Giving all children the chance for a healthy childhood is at the heart of DocTocToc. Founded by Dr Rislaine Benkelfat, a pediatrician at The Montreal Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor at McGill University, together with her associate Jean-Philippe Couture, this non-profit organisation breaks barriers in accessing health services by meeting families where they are.
In March 2025, DocTocToc inaugurated its first mobile pediatric clinic. Housed in a 100% energy-efficient bus, the clinic travels to Montreal North to offer free health and psychosocial services to children aged 0 to 5 who are not yet served by the health and social services system. The mobile pediatric clinic was a long-held dream – one that was made possible with the support of the R. Howard Webster Foundation, through a generous grant to McGill University.
In addition to caring for small children, the DocTocToc team works with community organizations and the health and social services network to orient families towards relevant resources in their sector. This creates a safety net for children and gives them the best chance to reach their full potential.
Offering valuable training opportunities in a clinical context, the mobile pediatric clinic is also a place to train future professionals thanks to a partnership with the McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The mobile clinic’s operations allow the DocTocToc team to conduct research on proximity health services aimed at vulnerable families, health inequities, and barriers in access to health care for toddlers. The team is committed to sharing the knowledge gathered on the field. Publications, conferences, advice, guidance, and other presentations seek to develop better ways to serve vulnerable families and improve the health of their children.
