A free program called Strengthening Families for the Future will be offered in Guelph and three county communities starting next month.
Lindsay Klassen, of the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy committee said the program ran in Mount Forest last fall and it was so popular that participants wished that it could keep going.
It is returning there, and also will be offered in Fergus, Rockwood, and Guelph. All four programs will start on March 22 and run 14 weeks, every Tuesday, from 4:30 to 7:30pm.
The program offers a free meal, transportation, and free childcare.
The program involves the whole family, but it has a focus on parents and their children between the ages of 7 and 11. Other children are welcome, and there will be free activities and supervision for them.
The program’s goals are:
– to have fun;
– improve family communication;;
– increase positive and effective parenting; and
– increase children’s resilience and life skills, including communication, resisting peer pressure, recognizing their feelings, and solving problems.
Klassen said the program is open to families who want to learn in a fun environment, parents who want to build upon their parenting skills, and families who want to strengthen their communication and relationships with their children.
“It’s a universal program; it’s open to all,” Klassen said, adding that older children are welcome.
She said the first item on the agenda is a free meal, where participants can get to know each other.
Then, there are family activities that are designed to help participants understand the topics being presented.
Parents are in one session, and children are in a separate session.
She said parents can learn problem solving from other parents, and children can lean how to seek help from a parent.
“It’s making sure they have all the tools they need to be cohesive and strong,” Klassen said. “Any families can benefit.”
She said the aim is to get up to ten families involved in each of the four programs, thus reaching 40 families in each 14 week session.
“There’s still room in all four,” she added.
The program is funded through the Wellington County OPP and the Guelph Police Service, from a grant from the Ministry of Community and Safety and Correctional Services. It was also supported by a number of businesses and organizations in the community.
The program includes partnerships with the Community Resource Centre, the Mount Forest Family Health Team, the Upper Grand Family Health Team, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, Guelph CHC, Wellington County social services, Family and Children Services of Guelph and Wellington County, Stonehenge Therapeutic Community, Trellis Mental Health and Developmental Services, the Guelph Wellington Women in Crisis, and the drug strategy committee.
It’s a good night out as a family,” Klassen said.
Wellington County Police Services Board chairman Lynda White said in an interview that OPP Inspector Scott Smith was a driving force behind applying for and obtaining a grant from the province to run the program.
“Scott brought it to the police board and worked hard to get a grant,” White said.
She said the program can teach all kinds of skills, not just communication. She said that parents who are unable to cook, they can improve that skill in the program.
White added that the program also teaches kids what they can and cannot do, and how to seek help if they have a problem. She said it is particularly good for parents who are just learning English.
For more information or to register for one of the programs in Fergus, Rockwood, or Guelph, email Gilliam McCallum at gmccallum@guelphchc.ca, from Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, or phone 519-821-6638, extension 402, or to register in Mount Forest, contact Jen Estsell at jetsell@ mountforesttfht.com, or phone 519-323-5015.
