CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : t*********l@c**********p.ca
Mission Statement
CDI is a charity that supports children, youth, and their families to transform their lives through innovative and impactful early learning and mental health services.
About This Cause
About CDI For over 115 years, the Child Development Institute (CDI) has been a beacon of hope for children and families, providing evidence-informed mental health care and early learning services in Toronto and through its national and international affiliates. Since 1909, CDI has put children and their families first, offering community-based services that have grown to provide a comprehensive continuum of care, including early learning and child care, mental health services, and gender-based violence programs. Through our Toronto-based direct services and our network of national and international affiliates, CDI has served over 30,000 children over the past five years, all while grappling with a global pandemic from which our communities are still recovering. In 2024 we served over 10,000 children, youth and their families. Building on our strength, ingenuity, and resilience, as we celebrate 116 years of service, CDI looks forward to achieving even greater impact for children, youth, and their families. In the next five years CDI aims to serve 50,000 children and their families. CDI Programs Fundamental to the DNA of our services is research, evaluation, and demonstrated impact. With a continuous improvement mindset, we have been expanding our knowledge and understanding of early childhood development, exploring innovative approaches and best practices, and researching the connections between all the factors that impact a child’s development. At CDI, we believe in a family-centered approach that empowers caregivers with the education and tools they need to support their child's development and well-being. Our programs are designed to provide comprehensive care that addresses the unique needs of each family, offering outcomes-based clinical services, counseling, and targeted prevention strategies. By equipping caregivers with effective strategies for emotional regulation, self-control, and problem-solving, we help create a supportive environment where children can thrive. This holistic approach ensures that families are not just passive recipients of care but active participants in their child's journey towards a brighter future. We offer three primary service streams: * Child and Youth Mental Health Services: We provide family-centered, evidence-informed clinical care to children and youth ages 0-18 with mental health challenges and other special needs such as learning disabilities complicated by mental health (LDMH). Our results-focused programs include SNAP® (Stop Now and Plan), CDI’s award-winning cognitive-behavioural model, which equips children exhibiting behavioural issues with effective emotional regulation, self-control, and problem-solving skills. CDI and our network of affiliates deliver SNAP across Canada and internationally. Our services also include targeted prevention, counselling and therapy, intensive in-home and school-based treatment programs to help children and youth struggling with social-emotional and behavioural issues, along with supporting their families. * Gender-Based Violence Services: These services offer group and shelter-based programs to help women and children who have experienced family violence and other trauma. CDI provides individual and family counselling, parenting support, family reconnection and healing services, and links to community supports. * Early Years and Child Care Services: This includes five Early Learning Centres (child care centres) and the Parkdale-High Park EarlyON Child and Family Centre. Each Centre provides young children with a healthy start in a child-focused, play-based early learning environment. We provide direct services to at-risk children and their families in Toronto and have scaled delivery of our signature evidence-based programs – SNAP and Mothers in Mind – across Canada and internationally. We are also highly collaborative in sharing our research, knowledge, and expertise through partnerships, collaborations, training, consultation, and publications. Our new strategic plan (2024-2029) is exciting, it is challenging, it is bold, and it is necessary to ensure the promise of a brighter tomorrow for generations of children and the families who love and support them. We have an ambitious, transformative mandate to serve 50,000 children and youth in the next five years. At a time of unprecedented need in our communities, we are committed to closing these critical gaps and offering our children, youth, and families a brighter and healthier future.