GUELPH – The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington is taking steps forward to ensure that children’s overall health and well-being are supported, by expanding its Free to Grow program to include mental health counselling.
The foundation serves children and youth that may have been impacted directly or indirectly by anxiety, depression, addiction, loss, trauma and other mental health challenges.
The foundation understands that access to therapy can sometimes be challenging to the under-served population.
In Canada, only one in five children who need mental health support receives it, and financial barriers are a common factor in children not getting help.
The foundation will begin funding counselling for children and youth, working with other social service agencies who will refer high priority children living in poverty.
“At the Children’s Foundation, our mission has always been to nurture healthy childhood development; and while our Free to Grow program indirectly supports the mental well-being of youth, we understand that now, more than ever, children need more direct and individualized mental health counselling,” said Karyn Kirkwood, program director of the Free to Grow Program.
“The mental health and well-being of youth is a crucial part of childhood development and a natural fit for us to support kids who need this specialized help.”
The foundation will be partnering with Five Star Relationships, a local psychotherapy and coaching organization, to offer weekly counselling sessions to children and youth in need.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Children’s Foundation of Guelph in providing supportive counselling assistance to children, youth, and their families,” said Five Star Relationships CEO, Andrea Groenewald.
Five Star Relationships will also be offering interactive psycho-educational workshops to support parents by giving them the tools required to support children struggling with mental health issues.
The Children’s Foundation will begin piloting this program in September.
To learn more about the Free to Grow program, including the new mental health initiative, visit the Children’s Foundation website at https://www.childrensfoundation.org/what-we-do/free-to-grow.
