As a parent of a child between the ages of 0-1 years old, there are some benefits you can get. These are described below.

You can apply for these through Employment Insurance. Your workplace may also have coverage.

• These benefits are only available to new moms and surrogate moms.
• You need to have worked 600 hours over the last 52 weeks. You have to prove this by sending in an original copy of your Record of Employment. This is given to you by your employer. If you had more than one employer during the 52 weeks, you need a Record of Employment from each work place.
• You cannot apply for these benefits before you are 12 weeks away from your due date.
• Benefits end 17 weeks after you have your baby.
• If you work while on benefits, the government will subtract whatever you make off of the benefit they give you.

You can apply for these through Employment Insurance. Your workplace may also have coverage.

• Both parents can take these benefits. You can take them at the same time or one after the other.
• These benefits are given for a total of 35 weeks. The 35 weeks is shared between both parents. You can add these benefits to your Maternal Benefits for a total of 52 weeks.
• You need to have worked 600 hours over the last 52 weeks. You have to prove this by sending in an original copy of your Record of Employment. This is given to you by your employer. If you had more than one employer during the 52 weeks, you need a Record of Employment from each work place.
• If you work while getting this benefit, the government will take off $50.00 a week or 25% of your pay cheque; whichever is higher.

The Canada Child’s Benefit helps eligible families with the cost of raising children from 0-17 years of age. This is a tax-free, monthly benefit. Eligibility for the benefit, as well as how much you will receive, is based on your income tax return. Both parents have to file their income tax for this to be determined. To receive these benefits, parents have to fill out an application form.

The GST credit is a tax-free payment that is received 4 times a year. This credit helps low or modest income families. Eligibility to this benefit is based on your filing your income tax. There are no extra forms that need to be filled out. Both parents have to submit their income tax.

The Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax Credit is tax-free. The payment is combined with the GST credits above. Eligibility is determined through your income tax return. Both parents need to submit their income tax returns. For more information, click here.

The child disability credit is a monthly, tax-free credit. It is available to families who care for a child under 10 years old who has a disability. Your healthcare provider will need to fill out a form that says that your child has a severe and long-term disability. You can find out more information here at the Canadian Revenue Agency.

The Canada Child’s Benefit helps eligible families with the cost of raising children from 0-17 years of age. This is a tax-free, monthly benefit. Eligibility for the benefit, as well as how much you will receive, is based on your income tax return. Both parents have to file their income tax returns and fill out an application form.

The GST credit is a tax-free payment that is received 4 times a year. This credit helps low or modest income families. Eligibility for this benefit is based on your income tax returns. There are no extra forms that need to be filled out. Both parents have to submit their income tax returns.

The Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax Credit is tax-free. The payment is combined with the GST credits above. Again, eligibility is determined through your income tax returns. Both parents need to submit their income tax returns.

The Child Disability Benefit is a monthly, tax-free credit. It is available to families who care for a child under 10 years old who has a disability. Your healthcare provider will need to fill out a form that states that your child has a severe and long-term disability. You can find out more information here at the Canadian Revenue Agency.

You and your child need a support system. A support system is a group of people and agencies that can support you when you need it.

People in your support group can include:

• friends and family
• people from your community, like members of your book club or your child’s coach
• professionals and organizations, like a food bank or parent support group

Click here to print an exercise to figure out who can support you.

Give your child the chance to meet and play with other children. This will help them to build resiliency skills and develop mental health.

Opportunities for your child to meet other children include:

• attending community events
• going to friends’ or relatives’ houses
• participating in child-focused programming
• helping with chores outside of your house, like grocery shopping

Let your child play with other children their own age. It is also good if they have relationships with trusted adults outside of your family. This will build their support system.

Not all children have fathers in their lives.

For those who do, it is important to recognize that fathers play a unique role in their children’s lives. Fathers who are involved in parenting and their children’s lives can have many positive impacts on their children.

Fathers who are involved with their children have more confidence as a parent, have more connections to their families, and are happier in future friendships and relationships. Research shows that children who have involved fathers are more likely to have better problem-solving skills, are less impulsive, have higher self-esteem, can regulate their emotions, are empathetic, and are less aggressive.

For more information about fathering, please go to Dad Central.

Creating a support map will help you figure out what supports you have and what supports you still might need. Click here to print out this form.

What areas do you need support in? Use the space to add details for your particular situation.

• Chores and errands
• Financial support
• Practical advice
• Spiritual support
• Physical comfort
• Child care
• Community resources
• Emotional support

What qualities do you look for in a support person/organization? List people who you can turn to for this quality.

• Trustworthy
• Good listener
• Available emotionally
• Good judgement
• Empathetic
• Understanding
• Patient
• Willing to give advice
• Sense of humour
• Non-judgemental

Adapted from Trauma Academy. (n.d). My Trauma Recovery.

Below is an image that you can print off and then fill out. It will ask you to name your supports in three different areas: close friends and family; community; and professionals and organizations.

After you finish filling this out, ask yourself the following questions.

1. Which supports are just for me? Which are just for my child?
2. Do I have supports in all three areas? If not, what is missing?
3. Does my child have supports in all three areas? If not, what is missing?
4. Do your supports meet all of the needs that you have checked off above?
5. If they don’t, what is missing?
6. Do your supports have the qualities that you look for in support people/organizations?
   1. If there is a person or an organization that you answered “no” to for the above question, ask yourself if that person or organization is really a support to you?

Do you have a mental health concern? Do any of your child’s other caregivers have a mental health concern? There is support available for caregivers dealing with mental health concerns. Many people who experience mental health concerns are great caregivers.

Sometimes, caregivers who are experiencing mental health concerns are not always able to take care of their children in a sensitive and consistent way. For example, you may be hospitalized and, therefore, have breaks in your relationship with your child. It may also be difficult to be there for your child emotionally. This can impact your child’s ability to form a secure attachment to you.

Your child may develop some behavioural, learning, mental, and social problems. Sometimes, behaviours of your child may make your mental health symptoms get worse, for example, getting less sleep when your baby is young or not being able to stick to a specific schedule.

With support, parents with mental health concerns can be great parents. There are some things that you can do to support yourself and your children.

1. Recognize that it is okay to admit to others that you are struggling and that you need help. Get support from professionals, family, or friends.
2. Take time for yourself when you need to.
3. Recognize that you have a lot of strengths.
4. Help yourself and your child build resiliency skills.
5. Connect with local support groups and organizations. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) can help you do this.
6. Gather information. National mental health sites from a variety of countries have information about parenting and mental health. Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA); Mind.org (UK); Mental Health America (USA)
7. Build a support network around yourself and your family. You can also call HealthLine (811) if you need to connect with someone right away.

Domestic violence refers to abuse that occurs between people who are in a relationship. Domestic violence is sometimes called intimate partner violence. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of income, culture, sexual orientation, whether married or not, or whether they live together or not.

Both men and women can be abusive. Both men and women can also be abused. There are a lot of different kinds of abuse. Some of these include physical, emotional, sexual, financial, or spiritual abuse.

The victim is never at fault. Nothing that they did or did not do caused the abuse. Abuse happens because the abuser needs to have control over someone else.

The picture below gives examples of domestic violence.

This picture gives examples of domestic violence used against women. Visit www.theduluthmodel.org for other examples.

Young children are affected by domestic violence. They are more vulnerable than older children for some of the following reasons. They are:

• physically smaller and unable to protect themselves
• more likely than older children to be home during conflicts
• unable to ask for help or talk about what they see, hear, or feel
• less likely to know people outside of their home

Children are affected by domestic violence when they:

• see or hear violence
• see the effects of violence on their parents (injuries or depression)
• are threatened as part of the abuse
• feel the need to become caregivers for their parents
• have their family break apart
• are victims of abuse themselves

Domestic violence:

• increases a child’s risk of being abused
• often results in families breaking down (e.g., divorce or separation)
• increases the risk of mother’s mental health problems before and after pregnancy; this can impact the health of their child
• can affect the care the parents give the child (e.g., nutrition, clothing, bathing)
• can result in other problems within the family (e.g., alcohol or drug abuse, isolation)

Children who live in a home where there is domestic violence may:

• not understand what is happening, why it is happening, and who is at fault; they might blame themselves
• think that violence is okay and normal
• develop behavioural problems
• not be getting the nutrition that they need
• lose behavioural, social, and emotional skills (regress)
• develop health issues like allergies or asthma
• not have a good example to learn about healthy relationships or how to interact well with others
• have problems forming healthy relationships with adults and other children

A child who has experienced domestic violence needs help to sort through their feelings, to understand the abuse, and to develop a healthy relationship with their parent(s). You can help your child rebuild their close relationships attachment.

Below is a list of ways that you can help your child deal with domestic violence.

• Allow your child to be a child; don’t give them adult responsibilities and roles.
• Provide a safe place for play and exploration.
• Help the child learn how to recognize, name, and manage their emotions.
• Model social skills for the child, such as respect.
• Provide opportunities, like running or swimming, for your child to release built-up energy.
• Teach your child problem-solving skills.
• Pay close attention to what your child says or how he acts, and understand that it may be a result of the violence.
• Model dealing with anger in a positive way.
• Help your child learn to deal with success and failure.
• Help your child learn coping skills, such as relaxation techniques.
• Give your child opportunities to play with other children their age.
• Build on your child’s strengths.
• Once your child is safe, help them to understand that it was not their fault, that abuse is not right, and that it is okay to feel confused about everything that happened.

Maternal mental health problems happen during pregnancy or in the first year after you have had your baby. A lot of women experience maternal mental health problems. Any new mother can be affected. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, what ethnicity you are, or where you live.

Please read the list of symptoms below. Do you have several of these symptoms? Have these symptoms lasted longer than two weeks? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, please talk to your healthcare professional.

• Cry for no reason
• Have less interest in normal activities
• Feel unusually grumpy, angry, or sensitive
• Feel more tired than usual
• Have more energy than usual
• Have problems sleeping or sleep too much
• Have problems concentrating
• Have difficulty coping
• Feel anxious or panicked
• Think about hurting yourself, your baby, or others
• See things or hear voices

Maternal mental health concerns can be serious. They can affect the health of the mother, baby, and others around them. If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself, your baby, or others, call 911.

It is important to get help as soon as possible. Contact your regional mental health office. Click here for the number for your region. You can also call HealthLine (811) if you need to talk to someone right away.