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By: Erin MacGregor, P.H.Ec of howtoeat.ca March 20th marked the beginning of spring, but warm weather has just begun to push through. Nevertheless, this Asian Orzo and Tofu Salad is perfect for the upcoming barbecue season!
“Family work” has been broadly defined as a type of “social reproductive labour” (1) involving routine activities that maintain the health and well-being of family members, including housework, emotion work, and child care. As such, to round out my blog posts so far on housework and emotion work and to complete the “family work triad,” the following is a study I began during my undergraduate degree that focused on mothers’ experiences with navigating child care in Alberta, Canada. Enjoy! – Rebecca Horne, P.H.Ec. …… Canada does not have a national child care policy. As a result, the child care systems in the majority of Canadian provinces are characterized by a lack of regulated, affordable, and accessible spaces (2). For example, there is a shortfall of over 154,000 child care spaces in Alberta (3), and group child care centers cost between $800-900 per month (4), the third highest across all Canadian provinces. This leaves some mothers using up to 36% of their annual incomes to pay for child care fees (5)! Given that mothers continue to be primarily responsible for the care of children (6), such limited options may prompt them to make sacrifices—or give up their own desires and interests—to mitigate child care constraints. Yet, there is limited research on these types of sacrifices and even less from the perspectives of mothers themselves. Let’s hear from the mothers themselves! To better understand mothers’ lived realities within the Canadian child care context, Dr. Rhonda Breitkreuz and I asked the question: What messages of sacrifice are embedded in Canadian mothers’ stories about their experiences with navigating childcare? (7) Dr. Breitkreuz and her research team conducted thirteen focus groups in five locations across Alberta, Canada with 95 mothers who were using or looking for child care for their young children. They asked questions in the focus groups about how mothers integrated paid work and child care, the kinds of care arrangements they made, and the facilitators and barriers to accessing and maintaining child care. Erin MacGregor is a Professional Home Economist and Dietitian who combines her credentials to chase the work she loves. As a dietitian, she works in a clinical setting at an acute care teaching hospital. She combines her RD and PHEc credentials as the co-owner of How to Eat, a food and nutrition communications business that aims to help families cook more at home and raise a generation of happy, healthy eaters. Through her work in media as a blogger and as an ambassador for the Canola Eat Well for Life team, Erin has become an advocate for honest and transparent communication about our food system. She hopes to take the fear out of food and inspire Canadians to have a healthful and happy relationship with it. Erin has been an OHEA member and 2-time volunteer on the Board of Directors, since 2007. In 2017 she joined the OHEA mentorship program to help foster a new generation of PHEcs. Erin lives and eats in Toronto with her husband, 2 year old daughter and 9 year old fur baby. OHEA is pleased to welcome another three PHEcs to OHEA this month! Courtney Kramer, P.H.Ec., Lynn Weaver, RD., P.H.Ec., & Kayla MacDougall, P.H.Ec. Courtney Kramer is a recent graduate of Western University where she studied Nutrition and Families (BA, Human Ecology). She is passionate about helping families thrive through food skills. In her free time, Courtney enjoys cooking and writing. She is also a new mom to five month old Lyla. While on maternity leave she looks forward to meeting other OHEA members and getting more involved with OHEA. On March 24, 2018 the Ontario Home Economics Association held their 39th annual conference at Brescia University College in London, Ontario. The theme this year was “Reinventing Home Economics.” The conference promised to provide a full day of professional development, networking and fun, it certainly delivered.
Co-Chair – Cindy Hartman, P.H.Ec. Cindy graduated from Brescia University College as a mature student in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics. She is employed as Healthcare Account Manager for Summit Food Service at their Head Office in London and oversees all Ontario Healthcare chain business for the company including hospitals, nursing and retirement homes. Working in food distribution has given Cindy the opportunity to work very closely with food manufacturers and suppliers and with several organizations (DOC, OSNM, CSNM, OLTCA, ORCA, and OANHSS) at industry events. Cindy joined both OHEA & LHEA in 2010 and became LHEA Co-Program Chair in 2012, planning events for the London Chapter members, including a tour of Summit Food Service for the members and Brescia students. She organized a tour of London’s Growing Food Industries for the IFHE Conference in July 2014 and enjoyed meeting the delegates. Cindy lives in London, enjoys cooking and taking cooking classes as well as decorating and sewing for her home. Cindy Hartman served as President and President-Elect for the last 4 years. Thank you to the conference planning committee and all of the wonderful volunteers who helped to organize OHEA's 39th annual conference and thank you to all of our sponsors! We also would like to thank everyone who came out to the conference and showed their #PHEcPride. We truly appreciate it, and could not have had such a great event without your support!
A copy of OHEA's cookbook 'Homegrown' sold for $200 on March 15th at a live charity auction held at the 91st annual Ottawa Valley Farm Show.
The sale raised $15,000 for CHEO's Neonatal Unit in one short hour. Mary Carver, P.H.Ec. of the OHEA Board presents the buyer Mark Groen of Monsanto Canada with his copy of the book which celebrates foods that we grow, raise or produce in Canada. Bravo to the Ottawa Valley Farm Show, all auction donors and buyers. Bravo to homegrown Canadian food and the farmers that produce it. |
The Ontario Home Economics Association, a self-regulating body of professional Home Economists, promotes high professional standards among its members so that they may assist families and individuals to achieve and maintain a desirable quality of life. Categories
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