This is news that will provide concrete support to thousands of young children and families living in vulnerable situations in the northern boroughs on the Island of Montreal. On March 19, the DocTocToc organization will unveil its mobile clinic, which will offer psychosocial care and services to pre-schoolers who, for various reasons, have difficulty accessing these services.

A labour of love

The passion of Dr. Rislaine Benkelfat, Pediatrician at The Montreal Children's Hospital and Assistant Professor, McGill University, is evident from the outset, as she tells the story of how her idea came about. Together with her associate Jean-Philippe Couture - an actuary by training whom she met while studying for her MBA at HEC Montréal - they drew inspiration from initiatives elsewhere in North America and came up with the idea of a bus transformed into a mobile clinic where care is offered to vulnerable Montreal children aged 0 to 5. Aware that their mission required a holistic approach taking into consideration all aspects of a child and their family’s life, they quickly created partnerships with local organizations.

Urgent needs in Montreal

Dr. Benkelfat's goal is to prioritize care for toddlers. The pediatrician envisions the DocTocToc project breaking down silos within the healthcare network and bringing it closer to community organizations that are an integral part of the overall healthcare continuum. She wants to eliminate barriers to care for children aged 0 to 5 and hopes DocTocToc can strengthen this intersectoral collaboration. The project is being developed in three phases, the first of which is to offer basic nursing care and a support and navigation service for families, while keeping in mind the organization's broader work through education, research and knowledge mobilization.

Barriers to accessing healthcare are greater for families living in vulnerable situations. The organization's dream? To change the statistics and give all children the same opportunities to develop to their full potential. “The change will come about through a reversal of responsibilities. Rather than asking families to approach the institutions, to approach the network, it will be up to us to go out to meet them,” says Dr. Benkelfat. For the co-founder, it is essential that DocTocToc work on the social determinants of health. “Since living conditions are an integral part of the equation for achieving the best possible state of health, it is only natural to want to get closer to the environments in which these families live and to do so through strong partnerships with local community organizations,” she says as DocTocToc is about to cover its first few kilometers.

Valuable partners

This project is also the culmination of a successful partnership between DocTocToc, The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation and McGill University. The organization is particularly grateful for a major donation of $1 million from Scotiabank through its ScotiaRISE community investment initiative.

"Aligned with our ScotiaRISE initiative, the Scotiabank investment established in 2021 with The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation has supported the development of the DocTocToc project," said Geneviève Brouillard, Senior Vice-President, Quebec and Eastern Ontario at Scotiabank. "We look forward to the significant impact of this initiative which provides children with a healthier future where everyone can thrive."

“DocTocToc will break down barriers to healthcare, ensuring vulnerable children get the care they need, right in their neighbourhood,” said Renée Vézina, President of The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation. “Thanks to Scotiabank’s partnership and longstanding 33-year commitment to The Children’s Foundation, together we are creating a future where every child—regardless of their circumstances—has the chance to grow up healthy, strong, and full of potential.”

A major grant from the R. Howard Webster Foundation to McGill University was also instrumental to this inspiring project. “Bringing quality medical and psychosocial care directly to some of society’s most vulnerable children, where they are, is an invaluable tool for children and their primary caregivers, leading to healthier families in general. We are proud to support this essential initiative, while sensitizing future practitioners to the particular challenges faced by underserved communities,” said Sacha Haque, President of the R. Howard Webster Foundation.

“This project will offer our students valuable training opportunities in a clinical context, with and for our communities,” added Dr. Lesley Fellows, Vice-Principal and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University. “We thank the R. Howard Webster Foundation for its generous support and investment in more inclusive and equitable health.”

DocTocToc simply wouldn’t exist without the generosity of numerous donors. Their support is changing lives by bringing essential healthcare directly to children. Thank you to all who made this project a reality:

The Adair Family Foundation; David Laidley and Ellen Wallace; Desjardin’s – GoodSpark Fund; Diane and Norman E. Hébert and family, Énergir; Fondation Famille Léger; Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon; Fondation Marcelle et Jean Coutu; Intact Financial Corporation; John Dobson Foundation; Pfizer Canada; R. Howard Webster Foundation; TELUS Health; and the Trottier Family Foundation. You can donate to DocTocToc by visiting the organization's website. Each donation contributes directly to improving access to care, supporting medical research and training new professionals.