BARRHEAD – The Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS) was successful in its bid to become a spoke service hub for one of the province’s new Family Resource Networks (FRN).
The name of Barrhead’s FRN is the Family Connections Centre.
In November, the United Conservative Party (UCP) government announced that it was ending its funding for Parent Link Centres at the end of March.
Parent Link Centres were provincially funded centres that offered services related to early childhood development, parent education, family support, child development screening, and also provided referrals to other local resources.
FRNs cast a much broader net, providing services for children from infants right up to 17 years old.
Besides expanding the client base of users, it is speculated the reason why the government opted for the FRN model is to reduce costs.
Last year, the province provided Parent Link organizations $77 million. Minister of Children’s Services Rebecca Schulz stated that would be reduced to $65 million under FRNs, however, in the 63-page application document; the amount the government has allotted for Expressions of Interest (EOI) is listed as $57 million.
FCSS executive director Shelly Dewsnap said they learned their bid for an FRN grant was successful March 31.
“It is fabulous news,” she said noting when they applied for FCN funding under the Alberta Children’s Services Family and Community Resiliency Division there was no guarantee that they would be successful.
However, now that they know, they have been busy planning a wide variety of programming for youths from 0 to 18 years old as well as parents. Programs will be focused on caregiver capacity building and child development and well-being.
“So what we are looking at is hosting some parent education courses, similar to the ones organized by Parent Link along with intentionally designed childhood and well-being programs, along with a youth component,” she said.
Currently, the Family Connections Centre operates three days a week, Monday through Wednesday, and is located in the Barrhead FCSS building, in the space that Parent Link occupied.
The centre’s programming will be led by two familiar faces: Rhonda Waggoner and Rebecca Breitkreitz, previously from Parent Link.
Waggoner will be responsible for early childhood development and parenting courses while Breitkreitz will organize the youth component.
Dewsnap said the centre is just getting its feet under it and they are now in the process of making contact with parents and caregivers who accessed Parent Link services as well as reaching out to the general public.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in the initial stages, programming will be held remotely via telephone, video conferencing using apps like Zoom, as well as social media.
“It is still a work in progress,” she said. “We are trying to find the balance of social distancing while still offering programs. You will see more Facebook posts, we will deliver content to parents through Zoom meetings and chats and for the youth [Rebecca Breitkrietz] is working on delivering some of her programming through Youtube videos.”
Dewsnap added that although the Family Connections Centre is open three days a week, she said parents and youths interested in participating in future programming can call the FCSS office or reach out to Waggoner and Breitkreitz] via e-mail.
She noted that because of COVID-19, a lot of FCSS staff are choosing to work for large periods from home and therefore do not always keep regular hours.
Dewsnap wanted to thank everyone who helped in the submission to get the FRN grant, reiterating it wasn’t a given that they would be successful, as not every community that had a Parent Link Centre received FRN funding.
“We had letters come in, people attending community meetings ... the support in this community for FCSS programs and those we apply for as part of government contracts is amazing,” she said.
For more information about Family Connections Centre programming, contact FCSS at 780-674-3341, by e-mail at [email protected]. For Rhonda Waggonner or [email protected] for Rebecca Breitkreitz. The centre also makes regular updates on its Facebook page.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
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