Annual Community Awareness Evening

This event occurs annually in November.

Community Awareness Evening gives families the opportunity to learn about the “help services” that are provided in the community by local agencies and outreach programs that come into the area. The evening provides a venue for service providers and families to meet and learn about one another. Families become familiar with the services and put a face to the provider. This helps them feel more comfortable when accessing their service.

A spin-off of the evening is the opportunity for local agencies to network with other agencies and learn about their services and ways they can compliment and reinforce each other.

Contact Info:
Kathy Richards, (403) 653-3922

Books for Babies

The Books for Babies program  is a community-based volunteer project that promotes reading as a family activity and encourage parents of infants between birth and 12 months to share books with their babies.

A bag with two carefully selected age-appropriate books and resource materials introduces parents of newborns to the importance of early reading to their children.

Early shared book reading helps children become stronger and better able to cope with new situations in constructive ways. It helps them develop independence and become more resistant to crisis.

It is important in a child’s brain and behavioural development. Books for Babies program supports families in developing early literacy and language experiences and promotes healthy family relationships.

Contact Info:
Shannon Palmer, Books for Babies Coordinator
403-626-3635
sscpalmer@gmail.com

Cardston & District Family Centre

WHERE: Provincial Building, South Doors, 576 Main Street Cardston, AB

The Cardston & District Family Centre (formally the Parent Link Centre) provides a play based atmosphere for sharing information on child & brain development. Stay and Play and Family drop-in programs provide opportunities to share such information in a play based environment. Parenting programs that deal with topics such as brain development, toileting, discipline, positive family dynamics, infant massage and many others are offered to families with children from birth to 12 years of age. Prenatal information is also provided to families.

Early Childhood programs provide a safe haven for children birth to 5 yrs. of age to develop socially and for their parents and caregivers to enhance their parenting skills.

The Family Centre staff recognize that parenting can be a very isolating experience and the programs allow the parents to meet and visit with other caregivers while interacting with their children. Parents learn about age-appropriate activities that can be done with their children and the importance of play in early brain development.

Parenting programs teach coping skills and techniques that help parents build positive attachment. They encourage positive parent-child interaction and promote age appropriate activities. The programs help parents understand and watch for developmental milestones and provide helps that will aid the child’s development.

Seven parenting programs are offered throughout the year at the Family Centre with more being added as facilitators are trained.

Summer Youth programs provide an opportunity for youth ages 6-12 yrs. to participate and interact with other youth during the summer months when they are not in school.

The free programs allow youth, regardless of their financial means, to enjoy a wide variety of programs. Over 200 programming hours are offered in July and August and there is something that appeals to all youth.

New skills are learned and important self care tips share. For youth that have two working parents it is an opportunity to be with other youth and spend their days in constructive activities under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

After School Youth programs help socially isolated youth ages 6-12 yrs. engage positively with other youth that are experiencing the same self-doubts and often low self-esteem.

A variety of activities are offered, so youth can select the one that helps them succeed and makes them feel most comfortable.

All youth are welcome, but the majority of the youth that come are dealing with personal struggles and will not participate in main stream activities. The Family Centre is a safe-haven for youth that have been bullied, ostracized, ignored, or forgotten at school or in other social settings.

Contact Info:
Sonja Richards (403)653-7077

Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/242483205827106/ for a list of all current programs and schedules.