-
Quebec -
Child Protection -
8 delegates -
Octobre 2025
From 5 to 10 October 2025, a French delegation took part in a study mission to Quebec, organised in partnership with FEHAP, dedicated to child protection.
From 5 to 10 October 2025, Dialog Health accompanied a FEHAP delegation to Montreal as part of a study mission dedicated to child protection. This immersion into the Quebec system provided opportunities to meet public institutions, healthcare facilities and community organisations working with children, families and women in situations of vulnerability.
Throughout the mission, discussions focused on several key pillars of the Quebec child protection model: early prevention starting from pregnancy and early childhood, close coordination between health, social services and the justice system, and strong complementarity between public actors and community-based organisations.
The visits also highlighted the importance of child- and family-centred approaches, trauma-informed practices, and the critical role of respite services, emergency and long-term housing, and sustained support pathways in preventing breakdowns in care. Particular attention was given to responses to intrafamilial violence, especially domestic violence, and to adapting services to the cultural and social realities of the populations supported.
The mission began with an institutional meeting at the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux du Québec. Discussions addressed the organisation of the Quebec system, characterised by strong structural integration between health and social services, the central role of Youth Protection Services (DPJ), and recent reforms aimed at strengthening territorial coordination through the CIUSSS. This initial visit provided the overall framework for the field-based initiatives observed during the mission.
Located in eastern Montreal, Répit Providence is a community organisation dedicated to early prevention. The delegation discovered a respite care home offering free accommodation for children aged 0 to 5, designed to prevent parental burnout and avoid child placement. Its approach is based on non-judgmental support, close collaboration with social services and strong community involvement.
La Maison Bleue provides integrated perinatal and psychosocial support for pregnant women and families facing significant vulnerability. The visit showcased a model combining medical follow-up, social support, legal assistance and collective activities in deliberately non-institutional settings, with the aim of reducing social inequalities from pregnancy through to the child’s fifth year.
The delegation also visited the Centre de protection de l’enfance et de la jeunesse de l’Église
(CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal), a cornerstone of Montreal’s child protection system. The site brings together residential care, educational support, psychosocial services and integrated schooling. Discussions focused on managing complex situations, trauma-informed approaches, preventing institutionalisation and crisis management mechanisms.
At the Hôpital pour enfants de Montréal, the delegation met specialised teams in child and adolescent psychiatry, traumatology and child protection. Exchanges highlighted the close coordination between hospital care, youth protection services, police and the justice system, as well as protocols dedicated to children who are victims of violence, particularly sexual abuse. The hospital plays a central role in assessment, coordination and limiting hospital stays in favour of outpatient care.
The Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Saint-Laurent embodies a comprehensive, community-based approach to social paediatrics. The delegation explored a model built on outreach work, flexible access, mediation through activities and strong interdisciplinary collaboration. Each year, the centre supports several thousand children from vulnerable backgrounds, working closely with schools, social services and youth protection services.
La Dauphinelle supports women experiencing domestic violence, with or without children, through a two-stage pathway: emergency shelter followed by longer-term housing. The visit highlighted a comprehensive approachintegrating safety, psychosocial support, legal assistance and educational support for children, who are recognised as victims in their own right.
Specialising in support for migrant women, the Le Bouclier d’Athéna develops an intercultural and multilingual approachto addressing domestic violence. The delegation learned about the central role of cultural mediators, institutional advocacy efforts, and housing and empowerment programmes designed to support women over the long term.
Through these visits, the FEHAP study mission to Montreal offered insight into a structured ecosystem in which public institutions, hospitals and community organisations work in a coordinated manner. All the organisations visited illustrate an approach centred on the best interests of the child, the prevention of care disruptions, trauma-informed practices and the mobilisation of territorial resources.
This mission fully aligns with Dialog Health’s mission: to facilitate international exchange, showcase inspiring organisations and contribute to strategic reflection among professionals in the health and social care sectors.
Throughout the mission, discussions focused on several key pillars of the Quebec child protection model: early prevention starting from pregnancy and early childhood, close coordination between health, social services and the justice system, and strong complementarity between public actors and community-based organisations.
The visits also highlighted the importance of child- and family-centred approaches, trauma-informed practices, and the critical role of respite services, emergency and long-term housing, and sustained support pathways in preventing breakdowns in care. Particular attention was given to responses to intrafamilial violence, especially domestic violence, and to adapting services to the cultural and social realities of the populations supported.
The mission began with an institutional meeting at the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux du Québec. Discussions addressed the organisation of the Quebec system, characterised by strong structural integration between health and social services, the central role of Youth Protection Services (DPJ), and recent reforms aimed at strengthening territorial coordination through the CIUSSS. This initial visit provided the overall framework for the field-based initiatives observed during the mission.
Located in eastern Montreal, Répit Providence is a community organisation dedicated to early prevention. The delegation discovered a respite care home offering free accommodation for children aged 0 to 5, designed to prevent parental burnout and avoid child placement. Its approach is based on non-judgmental support, close collaboration with social services and strong community involvement.
La Maison Bleue provides integrated perinatal and psychosocial support for pregnant women and families facing significant vulnerability. The visit showcased a model combining medical follow-up, social support, legal assistance and collective activities in deliberately non-institutional settings, with the aim of reducing social inequalities from pregnancy through to the child’s fifth year.
The delegation also visited the Centre de protection de l’enfance et de la jeunesse de l’Église
(CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal), a cornerstone of Montreal’s child protection system. The site brings together residential care, educational support, psychosocial services and integrated schooling. Discussions focused on managing complex situations, trauma-informed approaches, preventing institutionalisation and crisis management mechanisms.
At the Hôpital pour enfants de Montréal, the delegation met specialised teams in child and adolescent psychiatry, traumatology and child protection. Exchanges highlighted the close coordination between hospital care, youth protection services, police and the justice system, as well as protocols dedicated to children who are victims of violence, particularly sexual abuse. The hospital plays a central role in assessment, coordination and limiting hospital stays in favour of outpatient care.
The Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Saint-Laurent embodies a comprehensive, community-based approach to social paediatrics. The delegation explored a model built on outreach work, flexible access, mediation through activities and strong interdisciplinary collaboration. Each year, the centre supports several thousand children from vulnerable backgrounds, working closely with schools, social services and youth protection services.
La Dauphinelle supports women experiencing domestic violence, with or without children, through a two-stage pathway: emergency shelter followed by longer-term housing. The visit highlighted a comprehensive approachintegrating safety, psychosocial support, legal assistance and educational support for children, who are recognised as victims in their own right.
Specialising in support for migrant women, the Le Bouclier d’Athéna develops an intercultural and multilingual approachto addressing domestic violence. The delegation learned about the central role of cultural mediators, institutional advocacy efforts, and housing and empowerment programmes designed to support women over the long term.
Through these visits, the FEHAP study mission to Montreal offered insight into a structured ecosystem in which public institutions, hospitals and community organisations work in a coordinated manner. All the organisations visited illustrate an approach centred on the best interests of the child, the prevention of care disruptions, trauma-informed practices and the mobilisation of territorial resources.
This mission fully aligns with Dialog Health’s mission: to facilitate international exchange, showcase inspiring organisations and contribute to strategic reflection among professionals in the health and social care sectors.
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