Searching for Parent / Child Programs

Operates as a program under the Healing and Wellness Branch

Offers services, ongoing support and education to enhance the lives of young children and families

• Prevents children from becoming at-risk because of certain conditions such as family violence, poverty, abuse, neglect and unhealthy living conditions
• Promotes healthier child development through early childhood interventions
• Provides information on children's nutrition, areas of injury prevention, and the mental health of the child
• Provides services that allow for skill teaching, ongoing support and education as a means to assist families in the healing process
• Offers drop-in parent and child programs for families and caregivers of children

Programs include:

• Parent and Tot Drop-In Program
• Parenting Program with workshops which include input from members and child care for children
• Healthy Lifestyles for family members wanting information on traditional ways
• Cultural events and community gatherings

• Offers the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) that provides supportive programs and services for families with children 6 years of age and younger
• Provides support programs and services Offers support services on-site and throughout the city at partnering agencies

Focuses on the following programs:

• Child development
• Community development and outreach
• Cultural development and retention
• Family healing
• Family nutrition
• Parenting skills

• Offers a welcoming and inclusive, clean and safe environment where children can play and explore
• Encourages parents and caregivers to participate in the planning and implementation of programs

Offers the following programs and services, including:

• Early Years programming
• Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
• Baby Beginnings
• Early Literacy
• Programs to promote the health and well-being of children and families
• Programs to help improve the health and well-being of pregnant women and new mothers

NOTE: Not all programs listed may be available at each site, call to confirm

• Offers a welcoming and inclusive, clean and safe environment where children can play and explore
• Encourages parents and caregivers to participate in the planning and implementation of programs

Offers the following programs and services, including:

• Early Years programming
• Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
• Baby Beginnings
• Early Literacy
• Programs to promote the health and well-being of children and families
• Programs to help improve the health and well-being of pregnant women and new mothers

NOTE: Not all programs listed may be available at each site, call to confirm

Programs are currently suspended due to Covid; check website for updates

Functions as a family centre, offering children and their families a place to learn, play, socialize and have fun

• Offers programs to children at no cost to parents
• Provides play opportunities for child/parent engagement
• Offers a variety of preschool programs to introduce children to math and reading
• Offers workshops on various parenting topics
• Answers questions about child's development
• Provides links to family services within the community
• Participates in various preschool programs with community partners
• Loans out adult resources on various parenting issues and child development issues
• Encourages parents and children to drop in anytime during regular hours to use the facility's indoor and outside play spaces and learning centres

Note: Lead agency is Rural Family Resource Centre

Programs are currently suspended due to Covid; check website for updates

Functions as a family centre, offering children and their families a place to learn, play, socialize and have fun

• Offers programs to children at no cost to parents
• Provides play opportunities for child/parent engagement
• Offers a variety of preschool programs to introduce children to math and reading
• Offers workshops on various parenting topics
• Answers questions about child's development
• Provides links to family services within the community
• Participates in various preschool programs with community partners
• Loans out adult resources on various parenting issues and child development issues
• Encourages parents and children to drop in anytime during regular hours to use the facility's indoor and outside play spaces and learning centres

Note: Lead agency is Rural Family Resource Centre

Programs are currently suspended due to Covid; check website for updates

Functions as a family centre, offering children and their families a place to learn, play, socialize and have fun

• Offers programs to children at no cost to parents
• Provides play opportunities for child/parent engagement
• Offers a variety of preschool programs to introduce children to math and reading
• Offers workshops on various parenting topics
• Answers questions about child's development
• Provides links to family services within the community
• Participates in various preschool programs with community partners
• Loans out adult resources on various parenting issues and child development issues
• Encourages parents and children to drop in anytime during regular hours to use the facility's indoor and outside play spaces and learning centres

Note: Lead agency is Rural Family Resource Centre

Functions as a family centre, offering children and their families a place to learn, play, socialize and have fun

• Offers programs to children at no cost to parents
• Provides play opportunities for child/parent engagement
• Offers a variety of preschool programs to introduce children to math and reading
• Offers workshops on various parenting topics
• Answers questions about child's development
• Provides links to family services within the community
• Participates in various preschool programs with community partners
• Loans out adult resources on various parenting issues and child development issues
• Encourages parents and children to drop in anytime during regular hours to use the facility's indoor and outside play spaces and learning centres

Note: Lead agency is Children and Family Centre, Confederation College

Functions as a family centre, offering children and their families a place to learn, play, socialize and have fun

• Offers programs to children at no cost to parents
• Provides play opportunities for child/parent engagement
• Offers a variety of preschool programs to introduce children to math and reading
• Offers workshops on various parenting topics
• Answers questions about child's development
• Provides links to family services within the community
• Participates in various preschool programs with community partners
• Loans out adult resources on various parenting issues and child development issues
• Encourages parents and children to drop in anytime during regular hours to use the facility's indoor and outside play spaces and learning centres

Note: Lead agency is Children and Family Centre, Confederation College

Functions as a family centre, offering children and their families a place to learn, play, socialize and have fun

• Offers programs to children at no cost to parents
• Provides play opportunities for child/parent engagement
• Offers a variety of preschool programs to introduce children to math and reading
• Offers workshops on various parenting topics
• Answers questions about child's development
• Provides links to family services within the community
• Participates in various preschool programs with community partners
• Loans out adult resources on various parenting issues and child development issues
• Encourages parents and children to drop in anytime during regular hours to use the facility's indoor and outside play spaces and learning centres

Note: Lead agency is Children and Family Centre, Confederation College

Offers services, ongoing support and education to enhance the lives of young children and families

• Prevents children from becoming at-risk because of certain conditions such as family violence, poverty, abuse, neglect and unhealthy living conditions by offering information and education on effective parenting and good life teachings
• Promotes healthier child development through early childhood interventions including information sessions on pre-parenting preparation and child development
• Provides information on children's nutrition, injury prevention, and child mental health
• Provides a lunch during daily programs

Provides public education and information in the areas of but not limited to:

• Developing family values that are culturally based
• Developmental needs of infants, toddlers and preschool aged children
• Positive parenting
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) and Fetal Smoking Syndrome

Activities and programs can include:

• Hand drumming sessions
• Nature and sensory exploration
• Odamino Playgroup drop-in
• Storytelling and craft times
• Teddy Bear picnics

Provides a program focused on improving the health and social development of preschool children and their families

• Strives to meet the emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs of the child
• Offers programs that will culturally connect and spiritually root children in the traditional language and history of family, community and Nation
• Involves parents, elders and community members as much as possible

Provides the following:

• A variety of school readiness programs such as learning shapes and numbers, building vocabulary and reading
• Supervised indoor and outdoor playtime and gym activities
• Nutritious snacks

Services and activities include:

• Community garden participation
• Cultural craft teaching
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Day
• Health Fair
• Healthy Luncheon
• New baby packages
• Regalia making workshops

Provides social and political support to Indigenous women and their families by means of getting together in groups, socials and cultural activities

• A non-profit organization that works to empower and support Indigenous women and their families
• Ensures that Indigenous women and their families have equal access to justice, education, health services, environmental stewardship, and economic development

Offers the following programs:

• Aakwa'ode'ewin (Courage for Change)
• Aboriginal Diabetes Education and Awareness
• Aboriginal Responsible Gambling Awareness
• Indigenous Victim and Family Liaison Program
• Circles of Care
• Community Health Outreach
• Community Wellness Program
• Indigenous Anti-Human Trafficking Liaison
• Indigenous Healthy Babies Healthy Children
• Indigenous Women's Leadership
• Mental Health
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Family Support​
• Nihdawin​
• Ska-Be (Helper) Program
• Trauma-Informed Care Program
• Youth in Transition
• Youth in Transition Housing Support

• Offers a mobile outdoor program that brings the playgroup year-round to various neighbourhoods within the city
• Partners with Our Kids Count and Healthy Kids Thunder Bay to provide interactive outdoor play and activities for community children

• Offers inquiry and play-based learning to improve a child's developmental health and well-being
• Provides professionally trained staff
• Offers families a place to interact

Library Services

• Offers families, educators, and childcare professionals centralized access to resources and information
• Provides information and referrals to other children's services
• Offers a toy lending library
• Offers a free community membership to borrow resources and materials

Indoor Active Playspace

• Provides children and families the opportunity to be more physically active all year round in a safe and fun environment

Dad's Night Drop-In

• Provides dads a place to engage with their children and network with other fathers
• Welcomes dads, step dads, grandpas, uncles and other male role models

Programs may vary and also include:

• Rainbow Family Group
• Babies Day
• Connect
• Time with Toddlers
• Open Spaces

​​EarlyOn programming has been moved to a virtual platform. Follow on Facebook for details. The situation will be evaluated and in-person programs will be restarted when it is safe to do so.

• Functions as a one stop Indigenous-led family centre, offering children and their families a place to meet, learn and grow together
• Offers programs to children at no cost to parents
• Provides family learning activities
• Provides an opportunity to connect with other families and learn about all local family services
• Offers culturally relevant and traditional programming, such as drumming and Circle Time

Along with its partners, offers a continuum of services ranging from universal community services accessible to all children, to specialized services for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or developmental needs

Universal services include:

• EarlyON Child and Family Centres (formerly Best Start Hubs)
• Early Learning and Child Care Services

Targeted services include:

• Diagnostic and Assessment Services
• Respite Services
• Skills Building Services
• Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) Workshops for Parents
• Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) Workshops for Professionals
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Awareness Presentations
• Brief Behavioural Consultations
• Social and Life Skills Groups
• Transition Services
• Specialized Services
• Intensive Services

• Offers a welcoming and inclusive, clean and safe environment where children can play and explore
• Encourages parents and caregivers to participate in the planning and implementation of programs

Offers the following programs and services, including:

• Early Years programming
• Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
• Baby Beginnings
• Early Literacy
• Programs to promote the health and well-being of children and families
• Programs to help improve the health and well-being of pregnant women and new mothers

NOTE: Not all programs listed may be available at each site, call to confirm