Articles

Vanier Institute articles explore the diversity and complexity of families and the reality of family life in Canada with contributions from people who study, serve and support families, as well as people with lived experience. Produced in English and French since 1970, our articles provide information, insights and inspiration to our diverse readership, which includes researchers, educators, students, journalists, family service workers, policy-makers and more.

2023

• Researcher Spotlight: Margaret Campbell on Families, Disability, and Wellbeing, Emily Kenny

• Fertility Rate in Canada Fell to (Another) Record Low in 2022, Nathan Battams

• Father’s Day 2023: Changing Roles, Changing Profiles, Nathan Battams

• Three Takeaways from the Quebec Childcare Model, Sophie Mathieu, PhD

• Insights on Retaining Employed Family Caregivers in Your Talent Pool, Jacquie Eales, Jon Lai, and Janet Fast, PhD

2022

• Child Care Policy in Canada: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, Gordon Cleveland, PhD

• In Conversation: Barb Neis on Families and Work-Related Mobility, Nathan Battams

• National Grandparents’ Day: New Insights from Canadian Research

• Sharing a Roof: Multigenerational Homes in Canada (2021 Census Update), Nathan Battams

• Canada’s “Family Portrait”: Measuring Families in the Census, Nathan Battams

• Paternity Benefit Use During COVID-19: Early Findings from Quebec, Sophie Mathieu, PhD, and Marie Gendron, CEO of the Conseil de gestion de l’assurance parentale

• In Conversation: Rachel Margolis on Divorce in Canada, Nathan Battams

• Partner Profile: The Mothers Matter Centre, Gaby Novoa

• In Conversation: Nora Galbraith on Divorce Trends in Canada, Nathan Battams

• National Caregiver Day: Supporting Working Caregivers

• Divorce in Canada: A Tale of Two Trends, Nathan Battams

• Researcher Spotlight: Kim de Laat, Gaby Novoa

• A Framework for Understanding Family Diversities in Canada

• In Conversation: Emily Glossop-Nicholson on Home as Family, Community and Connection, Gaby Novoa

2021

• COVID-19 IMPACTS: Family Therapists Survey – Final Report

• New Statistics Canada Data Show COVID Is Impacting Fertility in Canada, Nathan Battams

• RAPP: Taking Research to Impact Through Collaboration, Nathan Battams

• Metrics to Meaning: Capturing the Diversity of Couples in Canada, Kathya Aathavan

• Stories Behind the Stats: Becoming a New Dad During Lockdown, Nathan Battams

• Caregiving During COVID: What Have We Learned? (Video), Alex Foster-Petrocco

• Love You Forever: A Mother’s Care, Gaby Novoa

• REVIEW: Mothers, Mothering, and COVID-19: Dispatches from a Pandemic, Alex Foster-Petrocco

• Celebrating Chosen Family Within the LGBTQ+ Community, Gaby Novoa

• Family Policy Update: Changes to the Divorce Act

• The Complexity and Impacts of High-Conflict Family Cases, Rachel Birnbaum, PhD, RSW, LLM, and Nicholas C. Bala, LSM, BA, JD, LLM

2020

• Couple Relationships in Canada, Ana Fostik, PhD

• COVID-19 and Parenting in Canada, Nora Spinks, Sara MacNaull and Jennifer Kaddatz

• Retirees and Family Finances in Canada, Edward Ng, PhD

• Youth Well-being in Canada, Edward Ng, PhD, and Nadine Badets

• In Conversation: Katherine Arnup on Death, Dying and Dignity During COVID-19, Gaby Novoa

• Families in Canada Adapting: My Family’s COVID Journey, Edward Ng, PhD

• Families and Housing in Canada, Nadine Badets, Gaby Novoa and Nathan Battams

• Uncertainty and Postponement: Pandemic Impact on Fertility in Canada, Ana Fostik, PhD

• In Conversation: Lucy Gallo on Access, Adaptation and Resilience Among LGBTQI2S Youth, Gaby Novoa

• Getting Out, Getting Active and Family Well‑Being, Gaby Novoa and Nathan Battams

• Family Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Transcript and Presentations

• Food Insecurity and Family Finances During the Pandemic, Nadine Badets

• Families in Canada Adapting: A Wedding at a Distance, Edward Ng, PhD

• Family Finances and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ana Fostik, PhD, and Jennifer Kaddatz

• Families New to Canada and Financial Well-being During Pandemic, Laetitia Martin

• Parents’ Thoughts on Post-Pandemic Future in Canada, Nadine Badets

• Who Is Your COVID‑19 Crisis “Extended and Chosen Family”?, Jennifer Kaddatz

• Senior Well-being and Family Concern, Nadine Badets and Ana Fostik, PhD

• Health Habits During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Kaddatz and Nadine Badets

• A Snapshot of Family Attachment During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Kaddatz

• Do Adults in Couples Have Better Mental Health During the COVID‑19 Pandemic?, Ana Fostik, PhD, and Jennifer Kaddatz

• Parenting in a Pandemic: A Story and the Stats, Jennifer Kaddatz

• Canadians Turning to Their Screens to Keep Busy During COVID-19 Isolation, Jennifer Kaddatz, Ana Fostik, PhD, and Nathan Battams

• Survey Finds Gender Gaps in COVID-19 Pandemic Experiences and Responses, Jennifer Kaddatz

• Couples Find Support in One Another During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ana Fostik, PhD, Jennifer Kaddatz and Nora Spinks

• Families Struggle to Cope with Financial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Kaddatz

• Getting to Know My Great-Grandfather Through Family Archives, Gaby Novoa

• Grand-Families Highlight Family Adaptability

• Diblings Asking “Who Am I?” – Searching for Answers, Finding More Questions, Sara MacNaull and Nora Spinks

• Vanier Institute Joins UN Expert Group Meeting on Families in Development

• In Conversation: Lucy Gallo on Chosen Family Day and LGBTQI2S Youth, Nathan Battams

• In Conversation: Rachel Margolis on Divorce Trends in Canada, Nathan Battams

• Caregiving to Older Canadians

• Caregiving and Care Receiving in Canada

• Caregiver Support in Canada

• 2020 Federal Tax Changes Regarding Separation/Divorce, RRSPs and Homeownership

2019

• Work, Care and the Carer-Inclusive and Accommodating Organizations (CIAO) Standard (PDF), Emily Beckett

• In Conversation with Lisa Wolff, Director, Policy and Research, UNICEF Canada, Nathan Battams

• “Virtual Parenting” After Separation and Divorce, Rachel Birnbaum, PhD, RSW, LLM

• Fathers “Making It Work”

• Webinar Content: Understanding the Parental Sharing Benefit and the Caregiving Benefits

• Mother’s Day 2019: New Moms Older, More Likely to Be Employed Than in the Past

• The Right Honourable David Johnston and Mrs. Sharon Johnston – #FAM2019 Welcome Message

• Early Learning and Child Care Professionals and Practitioners Working with Canadian Military and Veteran Families

• Reflections on the Families in Canada Conference 2019

• Long-lasting Relationships in Canada

• Living Alone in Canada

• Couples Living Apart in Canada

• Adults Living with Parents

• Grandparents in Canada

• Review: Co-Parenting from the Inside Out: Voices of Moms and Dads, Sara MacNaull

• Modern Family Finances: Military and Veteran Families in Canada

• Food Insecurity in Canada

• On This Day: Vanier Institute Founder Georges P. Vanier Becomes Governor General

• The Impact of Post-Traumatic Stress on Canadian Armed Forces, First Responders and Their Families

2018

• What’s in a Name? Defining Family in a Diverse Society, Alan Mirabelli

• Family Perspectives: Death and Dying in Canada, Dr. Katherine Arnup

• Work and Family: The Impact of Mobility, Scheduling and Precariousness, Elise Thorburn, PhD

• Facing Death: Emerging Trends in Death and Dying in Canada, Emily Beckett

• Modern Mothers in Canada “Making It Work”

• Alan Mirabelli: Hub Hospice and the Palliative Care Experience

• Senior Caregivers in Canada

2017

• Modern Motherhood: The Unique Experiences of Women with Physical Disabilities, Lesley A. Tarasoff

• Family Finances: Investments in Education, Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy and Nathan Battams

• Grandparent Health and Family Well-Being, Rachel Margolis, PhD

• In Context: Understanding Maternity Care in Canada

• Employment Mobility and Family Gentrification in Montreal, Steven High, Lysiane Goulet Gervais, Michelle Duchesneau and Dany Guay‑Bélanger

• Polyamory in Canada: Research on an Emerging Family Structure, John-Paul Boyd, M.A., LL.B.

• Lived Experience: Understanding Families Affected by Incarceration , Farhat Rehman

• Supporting the Health of Mothers and Their Babies in the Context of Incarceration, Dr. Ruth Elwood Martin and Brenda Tole

• Circuits of Care: Mobility, Work and Managing Family Relationships, Dr. Sara Dorow and Shingirai Mandizadza, PhDc

2016

• Family Physicians Working with Canadian Military Families

• Building Resilience at Home with Distance Coaching

• Understanding the Impact of Fort McMurray Wildfires on Foreign National Family Caregivers

• Modern Fathers Reshaping the Work–Family Relationship, Nathan Battams

• Intergenerational Relations and Societal Change, Donna S. Lero, PhD

• Public Policy Brief – Flex: From a Privilege to a Right, Sara MacNaull

• Building Inclusive Communities for Canada’s Military and Veteran Families, Col (ret) Russell Mann, OMM, MSM, MBA, CD

• Language, Labels and “Lone Parents”, Victoria Bailey

• Review: The Importance of Being Little by Erika Christakis

• It’s Time to Care for Our (Young) Carers, Andrea Breen, PhD

• My Caregiving Journey, Katherine Arnup, PhD

• Human Rights Perspectives: Emerging Issues and Workplace Impacts

• Work–Family Conflict Among Single Parents in the Canadian Armed Forces, Alla Skomorovsky, PhD

• Flex at Work Benchmarking Initiative, Sara MacNaull and Nora Spinks

• Family Caregiving in Canada: A Fact of Life and a Human Right, Nathan Battams

• Supporting Canada’s Military and Veteran Families

• Community and Business Leaders Making a Difference for Canadian Military Families

• The Current State of Military Family Research, Heidi Cramm, Deborah Norris, Linna Tam-Seto, Maya Eichler and Kimberley Smith‑Evans

2015 and Older

• Sleep and Families, Dr. David B. Posen, M.D.

• OFF THE VANIER BOOKSHELF: Family Futures (UNDESA-DSPD) (PDF), Sara MacNaull

• (Still) Eating Together: The Culture of the Family Meal, Paul Fieldhouse

• Beyond the “Ideal”: Beryl Plumptre and the Vanier Institute’s Definition of “Family” (PDF), Alan Mirabelli

• General The Right Honourable Georges P. Vanier: A Life of Devotion (PDF), Nathan Battams

• Family Insights Over the Years (PDF)

• Collaborative Settlement: Resolving Disputes After Separation or Divorce (PDF), John-Paul Boyd, M.A., LL.B.

• OFF THE VANIER BOOKSHELF: Parenting Through the Storm (Ann Douglas), Cindy Graham

• Strength in Diversity: Positive Impacts of Children with Disabilities, Michelle R. Lodewyks

• Modern Maternity Care in Canada (PDF), Cecilia Benoit

• Lone Mothers and Their Families in Canada: Diverse, Resilient and Strong

• Dads Play a Greater Role at Home: Family Life Benefits, Nathan Battams

• Governor General David Johnston at the Families in Canada Conference 2015

• Family Finances: Investments in Education, Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy

• Respect, Reconciliation, Resilience: Phil Fontaine and Archbishop James Weisgerber in Conversation

• Andrew Solomon – Diversity, Difference, Disability and Families

• Caring Enough to Flex, Flexing Enough to Care, Sara MacNaull

• Putting the “F” in EFAP: The Evolution of Workplace Mental Health Supports, Craig Thompson

• To Share or Not to Share: Online Privacy and Publicity Among Canadian Youth (PDF), Matthew Johnson

• Modern Caregiving in Canada, Janet E. Fast, PhD, and Donna S. Lero, PhD

• Modern Fatherhood: Paternal Involvement and Family Relationships (PDF), Ian DeGeer, Humberto Carolo and Todd Minerson

• The Health Care Experiences of LGBTQ+ Seniors, Laura Zuccaro

• Ageism and the Experience of Health Care (PDF), Nathan Battams

• OFF THE VANIER BOOKSHELF: The Healing Journey: Intimate Partner Abuse and Its Implications in the Labour Market (Linda DeRiviere) (PDF), Nathan Battams

• Dividing Matrimonial Property: Common-Law Partners Still Excluded from Property Laws (PDF), Rollie Thompson

• Strengthening Ties Through Technology (PDF), Nathan Battams

• Young Carers Gaining Visibility in Canada, Vass Bednar

• When Cupboards Are Bare: Food Insecurity and Public Health, Nathan Battams

• Connected, Mobile and Social: The Online Lives of Canadian Youth, Matthew Johnson

• OFF THE VANIER BOOKSHELF: Valuing Children: Rethinking the Economics of the Family (Nancy Folbre) (PDF), Nathan Battams

• OFF THE VANIER BOOKSHELF: Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity (Andrew Solomon) (PDF), Nathan Battams