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Mission

The mission of the Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Gatineau is to provide accompaniment, support and care for children living in situations of social and economic vulnerability, by building on their strengths so that they can realize their full potential, while respecting the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

To achieve its mission, the Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Gatineau believes in sharing power with families and significant others, while respecting the child’s dignity and promoting their rights.

Our objectives

  • Promote the overall development of children aged 0 to 17 using a social medicine approach integrated with the children’s rights
  • Offer perinatal care and services to mothers and fathers-to-be who have had difficult experiences
  • Detect, eliminate, or reduce the impact of toxic stresses harmful to children’s overall health and development
  • Accompany parents and families in a process of reclaiming power over their lives
  • Encourage the engagement of significant others to create a protective network around children
  • Positively influence the practices of various organizations and partners to better serve children
  • Enable our children to continue to have dreams 

Community social
pediatrics in action

History

In 2009, the first Community social pediatrics center in the Outaouais region opened its doors on Notre-Dame Street in the Vieux-Gatineau neighborhood. Thanks to the mobilization of several community partners, a second Centre was opened in the Vieux-Hull neighborhood in 2015.

Since its opening, the Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Gatineau has been rigorously applying the community social pediatrics approach developed by Dr. Gilles Julien. As the needs have grown over the years, the CPSG has expanded its team and bonified its services, always with the aim of better helping the children in our communities. 

Since 2009, over 2000 kids have been cared for at the Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Gatineau. With the implementation of numerous innovative programs and the application of a high-quality clinical practice, the CPSG continues to put in place all the winning conditions to ensure that children can grow up healthy and reach their full potential, with the support of an entire community.

Rights of the child 

At the Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Gatineau, children’s fundamental rights are at the heart of everything we do. Community social pediatrics (CSP) integrates medicine, law, and the social sciences. It identifies sources of stress that negatively impact health and the development of children in situations of vulnerability. Supported by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it determines when the rights of the child are not being respected. (Source : Fondation Dr. Julien).


The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) has been ratified by 193 countries, home to 2.2 billion children. It is the most widely ratified Convention in human history. It aims to promote and protect the fundamental rights of children worldwide. Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.

In 2006, Dr. Gilles Julien and Me Hélène Sioui Trudel of the Fondation Dr. Julien developed and integrated seven major principles into the heart of the Community social pediatrics care model.

  • All children are born equal before the law
  • The child’s best interests must be the primary consideration in all decisions concerning them
  • The child is truly involved in decision-making in order to enjoy their civil rights and freedoms
  • The child grows up in a loving family supported by the entire community
  • The right to health at all stages of development
  • The right to learn, play and discover the world
  • The right to be protected

Source : Fondation Dr Julien

Children’s Rights Committee

The CPSG Children’s Rights Committee is composed of children aged 8 to 12, who are experts on the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee enables young people to share their experiences, get involved in projects and take their place as citizens. It has the following mandate:

  • Become an expert on the Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • Educate children and adults about children’s rights
  • Recommend, at the request of the Board of Directors, orientations to ensure that the Centre can continue to develop with children’s rights in mind
  • Give its opinion to decision-makers on issues affecting children in the community

“We need to be able to grow up as happy adults!” – Children’s Rights Committee