P.E.I. program helps trans and gender diverse children thrive

The job of a plant's roots is to stabilize, nourish and support it. A similar job exists for parents who want their children to grow and flourish. 

That's the idea behind Roots and Shoots, a program run by PEERS Alliance that offers support and once-a-month outdoor programming to families with trans and gender-diverse children under 13.

The resources offered through the program are revolutionary for the trans community, said Anastasia Preston, the trans community outreach co-ordinator at PEERS Alliance. 

"Our program has profound impacts on the healthiness of our community because it allows trans families to have a place where they can learn," Preston said. 

Having supportive family members means that trans children get to be trans adults.— Anastasia Preston

The outdoor programming run in partnership with Sierra Club Wild Child gives trans and gender diverse children the chance to play outside and have fun with other children, including their siblings. 

For parents and caregivers, the non-judgmental space provides support to learn and share knowledge.

"By giving parents the best information about supporting their trans child, we give that child the best opportunity to be themselves in a world that can be rather tough at times for trans folks," Preston said. 

The importance of a supportive family

The family focus of the Roots and Shoots program is important because transition outcomes are significantly better for children when they have parental support, Preston said. 

Studies have shown that transgender youth are more likely than their peers to think about or attempt suicide. 

But parental and family support can have a big impact, Preston said, adding that research data has shown that there's about a 70 per cent drop in suicide rates of trans children when they have supportive families. 

"Having supportive family members means that trans children get to be trans adults… That's the most important aspect," she said.  

By including the whole family, the Roots and Shoots program is able to support families in the areas where they might feel challenged. 

"Sometimes the things they're struggling with are not their children's gender identity. A lot of the time, it's actually society's view of their children or how best to support their child," Preston said.  

Signs of success

The program's success isn't tied to the number of people enrolled at a given time. In fact, families who stop returning to the program are sometimes a sign of success, Preston said. 

"That means that we've had a real impact in someone's life — that we've taught the parents the things that they need to know to support their children," she said. 

Some families go from attending the program once a month to attending every few months to not needing to come at all because their child is thriving, Preston said. 

In other cases, children who were once part of the program have grown up, moved on to college or university, and are living successful lives.

"That gives hope to a parent who has a child that just came out to them," Preston said. "Most parents on the Island want the best for their child and there's a lot of misinformation out there about being trans these days and what that means for your child's life." 

Preston said she hopes the Roots and Shoots program is able to continue providing a platform for families with trans and gender-diverse children to connect with one another and find and build crucial support networks. 

The program has expanded in recent years, and is now offered in both Charlottetown and Summerside. 

A Saplings program has also been added for youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who have aged out of the Shoots portion of the program. The Saplings program ensures older children still have a space to be themselves and take part in trans community life on the Island, Preston said. 

"Ultimately it would be lovely if there was a future where this kind of program wasn't needed because society's gotten to a place where discrimination against trans folks is a relic, but right now it is needed."