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We explore how organisations working on parenting programmes and other types of family support and violence prevention in low-resource settings experienced the pandemic. In August 2020–May 2021, we interviewed (1) staff from three community-based organisations delivering evidence-informed parenting interventions and other psychosocial services for families in Cape Town, South Africa, (2) staff from a parenting programme training organisation and (3) staff from two international organisations supporting psychosocial services in South Africa. Interviews (22) were thematically analysed, with findings in three areas. First, respondents noted changes in the context, including the job losses, food insecurity, and stress experienced by local communities, and reductions in organisational funding. Second, we found that in response to these context changes, the organisations shifted their focus to food provision and COVID prevention. Parenting and psychosocial programmes were adapted – e.g. by changing the physical delivery settings, reducing group sizes, and taking up digital and phone implementation. Participants reported improved perceptions of remote delivery as a feasible approach for working with families – but internet and phone access remained challenging. Third, the pandemic brought new responsibilities for staff, and both the challenges of working from home and the health risks of in-person work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) live in fear of fracturing their bones. As fractures are unpredictable, there is a need for tools and knowledge to immobilize a fracture during emergencies. Inspired by a patient with OI recognized for fracture management, the aim of this patient-initiated project was to establish best practices for the safe splinting of fractures during emergencies, including the creation of an evidence-informed OI Splint Kit. Methods: A clinical practice guideline study was conducted to create an evidence-informed splint kit for patients. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify kits and materials used to immobilize fractures with splints during emergencies. An expert Task Force was convened to review the results and a timeline was established to create a splint kit. The prototype underwent iterative cycles of modifications based on feedback from the Task Force. Results: Four electronic databases were searched (Medline, CINHAL, PsychInfo, and Scopus), revealing zero publications pertaining to fracture immobilization kits. The Task Force used their clinical expertise and experiences to develop the OI Splint Kit. The following itemswere included: splinting tools, bilingual educational material, instructional cards, video tutorials, and memory card game. Conclusion: A gap remains in terms of validated kits to assist in fracture immobilization during emergencies. A portable and practical OI Splint Kit was developed to assist in fracture immobilization emergencies, based on interprofessional clinical expertise and patient experiential knowledge. The kit is subject to ongoing testing quality evaluations to ensure its suitability for use in various contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child poverty remains a persistent problem in Canada and is well known to lead to poor health outcomes. The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a cash transfer program in effect since 2016, which increased both the benefit amount and number of families eligible for the previous child benefit. While the CCB has decreased child poverty rates, not all eligible families have participated. Clinicians can play an important role in screening for uptake of the program and helping families navigate the application process through several free resources. While prior research on past programs has shown benefit of similar cash transfer programs to both child and parental outcomes (both health and social), the CCB has not yet been extensively studied. Research would be valuable in both assessing the cost effectiveness of the program, especially across different income groups, and improving implementation in hard-to-reach populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism spectrum disorder implies adjustments in the daily care of the child. In this scenario, animal-assisted interventions seem to act as a facilitator in maintaining the quality of life of these individuals. Objective: To develop an animal-assisted intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorder (AAIPC-ASD). Methodology: Methodological study for the construction of a program of animal-assisted interventions, applicable to children with autism spectrum disorder, based on the model of complex interventions of the Medical Research Council that consists of four stages: identifying the evidence base, identifying/ developing theory, modeling process, and assessing effectiveness. Results: The AAIPC-ASD development process has resulted in the construction of Version 1 of the program, consisting of the following items: program planning, session planning, implementation, field notes, and final evaluation. Conclusion: The structure of Version 1 of the AAIPC-ASD is aligned with the characteristics of its target group, based on primary field research data and updated bibliographic data. Its effectiveness and validation will be assessed in later stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]