And every day there's a drop-in clinic so you don't have to book ahead, and you don't wait forever like you do in emergency. Ms. Carpenter, a sex therapist, also appreciates the CLSC's emphasis on preventive health and the way it reaches out to the community. At her daughter Abby's daycare and at Ben's primary school, nurses from the CLSC go in to do testing for vision and hearing, and dental hygienists go to teach about the importance of brushing. They will also respond to requests from any group in the community. CLSCs, which on average serve a population of 40,000 people, monitor all births in their district.
Nurses visit all new mothers and, in poorer neighbourhoods, all expectant mothers.
The public health clinics offer a wide array of services under the same roof, though they are adapted to each neighbourhood. They can include homecare, marriage counselling, prenatal classes, nutrition teaching, daycare and even soup kitchens. It gives you a much more positive view of health care. Reporters Read about our reporters and the neighbourhoods they are focusing on. The Family Matters series appears Fridays until September, 2000.