Child & Youth Development &
Parenting Support

We offer Children's Programs from the ages of newborn to 11 years, Junior Youth Programs for the 8-11 year-olds and Senior Youth Programs for those between 12-17 years.

Program areas include Kiddie Kare, Lunch Program, Pre & Post Care, Emergency Child Care Service, Summer Camps (2.5-4 yrs, 5-8 yrs and 9-12 yrs), Junior and Senior Drop-In Youth Club and Youth Field Trips/Special Events.

In addition to front-line programming, we also offer parenting support workshops and have a vast resource library for (single) parents of babies, toddlers, tweenies, youth, twins...have we missed anything...?

If you can't find the information you are seeking, be sure to visit the MFRC to speak with a staff member. If we don't have the answer, we can certainly point you in the right direction.

It is important that you let us know how we are doing. Please take a few minutes and visit our Evaluation Page and complete where appropriate.

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Mandated Services

Activities and Initiatives for Children and Youth
Service Goal: Promote optimal development of children and youth
OBJECTIVES INDICATORS
1) Children have opportunities for social interaction and learning.
2) Children and youth, to the extent to which they are able, participate in the planning,evaluation and monitoring of services and activities.
3) Youth are engaged in community activities.

Parent/Caregiver Education and Support Services
Service Goal: Promote positive parenting and healthy child and youth development to support family cohesion
OBJECTIVES INDICATORS
1) Parents and caregivers are actively involved in planning, evaluation and monitoring key services and activities.
2) Parents and caregivers have access to child and youth related information and resources.
3) Parents have access to information about their child care options.
4) Parents and caregivers have opportunities to develop their parenting and caregiving skills.
5) Parents and caregivers have access to resources to help them identify and find high high quality child care.
6) Parents and caregivers have access to current and appropriate information and referrals for children with special needs.

Casual Child Care Services
Service Goal: Facilitate access to casual child care
OBJECTIVES INDICATORS
1) Casual child care is available so that members can participate in C/MFRC services.
2) Casual child care services are ready available to meet parents’ needs.

Emergency Child Care
Service Goals: Families have a family care plan in place to address their child care needs; Support the ability of CF members to be available for duty if their child care plan fails
OBJECTIVES INDICATORS
1) Families understand the importance of a child care plan.
2) Families are assisted with the development of the child care plan.
3) C/MFRCs respect the emergency child care choices of parents.
4) Families have access to emergency child care services that respond to sudden and unforeseen needs.
5) Families are aware of their eligibility for emergency child care.
6) Families are prepared for emergency situations requiring child care.

Emergency Respite Child Care
Service Goals: Support family well-being of deployed CF members and relieve some of the stressors related to child care
OBJECTIVES INDICATORS
1) Families of deployed CF members have access to emergency respite child care services.
2) Families are aware of their eligibility for emergency respite child care.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

Emergency Childcare Services Eligibility

The Emergency Childcare Service (ECS) is available to assist families in the event an emergency occurs while the CF member is away on duty and the family’s personal care plan has failed. It can help families meet unexpected childcare needs that are a direct result of CF duty requirements. It can support families during a short-term crisis until they are able to make longer-term childcare arrangements. The following are the circumstances that constitute an emergency, which have been set forth by the Director of Military Family Services (DMFS):

1. when a CF member is away on duty and the spouse/caregiver is unavailable due to illness;
2. when CF member is away on duty and the spouse/caregiver is unavailable due to a family emergency;
3. when the CF member is required to report for duty on short notice and the spouse/caregiver is unavailable;
4. when a single parent or both parents are CF members and CF duty requirements are such that the regular childcare provider is unavailable;
5. when a child is ill and the parent is unable to access their usual child care; and
6. when other circumstances not covered above exist and emergency childcare is deemed necessary.  This rare kind of situation is dealt with by MFRC staff. For example: A military family new to the area and not familiar with all the resources and has not yet put a childcare plan in place and a medical emergency arises and the family requires childcare.  The Suffield MFRC may contact DMFS for approval (care is not guaranteed in this circumstance).
   

72 hour Respite Care Entitlements

This service provides timely affordable and regulated childcare for CF members. This service is available when the CF member's Family Care Plan fails. The Military Family Resource Centre is authorized to fund up to 72 continuous hours of emergency care under the following circumstances:  When the CF member is away on duty and it has been determined that a period of respite is "absolutely essential" for the family's well being, that is, the period of respite is critical to the mental health of the child or the caregiver. In such an event, 72 hours of approved childcare is available. In some situations, caregivers can go into your home to accommodate evenings and weekends. In addition, childcare can be provided through our licensed daycare.

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