Parent Resources
Parent and Caregiver
Parents and caregivers are pivotal in helping their children reach their fullest potential. Working collaboratively with community partners and service providers, we strive to ensure that families are informed about and connected to other community services they may require. In this section, you will find a variety of links to resources and downloads regarding the early years and licensed child care system.
PARENTING SUPPORTS
Becoming a parent is one of the most enjoyable life experiences, but can sometimes also be one of the most challenging. There are a variety of agencies in our district that offer programs and services to help you along the way. Below is just a sample of the community agencies and the services they provide; you can click on the links to visit their website and get more information on programs that may be of interest to you.
- Children’s Aid Society – infant and child development services, MotherCare, Community Action Plan for Children, etc.
- Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing – post-partum mood disorder program, addiction services, developmental services, counselling services, etc.
- Community Living North Bay – programs and services for people with intellectual disabilities and their families
- Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca – autism services, child development, child and youth mental health, etc.
- Ministry of Education – for information on early years, licensed child care, and education (K-12)
- North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre – offer a variety of health programs for the entire family as well as child and youth programs
- North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit – prenatal classes, breastfeeding support, parenting workshops, etc.
- One Kids Place Children’s Treatment Centre – occupational, speech-language and physiotherapy services, therapeutic recreation, infant hearing program, autism services, etc. Click here to view a list of the free resources that are available on their website.
- West Nipissing Child Care Corporation – The Stepping Stone program offers resources and supports to ensure that children with special needs are successfully integrated within licensed child care and EarlyON settings.
TELUS HEALTH PARENTING WEBINARS
DNSSAB is happy to provide access to free parenting webinars presented by Telus Health. Click on the panels below to expand and find out more about each session. To access the webinar, please use the code webinarDNSSAB.
Infants and toddlers develop rapidly and before long, they are no longer babies—a stage of growth that can be exciting and enjoyable. This seminar will provide insights into the developmental needs of children aged zero to six. Participants will learn about age appropriate behaviours and emotions, routines and relationships, ways to prepare toddlers for school, and tips that can be applied to create a safe environment without excessive limits and restrictions.
At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to do the following:
- Identify their parenting style.
- Discuss strategies to foster responsibility and independence.
- Recognize that milestones and expectations are unique to each situation and child.
- Communicate effectively with young children.
Click on the button below to access the video, and enter code webinarDNSSAB.
In this one-hour video, participants will learn what they can do to help make things better for the kids in our lives.
Kids often don’t tell adults bullying is occurring because of their beliefs about the
consequences associated with “telling,” so more often than not we are unaware of a
bullying situation.
Objectives:
- Describe what bullying is and what it isn't and the different forms of bullying including cyber-bullying
- Identify the bully and understand the risk factors for being bullied
- Identify signs of bullying
- Intervene appropriately including how to have the conversation with their kids
- Utilize techniques to help shield their kids from bullying
- Understand other resources that are available
Click on the button below to access the video, and enter code webinarDNSSAB.
Your toddler has been having a tantrum every time you run errands. Your preschooler refuses to go to bed. Your 6-year-old has been hitting his little sister. Every child is different, but chances are that more than once you’ve found yourself wondering how on Earth you can teach your child to behave. This webinar identifies how to use positive parenting to help guide and improve your child’s behavior, as an alternative to yelling, nagging, and punishing.
Objectives:
- Define the philosophy of positive parenting and how it differs from punishment
- Understand common reasons why children misbehave
- Identify strategies to manage common behavioural issues
Click on the button below to access the video, and enter code webinarDNSSAB.
This webinar will give insights into parenting children in this age group and share information about developmental and behavioural issues, peer group dynamics, puberty, responsibility, and discipline.
Parents with children in their tween years, aged seven to 12, are faced with unique challenges, as are their children. While these kids are no longer toddlers, they are not yet ready for the increased level of independence teenagers frequently experience.
Objectives:
- Understand the developmental issues of children at this age
- Develop strategies to cope with the challenges that can arise
- Communicate expectations effectively
- Discuss the principles of responsibility, independence, identity and morality
Click on the button below to access the video, and enter code webinarDNSSAB.
In today's digital world many parents are conflicted on when and how often to let children use their "screens". This webinar will discuss age limits, and help parents define for themselves and their families their limits.
It will also recommend some of the apps/web sites that have been approved. Setting limits often brings many challenges and we will delve into how to tell our children why guidelines are necessary.
Topics covered include:
- Different types of devices
- Why is too much screen time bad?
- AAP Guidelines
- Tips Around Guidelines
- How to Enforce Screen Time Rules
- When is it OK to Bend the Rules?
- Balance Media Use with Healthy Behaviours
Click on the button below to access the video, and enter code webinarDNSSAB.
This one-hour video will discuss how today's working parent needs to build resiliency in order to prevent burnout.
Participants will be provided the tools to manage stress while maintaining a sense of work life balance.
Topics covered in this seminar include:
- What is Resilience?
- Mindset
- Brief History of Parenting
- What Kind of Parent Are You?
- Addressing Expectations
- Components Of Resilience
- Avoiding Burnout
- Maintaining Balance
Click the button below to access the video, and enter code webinarDNSSAB.
LOOKSEE CHECKLIST
The Looksee Checklist by NDDS is a checklist to help monitor a child’s development from 1 month to 6 years of age, with tips to promote the child’s ongoing development. It is not a diagnostic tool or formal assessment, but rather a quick survey to help parents, caregivers and professionals determine any areas that may require some extra help. Click here to visit their website and download the checklists.
PROMOTING LITERACY
Language and literacy develop together as a baby grows from an infant, to a toddler, to a school-aged child and older. Building literacy and language skills early on makes it easier for children to learn to read. Click on any of the flyers below to learn more about how you can build early literacy skills with your child.
HOW DOES LEARNING HAPPEN?
How Does Learning Happen? (HDLH?) is Ontario’s pedagogical approach for early learning. This play based approach is intended to:
- Guide program development, pedagogy and practice
- Strengthen the quality of programs
- Ensure high quality experiences for children
- Support positive outcomes in learning, development, health and well-being
The Children’s Services Quality Assurance team helps support licensed child care centres in the implementation of HDLH? through site visits and professional learning opportunities. Click here for more information on HDLH?.
QUALITY CARE
Licensed child care settings in Ontario are regulated by the Child Care Early Years Act , 2014 (CCEYA) to ensure high standards of safety and quality. The best way to determine if a child care setting will meet your needs is to visit the centre and observe the children and staff. Take into consideration the relationships you see between the staff and children. Are staff genuinely happy when interacting with children? Is everyone (administration, educators, cooks, etc.) receptive and open to questions? The Ministry has developed a list of questions to ask potential child care providers to help you on your quest, or you can visit Finding Quality Child Care for more helpful tips.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Children’s Services is responsible for administering Inclusion Support Special Needs Resourcing to allow children with special needs to participate in early years and child care programs with no additional costs to the parent or caregiver. We have two Inclusion Support Partners: Community Living North Bay’s Inclusion Support Program and West Nipissing Child Care Corporation’s Stepping Stone Program, to ensure that all children are integrated with their peers.
Through Inclusion Support services, Resource Consultants (RCs) provide support to child care and EarlyON programs by conducting regular visits to programs, providing early identification and intervention as well as individual consultations to programs across the Nipissing District. RCs and front line staff work together to ensure programming is meeting the needs of every child and to include everyone in the conversations regarding next steps in supporting individual children. Children’s Services also administers funds to support enriched staffing levels for children who require additional care.
Additionally, EarlyON and licensed child care programs receive professional learning opportunities to build capacity in the area of inclusion and special needs resourcing.
OTHER RESOURCES
Income Support
Ontario Works helps people who are in financial need by providing financial assistance to help with the costs of basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, as well as health benefits for clients and their families. Click here to learn more about the Ontario Works program and supports.
If you are struggling to pay your rent, heat or hydro, the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI) program may be able to help. Click here for more information about this program and other community services that may be of assistance.
Food Security
Food insecurity occurs when one does not have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. If you or someone you know requires support with food security, click on the links below to find more information on food banks and other services in your area to help with food security.