Moving Upstream - Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

1. Healthy Growth
& Development
Health Goals
Encouraging peer-to-peer support.
Facilitating use of the Triple P Parenting program throughout the tricounty.
Facilitating and enhancing breastfeeding support.
Providing support to parents through the Healthy Babies/Healthy
Children program.
Advocating for equitable/accessible parenting support throughout the
tri-county.
Collaborate with professionals in the community with tools and
materials to support evidence-based practice.
3. Children and Youth have Developmental Assets®
According to the Search Institute, “Developmental Assets®” are 40 common
sense, positive experiences and qualities that help influence choices young
people make and help them become caring, responsible, successful adults (11).
Research has found that the more assets a child or youth has, the greater the
probability is that he/she will be successful at school, exhibit leadership, control
impulses, overcome adversity, maintain health and a healthy life-style. They are
less likely to engage in alcohol use, binge drinking, smoking, drug use, sexual
intercourse, criminal behavior, aggressive and bullying behaviors, and other
excessive risk taking. A 2008 survey (12) in Leeds-Grenville of 2500 students in
grades 4 to 12 found:
Among students in grades 4 to 6: 5% had 10 or fewer, 24% had 11
to 20, 43% had 21 – 30 and 28% had 31 to 40 of the Developmental
Assets®.
Among students in grades 7 to 12: 22% had 10 or fewer, 49% had 11
to 20, 43% had 21 to 30, and 4% had 31 to 40 of the Developmental
Assets®.
While these numbers are consistent with surveys of students in other locales it
highlights the need for more work in our area, particularly among youth.
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Moving Upstream: 2013-2018 Strategic Plan
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit