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Province-wide study on toddler development pilots in Powell River

Researchers encourage parents to fill out survey to make their voices heard
Toddler study Powell River
NEW STUDY: Parents of toddlers between 12 and 24 months old are encouraged to make their voices heard as part of a new study facilitated by the University of British Columbia. The study seeks to understand early life experiences of toddlers and their families in order to determine how early childhood affects children as they age and what support should be available for young families in the community. Contributed photo

Powell River is one of five communities to pilot the University of British Columbia’s new survey on the experiences of families with toddlers, and researchers are excited to give parents and caregivers a voice in policy decisions that affect young children.

“It is often challenging for parents and caregivers to advocate for the things they need, simply due to the realities of raising young children,” said Dr. Martin Guhn, assistant professor with UBC’s Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP). “HELP has been running studies of children in kindergarten, grade four and grade seven since the early 2000s, and we know that information has encouraged governments and other organizations to make changes that help families. Now we can gather data on the needs of this group, and hopefully will be able to make positive changes for them as well.”

The new Toddler Development Instrument (TDI) is a 15-minute survey for parents of children between the ages of one and two years old. It is available online at tdi.ubc.ca or in person through School District 47’s Strong Start programming, and collects information on factors that influence early child development, such as daily routines, family-child interactions, and parental/caregiver and community supports. The survey is also available in person at PacificCARE Child Care Resource and Referral, 6831 Artaban Street.

“School District 47 has services for children from birth to high school, and we want to make sure we are meeting their needs all the way through,” said Rita John, early learning coordinator for the school district. “The data from the TDI will allow us to make informed decisions and provide what young families actually need in the way of services and supports. We need the parent and caregiver voice at the table, and the TDI allows them to fit that kind of advocacy into their busy schedules.”

Powell River has been involved in the development of the TDI since it was first proposed in the early 2010s. Parents and caregivers in the community took part in focus groups over the last six years to help narrow down the research factors, develop questions and field-test the draft survey. The TDI is now in the first stages of collecting mass data over the next year in Powell River, Revelstoke, Campbell River/Comox Valley, Richmond, and the Kootenay region.

“Powell River is a great community for this kind of pilot because we’re so self-contained,” said John. “Our isolation allows researchers and other stakeholders to really see the effects of small changes informed by data.”

Guhn agreed with John’s assessment.

“Governments and organizations say they want to make the right decisions for families with young children, but that without hard data it’s difficult to determine what those needs are,” he said. “There was a complete data vacuum to help inform this kind of decision making, until now.”

Like the other research conducted by HELP, the TDI will be an ongoing study that provides anonymous data on the experiences of all children in the age group. Researchers hope all parents and caregivers of children 12 to 24 months will fill out the survey. In this data collection phase, participants can also be entered into a draw for a $50 gift card.

For more information about the TDI in Powell River, contact John at rita.john@sd47.bc.ca.