Workshops

Please register early. Registration closes 1 week prior to each workshop.

Becoming a parent is one of the most monumental experiences in a person’s life. Unfortunately, children do not come with foolproof instructions!

Combining a career and family life presents special challenges. This workshop adopts a highly practical approach to preparing faculty, staff and librarians for pregnancy / parental / primary caregiver and adoption leave, and for a successful return to work. While you may attend the seminar at any point during your pregnancy or adoption process, the ideal time is about three months prior to the arrival of your child. Topics will include:

• Forms and more forms – a guide to government pregnancy/parental policies and benefits & U of T policies
• Planning your return to work
• Resources on campus and in the community that will make your life easier
• Do we really need all that equipment? – a guide to baby paraphernalia
• Helping older children and pets to adjust
• Enjoying it all!

Please register early, space is limited! All University of Toronto staff and faculty are welcome.

If you have any access needs to ensure your full participation in this event, please contact the Family Care Office and we will try our best to work with you and make appropriate arrangements.

The Family Care Office hosts workshops to support staff and faculty with navigating Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption/Primary Caregiver Leaves. The ‘Planning’ workshop can be taken at any time. Our ‘Practicalities’ workshop is for expectant parents who hope to begin their leaves in three or four months. Those who register for the ‘Practicalities’ workshop should have already attended the ‘Planning’ workshop. Workshop descriptions are below.

2024 Dates

Faculty

Planning Workshops – Tuesdays, January 30, March 26 and May 28*
Practicalities Workshops – Tuesdays, February 6, April 2, and June 4*

Staff

Planning Workshops – Wednesdays, January 31, February 28, March 27, May 1*, May 29*
Practicalities Workshops – Wednesdays, February 7, March 6, April 3, May 8*, June 5*

Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: Online – you will receive a webinar link prior to the workshop.

*not yet available for registration

Planning for Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption/Primary Caregiver Leaves

This planning workshop provides an overview of Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption/Primary Caregiver leave options. We learn about the Employment Standards Act, Employment Insurance as well as the University of Toronto’s top-ups. This workshop is intended to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions about leaves, with a focus on the financial aspects of taking a Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption/Primary Caregiver Leave. Whether you are considering having a child or already expecting a child, this workshop is for you.

This workshop can be taken at any time in your journey. People who are planning to begin their leave within the next three or four months should also attend the “Practicalities of Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption/Primary Caregiver Leaves” workshop.

Practicalities of Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption/Primary Caregiver Leaves

This workshop is for expectant parents who have already attended the ‘Planning’ workshop who hope to begin their leaves in three or four months. The workshop will cover practical preparations that one must do before taking a leave and immediately following the start of the leave. These tasks include:

• Filling in the Notification of Leave form (to be submitted to U of T three months before the start of the leave)
• Applying for Employment Insurance
• Continuing or discontinuing health insurance and pension contributions during the unpaid part of the leave
• Adding a child to health insurance (if applicable) and considering other benefit changes

We will also provide resources to help you prepare for the arrival of your child and will discuss returning to work and balancing working and parenting.

** If the Practicalities workshop that is 3-4 months before your anticipated leave date is full, please email family.care@utoronto.ca

Please register early, space is limited! All University of Toronto staff and faculty are welcome.

If you require any accommodation for online or in-person events please let us know in advance at family.care@utoronto.ca or 416-978-0951.

Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Location: The webinar link will be shared with you via email prior to the session start time.

Parents and caregivers want to do the best they can to ensure that the children and youth in their care are happy and safe. This workshop is for everyone who is interested in learning the concepts of helping to keep children and youth safe from harm (including physical, sexual, emotional harm, community violence, bullying, and technology assisted abuse and violence).

Participants will be updated on:

• the current trends in violence and abuse prevention (learning about offender grooming tactics, secrecy, what to say to kids, and how to get help);
• the assumptions that have been made about children/youth and safety;
• the mixed messages children/youth have received in the past (stranger danger, street proofing);
• appropriate messages for staff, parents and caregivers to give to children and youth;
• practical safety tips; and
• how to talk to children and youth about personal safety,
• how to build a positive healthy relationship with kids.

Facilitator: Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre

University of Toronto students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are welcome. Partners and family members (including chosen family members) who are co-caregivers with U of T students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are also welcome to attend. If you have any access needs to ensure your full participation in this event, please contact the Family Care Office and we will try our best to work with you and make appropriate arrangements.

Date: January 18, 2024

Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Location: The webinar link will be shared with you prior to the session start time.

Join us for this discussion on parenting concerns for children with disabilities. Topics that will be covered include:

1.      Understanding learning disabilities, ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders

2.      Management of the disability at home and at school

3.      Discussing with your child about their learning disability

4.      Advocating and finding supports for your child

5.      Hear from 1-2 current U of T students with a learning disability about their experience growing up with a LD

6.      Question and answer period

Facilitator:
Pearl Levey, Ph.D., Accommodation Specialist for Practicums, Placements and Laboratories, U of T Accessibility Services.

Registration required. University of Toronto students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are welcome. Partners and family members (including chosen family members) who are co-caregivers with U of T students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are also welcome to attend. If you have any access needs to ensure your full participation in this event, please contact the Family Care Office and we will try our best to work with you and make appropriate arrangements.

Date:  Thursday, January 25, 2024
Time:   12:00 – 1:30pm
Location:  The webinar link will be shared with you via email prior to the session start time.

This webinar will focus on providing participants with the knowledge of how communication can change over the course of the disease and ways to supportively communicate with a person living with dementia.

Learning Objectives: Understand communication basics, recognize the impact dementia has on communication, and develop strategies to improve communication.

Facilitator:  Laura Smith-Baldi, Public Education Coordinator, Alzheimer Society Toronto

Registration required. University of Toronto students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are welcome. Partners and family members (including chosen family members) who are co-caregivers with U of T students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are also welcome to attend. If you have any access needs to ensure your full participation in this event, please contact the Family Care Office and we will try our best to work with you and make appropriate arrangements.

Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: The webinar link will be shared with you via email prior to the session start time.

This introductory webinar will explore how adults get stuck in negative emotional cycles and how they can get traction on the right path by dealing, feeling and healing from the separation and divorce. A question and answer period will then provide participants with the opportunity to ask non-case specific questions.

Facilitator: Michael Saini is a Professor, holds the endowed Chair in Law and Social Work at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto and is the Co-Director of the Combined J.D. and M.S.W. Program with the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. Professor Saini is an internationally recognised expert on the impact of family breakdown on children and families.  He conducts parenting plan evaluations, Voice of the Child Reports, parent education workshops on issues related to separation and divorce and he provides expert testimony in the family courts.

Registration required. University of Toronto students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are welcome. Partners and family members (including chosen family members) who are co-caregivers with U of T students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are also welcome to attend. If you have any access needs to ensure your full participation in this event, please contact the Family Care Office and we will try our best to work with you and make appropriate arrangements.

Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: The webinar link will be shared with you via email prior to the session start time.

While divorce has been found to be an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), parents can buffer their children from negative conflict.  This webinar will provide parents with tools and strategies to protect their children from long term consequences of separation and divorce.  A question and answer period will then provide participants with the opportunity to ask non-case specific questions.

Facilitator: Michael Saini is a Professor, holds the endowed Chair in Law and Social Work at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto and is the Co-Director of the Combined J.D. and M.S.W. Program with the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. Professor Saini is an internationally recognised expert on the impact of family breakdown on children and families.  He conducts parenting plan evaluations, Voice of the Child Reports, parent education workshops on issues related to separation and divorce and he provides expert testimony in the family courts.

Registration required. University of Toronto students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are welcome. Partners and family members (including chosen family members) who are co-caregivers with U of T students, staff, postdoctoral fellows and faculty are also welcome to attend. If you have any access needs to ensure your full participation in this event, please contact the Family Care Office and we will try our best to work with you and make appropriate arrangements.