Tashi Farmilo
LJI Reporter

A decade after opening its doors, the Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Gatineau is facing a
reckoning. In its newly released 2024-2025 impact report, the organization confirms what
frontline workers have increasingly observed: the needs are growing, the cases are more
complex and, for the first time, children without homes are arriving at its doors.

The report documents a sharp increase in demand. Over the past year, the centre provided care
to 1,115 children — more than 200 of them new — through 11,090 clinical interventions. Since
its founding in 2009, more than 2,300 children have been served across its two sites in Vieux-
Hull and Vieux-Gatineau. Children aged six to twelve made up the largest share of clients,
followed by those under five, then adolescents.

Two key expansions shaped the year, the completion of renovations at the Vieux-Hull site and
the integration of the Boîte à musique and Clinique de périnatalité sociale into upgraded
facilities. The music therapy programme, now entering its third year, reached nearly 200
classrooms and centres through group workshops, and has served over 350 children since its
launch. The perinatal clinic, now in its fourth year, supported 70 expectant mothers and
continued postnatal follow-up for 56 infants.

Beyond clinical care, the report outlines new collaborations with academic institutions, including
an educational and artistic partnership with the Université du Québec en Outaouais that
concluded with a public exhibition of children’s artwork. The centre also strengthened efforts to
include fathers in its care model, with new training and programming developed in partnership
with provincial networks.

Fundraising efforts surpassed previous years. The 16th edition of the Guignolée des enfants
raised $236,518.78, while the centre’s inaugural benefit gala, Jeune Ensemble , brought in an
additional $92,289. Combined, they contributed to a funding model still heavily reliant on
community donations, project-based grants, and philanthropy. The report notes that 86 per cent
of expenditures were directed to frontline services.

A new executive director, Chloé Martinetti, took office in January 2025, coinciding with the
rollout of a three-year strategic plan. Priorities include modernizing infrastructure, improving
cybersecurity, diversifying revenue streams, and responding to what the centre describes as a
deepening social crisis.

“The needs on our territory continue to grow,” Martinetti said. “Together, we can offer each child
a space where they feel heard, supported and valued.”

Photo: The Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Gatineau’s latest report reveals a growing crisis in
child vulnerability, marked by rising demand, the first cases of youth homelessness, and urgent
calls for sustained community support. (TF) Photo: Courtesy of the Centre de pédiatrie sociale
de Gatineau Facebook Page