Ten years ago, the province rolled out a program to connect new mothers with other growing families in their communities.
It’s called Parent Link and its purpose is to provide families with a support system during the first years of their child’s life.
“It can be a lonely and isolating time,” explained Kathleen Waxer, Jasper’s director of community and family services, “so it’s really important that people are supported during that time of going from being an individual to a mother or a couple to a family.
“Parent Link looks at what the needs are for preschool families living in Jasper and sets up systems and programs that allow people to connect with each other.”
Waxer said connecting with other families is important in the early years because it gives parents an opportunity to discuss their challenges and learn from each other.
“The beauty of the Parent Link system is families experiencing difficulty can learn from families that are not,” she said, noting that not everyone has a background in early childhood development.
Parent Link is open six days a week. The centre, full of toys developed specifically for early childhood development, is located in the Community Outreach Services building on the corner of Patricia Street and Hazel Avenue.
Programming can include anything from a sing-a-long with a local musician to story time at the Jasper Municipal Library. It also includes the Children Indoor Play Society (CHIPS) program at the Jasper Activity Centre.
According to Waxer, CHIPS becomes especially popular in the winter months, when the mercury dips to -40 °C. To beat the otherwise inevitable cabin fever, parents flock to the multipurpose hall, where toys are splayed across the floor and kids can run wild in a wide open space.
“Most families don’t have the wealth of resources we have here,” Waxer said, noting that the equipment is all “purposefully built for early childhood development” and helps with gross motor skills.
Jasper has had its Parent Link centre for six or seven years. Waxer joked that, after 30 years in her position, it’s hard to keep track of exact dates.
With the funding the province provides for the program, Community Outreach Services was able to hire a second outreach worker for prenatal to preschool aged children, and purchase all the toys it needed to fill the centre.
Although it’s not Jasper’s 10 year anniversary, the centre will be hosting an anniversary party to celebrate the creation of Parent Link on Friday, Dec. 12.
The community is invited to visit Community Outreach Services (627 Patricia St.) between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. to take part.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
