Child & Family
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Baby’s Head Start
Families First
Healthy Beginnings
Parenting Awareness and Individual Development (P.A.I.D.)
Make Children First
First Steps
Location: S201-202 (classroom), 215 (office)-750 Cottonwood Avenue Kamloops,BC VSB 3J3. Phone: 250 -376-9119 (office) 250-376-7518 (classroom)
Transitional Support to Children
Family Service Program
Early Connections
The program is based on research regarding early detection of infant/child mental health disorders. The research supports the notion that infant/child mental health concerns are manifested as a result of insecure attachment relationships. Attachment based theories, research and interventions indicate that secure parent/child relationships are necessary for optimal emotional health.
Supervised & Supportive Visitation Program
The Supervised and Supportive Visitation Program offers families an opportunity to spend time together in a safe, supportive environment. The supervisors assist parents in strengthening their parental knowledge, abilities and communication skills. They assist parents and children to understand the reasons why visitation requires supervision and to manage their feelings of grief and loss during their separation. They support parents in improving the relationships within their family so that they are able to visit with, or safely care for, their children unsupervised. Families with children who require or could benefit from a supervised, supportive environment are eligible for the program. Any community professional can make a referral by calling Interior Community Services and asking for the Supervised and Supportive Visitation Program. The program is available on both a fee-for-service basis and a Ministry of Children and Family Development referral.
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Programs
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Baby's Head Start is a pregnancy outreach service incorporating free nutrition/vitamin supplements, individual and family support, group work and community referrals. Services are provided free to women less than 28 weeks pregnant (up to 40 weeks depending on situation) through to 6 months postnatal. The Baby's Head Start team is comprised of Outreach Workers, a Registered Nurse and a Registered Dietician. Baby's Head Start is a self-referral program, although community referrals are welcomed with the permission of the client.
Families First is a preventative, family centered in home support program. Families who are eligible will be parenting an infant less than 3 months old upon entry. Families are supported with current information and education to provide a safe and nurturing environment for themselves and their child(ren) The program promotes parent/child interaction/bonding, language development, routines, relationship/trust building, child development and positive parenting strategies. Families First assists families in connecting with other families and other community resources. This service is a long-term program that invites families to be involved until the infant reaches 3 to 5yrs of age. This service is offered in Kamloops, Chase, Barriere, Cache Creek and Ashcroft. Referrals can be made by: Self, Public Health Nurses or other community professionals. 
Healthy Beginnings offers community-based parent/child weekly drop in groups for parents/caregivers and their children aged birth to 6 years. These groups provide a social, safe, welcome and supportive opportunity for young children and their parents to come together on a regular basis. These groups are offered in the Kamloops and region including: Chase, Barriere, Merritt,Kamloops,Ashcroft, Cache Creek and Clinton. This program is open to all families of all cultures and race with children birth to six years of age. Healthy Beginnings is a self-referral program.
The P.A.I.D. program is a parenting program that provides education, support and counselling for parents who are experiencing challenges in their role as parents. The program structure consists of ten to twelve week sessions offered three times a year. Groups’ sessions take place twice a week followed by one to one sessions weekly. Referrals may be made by; self, Social Worker, Public Health Worker or other professionals in the community.
Make Children First (MCF) is a community development initiative that works to strengthen and support the healthy development of young children and their families. As a community coalition made up of individuals and organizations, MCF acts as a catalyst and facilitator for improving early childhood development systems and networks. The work is guided by a community owned and driven strategic plan that focuses on capacity building and increasing the effectiveness and efficiencies in service delivery and planning. Teamwork, public awareness, research, strategic planning, advocacy and evaluation are fundamental to the community development work of Make Children First. Working together with the community MCF is striving to make Kamloops the best possible place to raise young children.
First Steps is an education program for young mothers between the ages of 15 and 24 who are continuing their high school education. First Steps offers academic upgrading, parenting and life skills classes and support services. Specialized onsite Childcare provides an opportunity for parents to further develop their parenting skills in a supportive environment. First Steps is a partnership program betweenThompson Rivers University,Boys and Girls Club of Kamloops,School District #73 and Interior Community Services. First Steps is self-referral program.
Transitional Support to Children is a program designed to assist children and their families in the preparing for adoptive placements. The goal of the program is to provide a service that engages, involves, strengthens and supports families to ensure the children’s safety, permanency and well being. Support is provided to stabilize and educate families in transition to adoption. Emphasis is placed on enhancing the attachment between children and their families, and connecting families with resources that will sustain them in the future.
The Family Service Program is an outreach service that provides support to families experiencing challenges. These may include issues such as enhancing child safety, encouraging healthy parent/child relationships, parenting, trauma, grief/loss, problem solving and decision making, as well as supporting families to access community resources. The main purpose of the Family Service Program is to restore family functioning by supporting families to discover ways of finding their own solutions, make positive choices and decisions about their situations, and to utilize community resources. Program components include family assessment, goal setting, intervention, as well as transition planning. The Family Service Program also offers Mind over Madder. This is an eight week group designed to support participants to understand anger and learn skills to manage conflict. The approach of the program is based in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and utilizes a variety of additional therapeutic models. Sessions occur once weekly over two hours. For more information call 250-554-3134.
This service provides early intervention in families with children aged 0-6 who are at moderate risk of developing a child mental health disorder. The goal of this service is to: a) enhance and strengthen attachment relationships and b) for parents to be able to demonstrate an increased knowledge of child development milestones and parenting practices that promote healthy child development. This program addresses the needs to create secure attachment relationships between parents and their young children.