Youth and Family Supports
Get Support Early
Recognize concerns early. Respond with confidence
Getting help and support for youth (8-25 years old) and families. Support that helps you make sense of what’s happening and take the next step toward early help.
FREEDcan (First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders–Canada) supports youth and families in accessing early, community-based support for eating concerns and eating disorders. Care is designed to be timely, integrated, and available in settings you already know and trust.
If thoughts about food, eating, exercise, or your body are starting to feel overwhelming or hard to navigate, you’re not alone. Early support can make a real difference. Research shows that getting help sooner is linked to better recovery and reduced long-term impact.
Initial Response Supports
Care Navigation
Connect to information and to the right kind of support for you
Care navigation helps you find trusted information, understand what you’re experiencing, and connect to appropriate services. It reduces barriers to getting help and supports you in figuring out next steps.
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) is FREEDcan's trusted care navigation partner, offering confidential support through phone, live chat, and email, as well as tools to help you find care providers
To access NEDICs support, please click the link below!
Self-Management & Virtual Support
Explore topics that matter to you and prepare for next steps
Our FREEDcan partner, Body Brave, offers virtual supports for people with eating disorders co-developed with young people and caregivers.
FREEDcan is working with Body Brave to expand low-barrier, accessible virtual support for young people and families.
To access the VSP please click the link below!
Peer Support
You are not alone
Peer support offers connection, shared experience, and hope. It can help reduce stigma and support motivation for change.
Body Peace, provides a free peer support program for people in Canada aged 14+, including mentorship, workshops, and recovery resources. FREEDcan has worked with Body Peace to provide a peer support pathway specifically designed for those who are early on in their journey.
To access the Peer Support materials, please click the link below!
Impact of Psychoeducation Resources
Explore some of our most downloaded resources. Developed with input from young people, families, clinicians, and researchers, these evidence-informed tools can help build understanding of eating concerns, recognize early signs, and support positive next steps toward care and recovery.
412
Total Resource Downloads
114
Top Resource
ODES EN Downloads
23
Top Psychoeducation Resource
Healthy Eating what does it mean
312
Views
Youth Resources Page
307
Page Views
Tools for Practice
Psychoeducation Resources
Understand what’s happening and what can help
If you are looking for a place to begin, we invite you to explore our resources. Young people and families who have “been there” helped to develop FREEDcan resources. Some of the resources were originally created through FREED UK and adapted for the Canadian context. These evidence-informed resources help you better understand eating concerns and early signs and explore ways to support positive next steps.Some resources use the term “eating disorder,” but you do not need a diagnosis to access support or explore these resources. These resources have all been developed with input from young people. Several of these resources are originally from FREED UK and were adapted by FREEDcan to fit our context. To see the original resources and explore others, visit FREED UK.
"Healthy Eating" ... what does it really mean?
A lot of the time, "healthy eating" is used to define what we "should" and "shouldn't" eat. This resource explores what adequate nourisment can help us do as well as practical tips to support regular and balanced eating.
