Celebrating
diversity.
Advancing family
wellbeing.
The Vanier Institute of the Family is a national, independent think tank committed to enhancing family wellbeing by making information about families accessible and actionable.
NEWS / June 26, 2025
A Fond Farewell and Thank You to Our Executive Director, Margo Hilbrecht
After three years of thoughtful leadership and service as Executive Director of The Vanier Institute of the Family, Margo Hilbrecht is retiring. We are honoured to have worked with her, and we are deeply grateful for her many contributions to the Institute and to our understanding of family wellbeing in Canada.
Read newsArticles / May 22, 2025
“Who Is Family and Why Should We Care?”: A Conversation About Family Diversity and Wellbeing
As part of our 60th anniversary, the Vanier Institute of the Family recently partnered with the Department of Human Ecology at the University of Alberta to host the panel discussion “Who Is Family and Why Should We Care?”
View resourcePolicy and issue briefs / May 15, 2025
Policy Brief: Care/Work Policies for Managing Routine and Unpredictable Caregiving
An overview of policies and supports available to help families manage care/work responsibilities and obligations in Canada
View resourcePositioned at the centre of networks of researchers, educators, policymakers, and organizations with an interest in families, we share evidence and strengthen the understanding of families in Canada, in all their diversities, to support evidence-based decisions that promote family wellbeing.
What we do
Share research
insights
We mobilize credible and accurate information about families in Canada
Collaborate and
partner
We work with diverse organizations and people to support family wellbeing
Build family science capacity
We invest in building skills and experience among family scholars
Resources and tools
Resource centre
A searchable library of publications and resources about families and family wellbeing in Canada
Family Diversities and Wellbeing Framework
An analytical tool for understanding family diversities and family wellbeing
Families Count 2024
A new Vanier Institute publication of statistics and analyses related to families and family life in Canada
Definition of family
An inclusive, widely cited definition of family developed by the Vanier Institute
Collaborations and Partnerships
Collaboration and partnership are central to our approach. We engage and work with organizations and people from academia, the charitable sector, government, labour, and diverse communities to support family wellbeing. This allows us to leverage our respective strengths, increase our capacity, and extend our reach.
Stay in the know—InfoVanier
Monthly updates about Vanier Institute publications, projects, and research
