Community Social Pediatrics in an Underserved Canadian City: Design and Early Outcomes of an Exploratory Pilot Study

Background

In Saint John, New Brunswick, nearly 1 in 3 children live in poverty, and the traditional pediatric care model is often ill-equipped to address the complex social realities that children experience. Community Social Pediatrics (CSP) is an interdisciplinary model that integrates health and social care, with a strong focus on children's rights and social determinants of health. In response to increasing gaps and challenges in accessing care, a CSP-based pilot clinic was established in Saint John. The goal was to create a collaborative, child- and family-centred assessment model designed to reduce service fragmentation and improve outcomes.