On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, I welcome you to the website of the Vanier Institute of the Family.

For more than 45 years, the Institute has been a reliable and trusted source of accurate, current and relevant knowledge about families in Canada, providing quality research and analysis of the trends which influence the well-being of Canada’s 8.9 million families.

As we note in our most recent study of family life in Canada, the simple fact is that being part of a family is among the most universal of human experiences. Our early years as children and later transitions throughout our adult lives take place in and through the relationships that comprise families. Furthermore, the commitment of family members is profound in that it is not simply that we are willing to support one another for their own sake, but that each member of a family – no matter what its composition – knows that their own individual well-being is inextricably tied to the well-being of their loved ones.

We hope you will find the information contained in this resource useful, no matter what the rationale for your visit. If there is something you find lacking in our website, please let us know.

If you find the site helpful, with all of its publications and information available for downloading at no cost, think about making a donation or becoming a member. As a not-for-profit organization, the Vanier Institute welcomes any support you might be able provide, in order to help us continue to represent the interests of Canadian families.

Enjoy your visit.

Verna Bruce
President, Vanier Institute of the Family
January 2011