Global Children’s Initiative-- Alberta's family wellness --Canda

Alberta's family wellness theory highlights how the Foundation’s investment in creating and nurturing a network of knowledge entrepreneurs, convening catalytic events and engaging as a partner across science, policy and practice has helped achieve a great shift in thinking and action when it comes to improving outcomes for all children and families based on the core story of brain development. We take this opportunity to pause and express our gratitude to the community of stakeholders that have been on the AFWI learning journey with us. Thank you and enjoy reading about how and why the AFWI is making an impact.  

The AFWI initiates a broad range of activities designed to translate and mobilize the science of early brain and biological development, mental health, and addiction across stakeholder groups. A key strategy is encouraging dialogue among the science, policy, and practice communities across Alberta and strengthening the ties among these disparate groups. The AFWI’s activities are designed to shorten the research-to-practice gap and to ensure that we turn “what we know” into “what we do” using the best available evidence.

The website was very beneficial it offered many resources under the resource library, core story toolkit and more. I find it very fascinating that the website breaks down brain development and addictions in early ages.
The foundation of brain development.
Both the pre-natal and post-natal periods are critical to the developing brain and, ultimately, the health and well-being of a child. Exposure to positive experiences and nurturing relationships with caregivers helps promote a strong foundation for healthy brain development. But exposure to adversity during these same periods produces a weak foundation. A weak foundation can have cumulative and enduring neurobiological impacts, which will negatively impact functioning for a lifetime.
Interventions and treatments in Children's mental health
Children’s mental health affects how they socialize, learn, and, ultimately, meet their potential. Like the levelness of a table –which makes it usable and able to function as it should – the mental health of a child is what enables him or her to function in the world. Some children develop in level environments; they have healthy, supportive relationships, and advantages like good nutrition. For others, their brains develop in uneven environments, due to exposure to adverse experiences like abuse or addiction in the home. These children often have unreliable or unsupportive relationships, and don’t have access to key resources.

Development of Addiction
Experiences that occur early in childhood, even as far back as the pre- and post-natal periods, can also alter brain architecture in ways that may prime an individual to become vulnerable to addiction. For example, the quality of the infant-caregiver interaction and exposure to toxic stress both have direct effects on the brain systems responsible for regulating emotions and coping with stress. In other words, children who are exposed to toxic stress may grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with stress, anxiety, and mood. This can lead individuals to attempt self-medication in an effort to alleviate these effects.

http://www.albertafamilywellness.org/initiative