Find answers to your Covid-19 questions, share experiences and discover events to stay active and connected.

Click here to see more resources.

Check out what Recreational Respite is offering for Virtual Service this December.

Click here an overview of programs.

Click here for...

• Build It Workshops
• Recreation Groups

We invite you to join our ‘Finding Hope’ movement.

Hope is that feeling we experience when we see—in the mind’s eye—the possibility of a better future. Hope acknowledges the obstacles and pitfalls in front of us, but is unwavering in its resolve, unbreakable in its foundation, and stronger than we can comprehend. Finding Hope invites you to look around and find your reason to be optimistic. To be hopeful.

Finding hope invites you to look for and acknowledge where you find hope.

Take a picture. Write about it. Film a short video. Share the hope you found with others.

Visit Wellbeing Waterloo Region's website to find out more about Finding Hope and how to get involved.  

WWR is hosting a series of information sessions on the Finding Hope movement. Visit this document to see dates and times for the information sessions.

Use the hashtags #FindingHopeWWR and #FindingHopeMovement across social media!
  

FREE MASTERCLASS AVAILABLE UNTIL OCT 24TH! 
Helping your loved one with a developmental disability to gain their independence, and build their own life.  

Build Your Plan, Get Expert Strategies, & Connect with Other Families. 

To register, please send a short email to eric@ericgoll.com with the subject 'Masterclass Access' and we will send you access within a couple of hours.

What you’ll get in this (free) Workshop:

• The thinking and strategy you must apply before you start trying to find housing, supports, and other families. This is the most important step to ensure that you aren't wasting your time.
• Get the Planning Tools and Start Building Your Plan that will create amazing opportunities for your son/ daughter/ loved one. And yes: we will do this together, and you can do this even if you are tired or feeling overwhelmed.
• Learn how other families are creating a safe & sustainable future & how you can do the same! Plus: learn live how you can start taking easy bite-sized steps to help your loved one create their own life and independence.

**You will get these three (3) free live trainings, plus bonus tools, and resources, and live events that will total over 6 hours of free training!!!

Places on the (FREE) LIVE EVENT are limited! Reserve your seat now and join us for the event that will change the way you think about creating the best life with your son/ daughter/ loved one...

Check out what Recreational Respite has on for virtual programming this September 2020!

-September calendar

For all the EarlyON programming for August, click here.

Does your child miss being able to interact with their friends and educators? Would you like them to practice relationship-builind and social skills over the summer before reutrning to school?

Join us for a two week session of Our Place's Virtual Playdates.

A Registered Early Childhood Educator will facilitate three 25-minute play dates per week on Zoom for groups of children 3-6 years (and a caring adult close by). The sessions involve open-ended play, songs, conversation, and fun!

Zoom groups are CLOSED programs.

Dates: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday

Sessions start in July 

Time: 11:00-11:25am

Register Online.

There is no fee to register. SPACE is LIMITED.

Questions: 519-571-1625 ourplace@ourplacekw.ca

Families Canada (FC) and the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (CEECD) are pleased to launch Early Childhood Development in a Time of Pandemic, a webinar series created in response to the current COVID-19 climate. The webinar will highlight some possible effects of the pandemic on young children’s behaviours and emotions and discuss ways to support children, families and service providers through a series of presentations and open plenary. 

Isabelle Vinet, an expert in the prevention of disruptive behaviours during early childhood and Executive Director of the CEECD, will facilitate the series.
 
When?
Every Wednesday starting April 22, 2020, at 1 PM ET in English and 2 PM ET in French. 

How do I join?
Please register in advance for this webinar series at this link!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

What’s on the agenda for this week? 
Introduction and welcome
Presentation on self-regulation in early years
Q&A and plenary
Wrap up
 
If you have any questions on the topic Self-Regulation in Early Years please send them by Tuesday, April 21, to kristell.lemartret@umontreal.ca and we will try to answer them all during the webinar. 
 
Upcoming topics include emotional expression, play, prosocial behaviour, peer relations, brain development and more. Stay tuned! 

Community of Hearts staff have been working diligently behind the scenes in order to develop some programming that can be delivered to you remotely. See flyers attached for upcoming program details. 

Participants can access programs online in the following ways (beginning this Friday, April 3rd):

Mondays: On Community of Hearts’ YouTube channel and Community of Hearts’ Facebook page, join Ariel, Independent Hearts Program Coordinator, for a cooking lesson video to follow along with from the comfort of your home. Want to purchase the visual aid recipes? Contact Shera at info@communityofhearts.cato get yours via email!

Tuesdays: Check Community of Hearts’ Facebook page for fun posts and printable activities to do from the comfort of your home.

Wednesdays: On Community of Hearts’ Zoom account, join Jerushia, Program Manager, from noon to 1 pm for a Lunch & Learn. Bring your own lunch to your laptop or desktop computer, log in to the Zoom room (password and meeting ID provided Wednesdays via email) for a facilitated check-in and to connect with other Community of Hearts participants!

Thursdays: On Community of Hearts’ YouTube channel and Community of Hearts’ Facebook page, join community partners for a wellness, gentle movement and stress management video to follow along with from the comfort of your home.

Fridays: On Community of Hearts’ Facebook page, join Jerushia, Program Manager, from 1:30-2:30 pm for a reading and discussion about Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone (by J.K. Rowling). 

Access our YouTube channel here. Videos will be uploaded gradually. This content is available to the public.

Access our Facebook page here. This content is available to the public.

Zoom Meeting invitations will be sent to your email inboxes Wednesdays before the Zoom Room with Jerushia opens. This is not available to the public - only current participants will receive the Meeting ID and Password.

While COVID-19 will impact many of Autism Ontario's Raise the Flag events for World Autism Awareness Day, they invite you to visit their Raise the Flag website so you and your family can make use of the curriculum and content and safely celebrate World Autism Awareness Day. They will announce rescheduled events as they become available on their website and through their social media outlets.

Meanwhile, they are building a resource list of activities that families can do together during the extended period beyond the March break.  They invite you to share your thoughts by completing this brief survey.   Let them know how they can stay connected and supportive to Ontario families during this time.