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    Growing Up in Québec: A longitudinal study to better understand the development and well-being of Québec children

    Québec, March 30, 2021. – The Institut de la statistique du Québec is launching the second edition of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), entitled Growing Up in Québec. This study will follow more than 4,000 babies born in Québec in 2020-2021 until they reach adulthood. These children and their families, selected by the Institut, will come from all over Québec.

    A study of this magnitude, carried out with such a large sample over such a long period of time, is of exceptional value. This type of survey allows us to chart the trajectories of children in order to identify the risk and protective factors that play a role in their development, health and well-being, such as academic success, healthy lifestyle habits, and harmonious social relationships.

    The study, which will look at the influence of family and social environments on children, will examine some of the potential effects of the pandemic on this generation born in the midst of a global health crisis.

    A society in evolution

    Growing Up in Québec is built on the success of the first edition of the QLSCD, which has been underway since the late 1990s and has contributed to inform some twenty public policies and government programs. To continue playing such a role, a second edition of this study is needed.

    Over the past 20 years, new realities affecting families have emerged: higher average age at childbirth, increased involvement of fathers, blended families, an increase in common-law unions, the search for family-work balance, etc. In addition, new technologies have multiplied in the lives of parents, but also in the lives of children, whether at home, at school, and even in childcare settings.

    At the same time, services for families have been created or improved, including the Québec Parental Insurance Plan, educational childcare and, more recently, 4-year-old kindergarten.

    A wealth of information to better meet the needs of children

    Thanks to the wealth of data it will produce, this study will become a privileged source of information for organizations whose mission is to promote the well-being of children and their families. Social policies and programs can then be better adapted to their reality and better respond to their needs. The scientific community will also be able to draw on these data to advance knowledge that will benefit society as a whole.

    To learn more about the latest developments in the Growing Up in Québec project, you can visit the study website.

    The Growing Up in Québec study is made possible through the financial support of the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the Ministère de l’Éducation, the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the Ministère de la Famille, the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, and the Conseil de gestion de l’assurance parentale. Dozens of researchers with expertise in areas related to early childhood development are collaborating on the study.

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    To learn more about Growing Up in Québec:

     


    The Institut de la statistique du Québec produces, analyzes and disseminates official, objective and quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and all those wishing to learn more about Québec.

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