The Looksee Checklist

The Looksee Checklist,  is designed to be completed by a parent or caregiver. It provides a snapshot of your child’s development to discuss with your health care provider and/or child care professional. The screens identify key developmental stages up to age six.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development, or if you would like to complete a Looksee checklist with a Public Health Nurse to ensure your child is on track to meet their developmental milestones, call to make an appointment at our Let’s Grow clinic.

Email: familyhealth@rcdhu.com, or
Phone: Family Health Intake Line at 613-735-9774 (direct line) OR 1-800-267-1097 Ext. 589 (toll free).

Click on the following link for community resources available in Renfrew County and District.

• Community Resources

Breastfeeding Support

To learn more about breastfeeding support:

• Visit: Infant Feeding and Infant Feeding Supports

Breastfeeding Matters

The resource below is an important guide to breastfeeding for women and their families.

• Breastfeeding Matters
• L’allaitement, ça compte (Français)

Infant Formula

After making an informed decision about using infant formula, the booklet below will help parents, families, caregivers, and childcare providers prepare, feed and store formula safely.

• Infant Formula: What You Need to Know
• Les préparations pour nourrissons: ce qu’il faut savoir (Français)

Ontario’s Routine Immunization Schedule

Routine immunization begins at two months of age and continues throughout life according to Ontario’s routine immunization schedule.

• Ontario’s Routine Immunization Schedule

Personal Immunization Record

At two months of age, when your child receives his/her first immunizations from their physician or at RCDHU, you will be given a yellow “Personal Immunization Record“. This is where you can keep track of your child`s immunizations. The Personal Immunization Record also includes a guide that indicates at what age or grade you child is due for their next immunization.

RCDHU’s Immunization Clinics

All of the routine immunizations your baby needs are free and are available at RCDHU’s immunization clinics or your primary care provider.

Immunizations for your baby are available through RCDHU’s routine vaccine clinic or at our Let’s Grow clinic, which also includes a growth and development check with a Public Health Nurse.

For more information about our Let’s Grow clinic, see accordion below.

To find out how to get your baby’s immunizations and which clinic at RCDHU is right for you, contact us at 613-735-9774 or email familyhealth@rcdhu.com

Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON)

You can now update, view and/or print your child’s immunization record through the ICON portal. ICON is a secure tool for submitting updates and viewing your child’s immunization information on file at RCDHU.

• ICON

For more information:

• Phone: 613-732-3629 Ext. 609 OR 1-800-267-1097 Ext. 609, or
• Visit: Immunization

The Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program is a free home-visiting program for people that are expecting and new parents with a child up to transition to school who need additional support with:

• prenatal health care;
• preparing for a new baby;
• building strong relationships;
• feeding a toddler;
• managing a child’s behavior;
• being a positive parent;
• mental health supports; and
• connecting to helpful services in Renfrew County and District

Skilled Public Health Nurses, Social Workers and Home Visitors visit with parents and their family at home. The visits can be arranged Monday to Friday during business hours (08:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). The number of visits and the length of each visit will depend on individual needs.

For more information about the Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program and/or to view/download the HBHC Fact Sheet, visit the Government of Ontario website in English and/or French.

To inquire about participating in the HBHC program and complete the required screening for eligibility, visit our Parenting page and click on “At Home Support” to complete the self-referral.

To learn how you can keep your baby safe during sleep, at home, around pets while playing and travelling visit our Child Safety Tab.

Spend one-on-one time with a Public Health Nurse and get support as well as answers to your questions about feeding, sleeping, crying and other parenting topics. Open to families with children age zero to transition to school by appointment. Children 0-18 months can also receive their routine immunizations at Let’s Grow clinics

Clinic locations:
Pembroke
Renfrew
Arnprior
Barry’s Bay

For more information and to book an appointment:

Email: familyhealth@rcdhu.com, or
Call: Family Health Intake Line at 613-735-9774 (direct line) OR 1-800-267-1097 Ext. 589 (toll free).

While postpartum (after birth) depression is commonly discussed, mental health concerns can begin during pregnancy. In fact, one in five women experience symptoms of depression and/or anxiety during pregnancy.

If you are pregnant and have concerns about your mood, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider. Support and treatment are available, and early care can make a meaningful difference for both you and your baby.

To learn more about depression and anxiety during and after pregnancy, please see the resources below.To learn more about depression and anxiety during and after pregnancy, click on the links below.

• Pregnancy and life with a new baby are not always what you expect
• Durant la grossesse et avec un nouveau bébé, la vie n’est pas toujours rose (Français)
• Managing Depression – A Self-help Skills Resource for Parents Living with Depression During Pregnancy, After Delivery and Beyond
• Surmonter la dépression – Un guide de stratégies d’auto-assistance destiné aux parents souffrant de dépression durant la grossesse, après l’accouchement et au-delà (Français)

Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale

The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale is a short questionnaire that checks for postpartum depression. New mothers can easily complete and score it at home and then take it to their health care provider to talk about how she is feeling. It is important for a woman to tell their Health Care Provider all the symptoms she is experiencing so that all available support and treatment options are considered.

• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

Coping After Baby: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based Workshop

• Visit: Copying After Baby: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based Workshop

To learn more about Mental Health:

• Visit: Mental Health page and click on “Perinatal Mood Disorders“.

To learn more about Substance Use:

• Visit: Alcohol & Other Drugs

Tummy time is essential for infants’ core, motor, and sensory development and achievement of milestones. The resource below includes tummy time activities (including pictures!) by age, tips for making tummy time fun for baby, like practicing tummy time at baby’s happiest time, and a checklist for developmental milestones baby should reach at three and six months.

• Tummy Time

The resource below is to help you better understand, cope with and/or support someone with ‘difficult to comfort’ crying.

• Understanding and Coping with Your Baby’s Crying

Your safety and the safety of your children is the most important priority.

Abuse against women is never justified or acceptable. One in three women will experience abuse in their lifetime.

Plan for your safety:

• Call 911 if you or your children are in danger.
• Tell someone you trust about what is happening in your relationship.
• Keep in touch with family and friends.
• Seek legal advice.
• Keep important documents ready to take with you (birth certificates, passports, health cards, bank account numbers, and keys.

Making a Safety Plan:

For assistance with making a safety plan, please contact:

Bernadette McCann House (Local 24/7 Support):

• Phone: 613-732-3131 or 1-800-267-4930
• Text: 613-639-1233 (messages are monitored regularly, response time may vary)
• Email: help@wsssbmh.org (messages are monitored regularly, response time may vary)
• Website: Bernadette McCann House

Women’s Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County (Local 24/7 Support)
Centre pour les Agressions Sexuelles des Femmes (Assistance locale 24/7)

• Crisis Line: 1-800-663-3060
• Office: 613-735-5551 (Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
• Email: info@rcsac.org
• Website: Women’s Sexual Assault Centre

Services available in English and French.

Help is available (24 hours a day, 7 days a week):

Emergency Medical Services

• Call: 9-1-1

Renfrew Victoria Hospital (RVH) – Regional Assault Care Program

• Call: 1-800-363-7222 or 613-432-4851 Ext. 224
• Website: Regional Assault Care Program

Assaulted Women’s Helpline (Ontario – 150 languages available)

• Call: 1-866-863-0511
• Website : Assaulted Women’s Helpline

Fem’aide Ligne de soutien pour femmes victimes de violence

• Call: 1-877-336-2433
• Text: 1-877-336-2433
• Email: info@femaide.ca
• Website: Fem’aide Ligne de soutien pour femmes victimes de violence

iHEAL app: Available to use as a mobile app or web tool, iHEAL is a free, private, and secure app that helps Canadian women who have experienced abuse from a current or past partner to find personalized ways to stay safe and be well. To learn more, visit their web page at https://ihealapp.ca/en 

Loss of a baby can occur at any time in pregnancy and for a wide variety of reasons. For many people, loss happens due to miscarriage before they had even announced the pregnancy, for others it happens later in the pregnancy, or at delivery. Loss at any time can cause a variety of emotions for you and your partner. It is important to talk about the loss, and about your feelings, with people you trust.

Resources to support individuals and families through loss:

The Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network is an organization that supports families across Ontario who have experienced pregnancy and Infant loss. For more information about PAIL’s peer family support programs, visit their website: https://pailnetwork.sunnybrook.ca/programs-for-parents/ 

The Hospice Renfrew offers a grief support group for bereaved mothers coping with the unique grief challenges experienced after the loss of a child. For more information or to register contact 613-433-3993 x 2237 or email grief@hospicerenfrew.ca

CHEO offers a variety of resources to help you better understand, cope with and/or support someone going through grief and bereavement. To view these resources, visit their website at: https://www.cheo.on.ca/en/resources-and-support/grief-and-bereavement.aspx

For grief and bereavement counselling in your area visit eMentalHealth.ca

For support navigating the resources that are available to you, please call RCDHU Family Health Intake at 613-735-9774 or toll free at 1-800-267-1097 extension 589.