Community News & Updates

With the past few years bringing unprecedented hardship to all families, especially those with young and school-aged children, there has never been a greater need to provide support. The Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University has partnered with four mental health agencies across Ontario to launch a parenting and family support study called Promoting Healthy Families. The overall goal is to take a closer look at two parenting programs (Triple P and Circle of Security) and to understand if, and how, families can benefit from these programs.

Both the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) and Circle of Security Parenting Program (COSP) offer a structured way for parents and caregivers to develop practical skills to help decrease challenging behaviours and emotions in young children and help family relationships. By taking part in this study, parents and caregivers may find that they feel more positive about themselves and their caregiving skills, while providing valuable information on how we help other families in the future.

Our research team is committed to ensuring our programs are accessible to all families, with additional care to reach families who may face traditional barriers to services such as limited access to technology and wi-fi services. To ensure equal opportunity, our study will provide:

• Immediate, direct, and free-of-charge access to one of our parenting programs, led by highly qualified, trained service providers
• Access to iPad devices and internet for study visits, free of charge (upon request)
• Completely virtual service, in consideration of Covid-19 guidelines
• Compensation in gift cards upon completion of study visits
• Flexible scheduling of study visits to accommodate busy families

Our study is actively looking for families with children aged 2-6 years to enroll in this study. 

For more information, click here.

The purpose of the Youth and Teen Groups are twofold. To provide respite for caregivers, and to provide meaningful recreational activities for participants as well as opportunities to learn new skills.

The Youth and Teen Groups will run for 8 weeks this fall.  The Youth Group will be held on Fridays from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.  The Teen Groups held on Wednesdays from 4:30 pm, to 6:30 pm and Saturdays, from 1 pm to 3 pm.  The groups will commence during the week of October 12, 14, and 15, 2022 and will wrap up during the week of November 30 and December 2/3, 2022.

To ensure everyone’s safety:

• There will be no more than thirteen people (including staff) in the building.
• Each participant will be asked assessment questions (including temperature checks) prior to entry.
• Hand sanitizers and masks will be provided to the participants for each session.
• Staff will practice precautions by disinfecting every area after use.

Are there any requirements?

• Youth Groups will include children from the ages of 8-12 years
• Teen Groups will include children from the ages of 13-17 years
• Participant does not need assistance in the area of personal care (with the exception of reminders) and one-to-one support

When and where do groups meet?

• Groups meet at 14 Braun Avenue, Kitchener, ON
• Youth Groups will meet on Fridays and Teen Groups will meet on Saturdays.

How many participants?

• 10 participants will be supported by 3 staff.

What is the cost of joining a group?

• $85 for the eight-week session.

How can you register the cost of the group?

• Families can register through MyCommunityHub and pay online through credit card or using the code SSAHrespite Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region administers your SSAH funding and you wish to pay using that source.