Parents struggling to make sense of their child’s mental health problems have a new resource – a web site that gives them clear, honest, practical information on what works and what doesn’t to improve their child’s emotional health and well-being.

It’s called the Centre of Knowledge on Healthy Child Development, and it can be accessed at www.knowledge.offordcentre.com .   The web site – a first for Canada – was developed by the Offord Centre for Child Studies, a Canadian research group that has received international recognition for its work in the field of early child development.

Launched in May of this year, the web site draws on the best available scientific research to provide information on anger, aggression and bullying, attention problems, anxiety, depression, learning problems and more.  There is also information on what helps and hinders healthy child development, and how to distinguish mental health problems from normal development at every stage from infancy through the teen years.  

Dr. Peter Szatmari, Director of the Offord Centre, said the web site is designed to help both parents and professionals sift the wheat from the chaff so they can make better choices that will improve outcomes for children.  

“There’s a lot of information on the Internet but much of it is inaccurate, one-sided or just not helpful.  Parents who go on our web site can feel confident that they are getting information that is up-to-the-minute and based on the very best science available.”

He added that future plans include delivering this information in customized packages to doctor’s offices, classrooms, libraries and other locations that serve young people and their parents.

Parents and professionals are praising the web site as an important step in promoting child mental health and the role it plays in overall child health.

“Having the Offord Centre for Child Studies establish this web site gives me great confidence that we are moving forward in the way that we should to help families and young people,” said Susan Hess, President of Parents for Children’s Mental Health.