Family Resource Centre provides drop-in program for dads and kids
The Family Resource Centre in Swift Current has brought back a free drop-in program to give an opportunity for dads and their children to play together. t Dad and the Kids program takes place on different Saturdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Family Resource Centre (885 6th Ave. NE).
The first play group was held on Jan. 26 and the next one happens this weekend, Feb. 2. There is another opportunity on Feb. 23 and the program will also take place on March 2, 23 and 30. According to Kimberly Bilanski, the program coordinator at the Family Resource Centre, a successful pilot program for Just Dad and the Kids took place last year.
It was not possible to extend the duration of the pilot program due to financial constraints. United Way grant funding has made it possible to start the program again, but additional funding will be required to keep it going. An evaluation of the pilot program resulted in some changes, most importantly with regard to the scheduling of the dates on different Saturdays.
“We had it every other weekend, but we found that we weren't hitting all the dads,” she explained. “So if a dad shares custody and gets their kid every other weekend, we might never see them. That's why it's not every other weekend. We learned from last time around."
The pilot project was held at a different venue, but this time they are able to have it in the building where the Family Resource Centre is located. It makes it easier to have all the equipment available for the play group.
“We have a large gym,” she said.“We have it all set up with slides and bikes and cars and we have play dough and stuff in the other room too for quieter activities.”
There are free snacks and dads can get to know each other while their children are having fun. Parenting books and other information are available, and dads with questions can talk to staff who are present during the program.
Book draws at each event will give dads an opportunity to receive a copy of the children’s book Thank You for Bringing Me by Saskatchewan author Connie McGrath, which they can share with their children at home. This picture book is about a busy father who is surprised when he finally takes his little girl skating.
“I think this book will be great and maybe tug on a few heart strings, and it's always a good reminder,” Bilanski mentioned. “We want to be there for our kids, we want our children to leave our house and be successful and thrive in the community, but you have to put the time in for that to happen.”
Anne Ford, the executive director at the Family Resource Centre, said they have identified the need for a more dad focused program.
“It's not just moms that need support.… So it's a bit of a twist on parenting in a sense that we're focusing more on the importance of dads in their children’s' lives and how we can support that,” she said.
The Family Resource Centre has involved Bryon Bezanzon, a pastor at Trailview Alliance Church who has taken parenting training, as a facilitator for the Just Dad and the Kids program. He will be present on those program days to share his thoughts with other dads who want to talk about parenting.
The Family Resource Centre provides programs and activities for parents and families with children of ages 0-6. The Let’s Play programs takes place from September to June on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon. The drop-in program encourages informal parent/tot bonding through play and exploration.
Messy Fingers is a drop-off program for 3-5-year-old children in the fall, winter, and spring. This 10-week creative play program is offered every Thursday to morning and afternoon groups to engage children through art, crafts, stories, music and sensory play.
Parent Connections is a referral-based parenting program on Monday nights from 5-7 p.m. Little Caesars provides free pizza each night and the Family Resource Centre provides transportation for participating families.
A teen parent program provides one to one support for teen parents. There is a Triple P (positive parenting) program for group or one to one support. A financial literacy program provides parents with information on budgeting, banking, credit and consumerism during two-hour sessions over five weeks.
The Kids in Safe Seats (KISS) program provides subsidized car seats for qualifying families. Ford is a certified car seat technician and she will provide families with safety information.
The Family Resource Centre partners with the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre to provide an English as additional language summer program. It is a sevenweek program with morning and afternoon sessions for different groups.
For more information about the Just Dad and the Kids program or other programs offered by the Family Resource Centre, call 306-773-6160 or send an e-mail to: parentprogram@sasktel.net