Created by experts in prenatal education, child development and parenting, the Welcome to Parenting program is designed to give you all the critical information you need to experience pregnancy and parenthood in the most positive way possible - to help you become the parents you dream of being!

The program has been rigorously tested and evaluated with expectant and new parents just like you. Leading program designers, researchers and parent educators designed this course to reflect exactly what expectant and new parents need and want to know as they experience pregnancy and parenthood.

All class content has been filtered by experts to reflect all current and relevant information and strategies for expectant and new parents!

Toronto Public Health

Our Role - Who we are

Toronto Public Health (TPH) reports to the Board of Health and is responsible for the health and well being of all 2.8 million residents. TPH has focused on protecting and promoting the health of Toronto residents since 1883 by:

• Preventing the spread of disease, promoting healthy living and advocating for conditions that improve health for Toronto residents
• Using surveillance to monitor the health status of the population in order to respond to ongoing and emerging health needs
• Developing and implementing public policy and practices that enhance the health of individuals, communities and the entire city

Our Mission

TPH reduces health inequalities and improves the health of the whole population.

Programs and Services

Our Child Health and Development staff provide numerous programs and services to support you in making healthy choices at various stages of your reproductive life, ranging from preconception, to pregnancy, to parenting.

Check out our Pregnancy to Parenting blog featuring information from our health professionals related to pregnancy, postpartum health and what to expect in baby's first year.

The award is presented annually to a City division or program that has achieved a high and measurable standard of excellence.

The 2014 Awards were presented on September 22, 2015 during Toronto Public Service Week. The Welcome to Parenting–Online Prenatal Program (Toronto Public Health) won the Divisional Project category.

The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families

The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families, a longtime friend of Invest in Kids, assumed leadership for the Welcome to Parenting program once Invest in Kids closed its operations in 2010. For over 30 years, the Phoenix Centre, a children’s mental health treatment centre has been administrated by a volunteer Board of Directors and funded by the provincial government.

The Phoenix Centre is host to a number of national organizations who share a common goal - to better the lives of children, youth and families across the country.

Their belief is that the family is the most basic and important of all society's institutions and the child can best be treated within the context of the family unit. Their efforts are directed towards affirming the dignity and worth of each child and family, so as to enhance the integrity of the family unit.

The Phoenix Centre is host to a number of local, national and international programs which share a common goal - to better the lives of children, youth and families across the country. Visit www.phoenixctr.com; www.friendsandneighboursclub.ca

Invest in Kids

This comprehensive program was originally designed and tested by the many experts and professionals at Invest in Kids, a national charity dedicated to helping parents be the parents they dream of being. For 17 years, Invest in Kids created parenting resources for expectant parents and families with young children, worked with a range of professionals serving families with young children and conducted research to better understand the world that expectant parents and parents of young children live in. Very little is known about how parents think and feel about their role as parents; Invest in Kids uncovered findings that impacted government policy, and ultimately were shared through a series of national public awareness campaigns.

Sadly, due to funding challenges, Invest in Kids was forced to close in October 2010. However, their work and accomplishments live on. The Welcome to Parenting program and www.parents2parents.ca are two of their greatest legacies.