Onward Willow Better Beginnings, Better Futures

Peer Parent Program
Text Box: Peer parenting is based on a peer friendship model of family support. Many women feel increased isolation while at home with young babies. Peer Parents will link with parents of infants and young children, encouraging and supporting them to access resources at Family Gateway and in the community. The program is linked closely to the Public Health: Healthy Babies Healthy Children program to maximize support. Peer Parents help increase parent awareness of nutrition, fitness, child development, leisure, and health. They also help parents increase their confidence and coping skills. Peer Parents establish links to formal services such as assisting parents to obtain day care subsidies, assess health and social services, assist with settlement needs, and encourage parents to continue their education including learning English. Peer parenting is done on an ongoing, flexible basis by Peer Parents hired from within the neighbourhood and/or the appropriate language community. They are selected because of their warmth, empathy, understanding, familiarity to the neighbourhood, and knowledge about community resources and leadership skills. The quality of the relationship is key in enhancing wellness for family members. If desired, Peer Parents will accompany parents to case conferences, immigration hearings, and other situations, and make referrals to Healthy Babies Healthy Children and the Canadian Prenatal Nutrition program and other services. Peer Parent Program Goals: Visit, on a regular basis, mothers and parents with infants and young children. Reduce parents’ isolation by linking them to parent peer support groups and parent/child programming at Family Gateway Encourage and support pregnant women to seek and follow through with prenatal health care Support new mothers to breast feed their babies Link new parents to health and social services when needed Work with the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program to promote and support optimal infant development Link families to required resources such as schools and doctors, being aware of the unique needs of new Canadian families

Contact Us:

Family Gateway,

20 Shelldale Crescent,

Guelph, ON  N1H 1C8

Tel. 519-824-8498

 

 

 

 

 

Family Gateway,

20 Shelldale Crescent,

Guelph. ON  N1H 1C8

 

Onward Willow Centre,

15 Willow Road Unit K45,

Guelph, ON  N1H 1V7

Onward Willow Centre,

K45-15 Willow Road,

Guelph, On  N1H 1V7

Tel. 519-824-6892

Current Program Schedule
Text Box: Peer Parenting is a component of the overall support provided to families, with a particular focus on families with infants and young children. The overall purpose of the Peer Parent Program is to enhance the ability of parents to nurture and care for their children and to promote the optimal growth and development of infants and young children. The Peer Parent Program Coordinator works closely with the Children’s Program Coordinator to share linkages, ideas, and resources.

Email:  onwardwillow@netscape.net