The community–based social pediatrics' approach is an innovative model of integrated social medicine dedicated to meeting the global needs of children and ensuring that their fundamental rights are respected. It has originally developed from two key concepts: (1) The desire to make sure that no child "falls through the cracks" in the system – bereft of resources and care, with no one who can really “be there” for the child; (2) The importance of applying the principle that it takes a village to raise a child.  It implies the interconnection of medicine, law, and social services for empowering the child and the family as essential partners for the success of the child overtime. It is clearly a new paradigm of medicine in proximity completely integrative in its actions and outputs.

There is a great deal of confusion when it comes to the issue of child poverty. Who are these children and what are the consequences of this poverty on their health and well-being? Where do they live? How many are there in Quebec and in Canada in general, and, for that matter, around the world? Is poverty real or only the cause of the complex social problems faced by these children, problems that lead to an irreversible loss of human and social capital? Poverty is relative and can endure over time. It has always existed and in many different contexts, its impact varying as a function of various individual, cultural, and environmental factors. In today’s society, poverty continues to exist, even worsen, in many communities to the point that it impacts all facets of children’s lives. Campaign 2000, an initiative of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, set the goal of “eliminating child poverty in Canada by the year 2000.” However, according to its last report in 2014, 1.3 million children—that is 1 in 5 children—are still living in poverty. In fact, child poverty increased from 15.8% in 1989 to 19.1% in 2014.

Whether it is in health or education, we have a collective obligation to take action to ensure that the issue of children’s rights passes from theory into practice. First and foremost, we must all apply the concept of equality in our daily professional practices so that the rights of all children are protected, and their wellbeing and success are strengthened. In fact, we have a basic tool that can be easily integrated into daily practice to ensure such equality in the global development of our children: the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Signed by most of the world’s countries, this document outlines the fundamental needs of children and the determinants of child health. Its 41 articles are particularly relevant to those seeking to achieve equality and improve the wellbeing of children. Although ratified by Canada many years ago, the Convention has often been left on the shelf to collect dust, despite its great relevance and soundness. In fact, a number of significant societal problems involve violations of the Convention, and the educational system is no exception. For example, article 27 of the Convention recognizes that parents are responsible for their children’s development and that they need appropriate assistance to ensure their children’s wellbeing and success at school. This implies that parents must never be left to struggle on their own and, furthermore, that they have a right to all possible assistance. However, in the educational system parents are far too often excluded from discussions and kept at arm’s length. Parents often find themselves presented with an intervention plan in which they did not participate as key stakeholders. No wonder it can then prove difficult to obtain their approval and implement the plan.

To make the situation more concrete, we’d like to take you for a journey to our pediatric center. Let us look more closely at one particular story. Just as the cases we see daily in our community social pediatric settings, it clearly demonstrates the fact that behind what seems an ordinary problem or a disruptive behavior often lies a violation of children’s fundamental rights. It also highlights how to deal with different views from all actors involved in the child’s life and the importance of acting in the best interest of the child. … An exasperated mother shouted in the clinic of community social pediatrics, “You’ve gotta give him a higher dose! He’s driving me crazy. If you don’t, they sure won’t let him back into school.” In the waiting room, a six-year-old boy stood as the “terror of the neighborhood” – and he knew it all right. He was considered so disruptive that the school had deprived him of his right to education several times. Earlier in his short existence, he’d been sent home from daycare and kindergarten on a regular basis. He was experiencing a form of rejection, not just by his age group and his school, but also by his family.