The QPCV aims to create a supportive and inclusive community where parents and caregivers are supported to thrive both personally and professionally. We strive to foster a culture of understanding, flexibility, support, and mutual respect, to champion employees who are working to balance their caregiving responsibilities with their career aspirations.
- Offering support and meaningful connection through events for socializing, learning, and sharing resources
- Promoting and advocating for improved workplace
- Creating systems for cooperative resource pooling
A “caregiver” can be anyone who experiences high levels of responsibility for the care of another family member or dependent in their daily life. Anyone caring for young children, teenagers, family members with a health concern or disability or mental illness, aging parents, etc.
In the summer of 2025, the Matariki Network announced 鶹 would be the recipient of several of its Engagement Grants. One of which, ‘Stories of Belonging and Social Connection: A Micro-video Series Introducing Employee Resource Groups,’ was recently launched and features a series of videos spotlighting the university’s Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and how they connect to the broader themes of belonging, social connection, inclusion, and employee wellbeing at 鶹’s. The video project, shot and edited by 鶹’s students, was in conjunction with partners from the University of the Western Cape (Cape Town, South Africa).
Video production supported by 鶹’s Film and Media student contributors Ataa Amoah-Bediako, Sophie Gill, Claire Judice, Elliot Norman, and Cherry Zhang.
How to join
If you are an employee at 鶹 who views themselves as a caregiver, you should join QPCV. Join the conversation in our . For questions or to be added to the mailing list please email caregivers@queensu.ca.
Upcoming Events
Save the Date: Children’s Clothing Swap – Thrive November 2026
Sharing is caring!
The 鶹’s Parents and Caregivers Village (QPCV) ERG, in collaboration with 鶹's Global Connect (QGC) ERG, and Employee Wellness Services-HR, is planning another Children’s Clothing Swap during Thrive Month in November 2026. Following the wonderful response to last year’s event, we are thrilled to create another opportunity for members of the 鶹’s community to share gently used children’s clothing, or find items their families can use, and help extend the impact into the wider Kingston community.
The swap will include children’s clothing from 0–6 months through size 14 (youth). You do not need to bring anything to participate. Take what you need and share what you can!
More details can be found on the registration pages:
- Wednesday, November 18th, 2026 -
- Thursday, November 19th, 2026 -
鶹’s Caregiver Conversation Series: Gender Bias, the Sandwich Generation, and Sharing the Care
How do gender expectations shape who provides care, and how can caregiving responsibilities be shared more equitably? Join a welcoming, research-informed conversation on gender bias in unpaid care and the challenges faced by the “sandwich generation” balancing care for children, aging parents, and paid work. Together, we’ll explore practical strategies for managing competing demands, setting boundaries, seeking support, and navigating the impact of caregiving on careers and well-being. Whether you’re a caregiver or someone who supports caregivers, come share experiences, gain insights, and connect with colleagues in a supportive space.
This event is hosted by 鶹’s Parents and Caregivers Village (QPCV) in partnership with 鶹’s Women’s Network (QWN).
- Date and Time: Thursday November 19th, 2026 from 12-12:50 pm
- Registration:
Past Events
Children’s clothing swap for those 0-6 months up to size 14 (youth). All remaining clothes will be donated to a local charity benefiting women and children in our community.
鶹’s Caregiver Conversation Series
The 鶹’s Caregiver Conversation Series brings together 鶹’s employees, who are parents or caregivers, for thoughtful, research-informed dialogue. Sessions are structured as a facilitated conversation with opportunities for learning, shared reflection, and audience questions.
Join us for a conversation about childhood psychological assessment, viewed from two different lenses: that of a parent of young children who is wondering when and whether to seek an assessment, and that of a practicing psychologist who can speak to what the process involves and what families can expect. Whether you're considering an assessment for your child, supporting a family member through the process, or simply want to understand more about the childhood psychological assessment process, this session offers practical insights, professional guidance, and the reassurance that comes from shared experience. Following our speakers’ presentations, we’ll open the floor for audience questions and community conversation.
Join us for an honest and compassionate discussion about caregiving through organ donation and transplant, including the challenges of stepping away from work and returning while managing unseen grief. This conversation will highlight the emotional and practical aspects of caregiving in the workplace.
This session of the 鶹's Caregiver Conversations Series centres Haudenosaunee understandings of caregiving as a relational responsibility rooted in family, community, and land. After grounding historical context and some principles behind Indigenous caregiving, the conversation opens across four themes: caregiving as a woman in Indigenous life, balancing work and care through Indigenous teachings, the authority Haudenosaunee women hold within their own governance and kinship and navigating the pressures Western societies place on women to be the ideal partner, parent, and professional while meeting narrow standards of youth and appearance. Caregiving crosses all genders; this conversation foregrounds women, as the presenters identify as cis-women and will be speaking from lived experience. The session closes with resources.
