit who is passionate about play! She has been working with children for more than twenty years in educational and therapeutic contexts. Melanie has focused on enriching early childcare education through her own movement based expressive arts programs. She works at The Hospital for Sick Children as a therapeutic clown practitioner and has a private practice as a child psychotherapist.   Kim Gall, MSc, CGC Educator and Genetic Counsellor, Ontario Newborn Screening Program (ONSP) Kim Gall joined the ONSP in April of 2009. Kim is responsible for coordinating the referral of screen positive infants to Regional Treatment Centres throughout the province, creates educational materials about newborn screening and provides education about newborn screening to parents and health care providers. Her clinical responsibilities also include seeing patients referred for varied genetic indications and providing clinical supervision and teaching. Sari Zelenietz, MSc, CGC, CCGC Educator and Genetic Counsellor, Ontario Newborn Screening Program Sari Zelenietz has been a genetic counsellor with the ONSP since 2006. Sari is responsible for coordinating the referral of screen positive infants, as well as leading many communication and education strategies for the ONSP, including bulletins, telehealth sessions, and the ONSP website. Sari also works with families who have children identified with diseases through newborn screening. Joy Noel-Weiss RN IBCLC MScN PhD(c) Lecturer, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa Joy Noel-Weiss is a registered nurse, a lactation consultant, and retired La Leche League Canada Leader who has worked with women and their families in hospital and community. Currently, Joy teaches at the School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, and she is completing a doctorate in nursing. B3 TBA Kelly Gordon Registered Dietitian, Aboriginal Nutrition Consultant Kelly is a community dietitian in Toronto, with expertise in pre/postnatal clients in Toronto’s Aboriginal community. She has worked with the Aboriginal community across Canada. As a Mohawk woman, Kelly is 1 of only 20 Aboriginal dietitians in Canada. Kelly enjoys cooking, exercise, and being outdoors either in or outside the city. She is also a new mother. Melanie Ferris Aboriginal Health Promotion Consultant, Best Start Resource Centre by Health Nexus Melanie (Horse Clan) is an Anishnawbe woman originally from Manitoba. She is a published author and enjoys gathering information from Elders for her work. Melanie works closely with Aboriginal people in Ontario and has a training program for service providers to help them include culture in their approaches to preventing obesity in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children. Brenda Whitteker Director of Programs, Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (Ophea) Brenda Whitteker has contributed to the physical health and well-being of children and youth as a coach, teacher, and principal at both the elementary and secondary levels for over 32 years. After retiring, Brenda worked for the Ministry of Education and presently is the Director of Programs at Ophea. She is responsible for the development of supports and lesson plans for teachers, based on the revised Health and Physical Education curriculum. Brenda works to ensure children lead healthy active lives by promoting the development of resources, workshops, and programs at the school, board, and provincial level. Dentists, Ontario Dental Association John Hoffman Writer Communications Coordinator, Father Involvement Research Alliance John Hoffman is Canada¹s leading fatherhood writer, having written eight booklets for fathers including “Involved Fathers, Daddy.” “Come Play With Me”, and “Hands-On Dad” along with over 50 articles for and about fathers in Today¹s Parent and other publications. John is also Communications Coordinator for the Father Involvement Research Alliance. Brian Russell Chair of the Father Involvement Initiative - Ontario Network Parent Educator, Early Years Services, LAMP Community Health Centre   Brian Russell is Chair of the Father Involvement Initiative - Ontario Network and a parent educator with the LAMP Early Years Services in Toronto, where his main focus is working with fathers, encouraging them to be responsibly involved with their children. Brian also conducts training workshops for professionals about how to work with fathers. Jodi Hall Founder, Program Coordinator, Counsellor, Workshop Facilitator, A Safe Passage Jodi worked as a DONA certified doula for 10 years, with a focus on the intersections between trauma histories and the experiences of women during the childbearing years. Jodi is a doctoral candidate in Health Professional Education and the Research Coordinator of a Canadian Institute of Health Research funded study, entitled "Embodied Trauma: The impacts of abuse on the transition to mothering". Lorri Sauve Outreach and Program Coordinator, Project READ Literacy Network Member, Action for Family Literacy (AFLO) Lorri has been involved in the adult literacy field for 20 years. She has been an instructor, program manager, researcher/developer, workshop facilitator, and assessor. Lorri is one of the Ontario trainers who attended the National Family Literacy Foundational training in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 2001 and in July 2003, and coordinated and delivered the face-to-face training in Ontario. For the past ten years she has been a literacy consultant (researcher/writer) for various literacy projects including most recently, “Family Literacy and Health A Module in Foundations in Family Literacy” and she delivered the training to practitioners from all over Canada in 2008. Presently, Lorri is the Outreach and Program Coordinator for Project READ Literacy Network, Kitchener Ontario.  Since 2000, Lorri has been an online facilitator for the Adult Literacy Educator Program (Conestoga, Sault and Algonquin Colleges). As a member of AFLO (Action for Family Literacy Ontario) she has continued to advocate for increasing the knowledge about the benefits of family literacy programs. Lesley Brown Executive Director, Ontario Literacy Coalition Lesley is the Executive Director of the Ontario Literacy Coalition (OLC). The Coalition is a provincial literacy umbrella organization. The OLC has been involved in family literacy for many years and is currently working on a provincial family literacy partnership planning strategy. Lesley has worked in the adult literacy field for over 20 years in a range of programs and settings including school boards, community based programs, in correctional facilities with youth, with aboriginal literacy programs, and ESL and ESL-literacy programs. Lesley holds a B.A., a TESL certificate, and is currently in the Masters of Adult Education Program at St. Francis Xavier University. Sylvie Boulet RD MHSc Bilingual Health Promotion Consultant, Best Start Resource Centre by Health Nexus   Sylvie has a Master in Health Sciences - Community Nutrition, two bachelor degrees in food science and social work, and a background in adult education. Sylvie started her career as a program coordinator, social worker, adult educator, researcher and facilitator and then in the nutrition field as a dietitian and professor of nutrition at two post secondary organizations. Her experience encompasses the fields of non-profit organizations as well as clinical institutions and a community health centre. Dr. Richard Volpe Professor and Projects Director, Life Span Adaptation Projects, Institute of Child Study, Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, University of Toronto Dr. Richard Volpe received his PhD from the University of Alberta. He was a Laidlaw Foundation Post Doctoral Fellow at the Hospital for Sick Children and at the Clarke Institute. He was also a program evaluation expert for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Previously he has been Chair of the Institute for the Prevention of Child Abuse, (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and Director of the Dr. R. G. N. Laidlaw Research Centre. Currently he is a Professor of Human Development and Applied Psychology and Projects Director of the Life Span Adaptation Projects at the University of Toronto. His research has led to numerous publications, projects and papers on primary prevention, integrated services and social development. Tara Vyn Public Health Nurse, Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit Tara Vyn, RN, BScN, is a Public Health Nurse at the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit. A graduate from The University of Western Ontario, Tara visits new mothers and babies as an aspect of the Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program. She also enjoys teaching prenatal and parenting classes. Jillian Mallory Public Health Nurse, Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit Jillian Mallory RN, BSc, BScN, graduated from The University of Western Ontario. She began her nursing career in the labour and delivery unit at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. She has since been working as a Public Health Nurse at the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit with a focus on prenatal and parenting education. Melanie Ferris Aboriginal Health Promotion Consultant, Best Start Resource Centre by Health Nexus Melanie (Horse Clan) is an Anishnawbe woman originally from Manitoba. She is a published author and enjoys gathering information from Elders for her work. Melanie works closely with Aboriginal people in Ontario and has a training program for service providers to help them include culture in their approaches to preventing obesity in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children. Dr. Eileen Wood Developmental Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University Dr. Eileen Wood is a professor in the area of Developmental Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University. She has authored 9 books and over 55 research papers that examine cognitive and social development issues. Her most recent books and research address the impact of new technologies for learning, relationships, and privacy/safety.