Cochrane Parents have Plenty of Support

Posted by on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017 at 1:49pm.

Thinking of moving your family to Cochrane?  People love the small town feeling in this community to the west of Calgary. It has all the big city amenities, including resources for parents who are doing one of the hardest jobs on the planet – raising children!

When you buy a home in Cochrane, you will be buying into a well-connected community where there is tremendous support for parents through the Cochrane Parent Link Centre at 127 1st Ave W.  Thanks to the great variety of programming, you won’t be alone especially if you have parents and other family supports that live far away.  Here are just a few things you’ll find through the Parent Link Centre.

Education Courses

What area of parenting to you think you might need help with?  Breastfeeding? Child development? Navigating the teenage years?   New courses are offered every month and are posted on the monthly calendar online.  Meet other parents with concerns, learn from the professional course facilitators and share your own ideas about topics of interest to you.  Courses are held in several locations in and around Cochrane including Bearspaw, Bragg Creek and Beaupre.

Parenting Advice and Tips

Parents in Cochrane are always welcome to drop into the Parent Link Centre for support.  Educators with early childhood training are there to assist by offering strategies, information and can refer you to other agencies in the community that can further help you.  The centre is where you can request home visitations or sign up for the Triple P Parenting Program.  There is also a Respite Program which parents have to apply and qualify for. This is particularly useful for parents who don’t have extended family close by.

Developmental Monitoring

It’s one thing to track your child’s progress using the latest books or online information but nothing really replaces discussing your child’s development with an expert.  At the Parent Link Centre, you can talk face to face with professionals who will give you an accurate picture of how your child is growing and will help prepare you with suggestions on how to get ready for the next stage of their development.  You might get a better picture going through the screening offered by the centre.  Drop in or call for information.

Check Out the Resource Library

Reference books are at your disposal at the Parent Link Centre.  They offer a comprehensive selection of books on parenting as well as a variety of children’s books that can be checked out.  Parents who are venturing out into the world of potty training or learning manners for public places or who need to navigate situations such as divorce or the death of a loved one will find information in the resource library.  Should questions arise while sifting through the material, there are early childhood professionals on hand to assist or to point you in the appropriate direction.

Cochrane Fathers Matter

This program is comprised of a series of interactive sessions that will help you as parents explore the things that are most important to you.  Explore the dynamics of family life and dig deep into the relationship with your spouse or partner and the person you are co-parenting with.  Take a look at how your family unit balances the stress in life and where you turn to for support.  This program also helps parents examine their personal upbringing and how the family or origin impacts they manner in which they’re parenting today.  This program includes childcare while the parents learn together plus a meal. Get more information by contacting fathersmatter@cochrane.ca

Support Groups for Cochrane Parents

There are many issues that bring parents together for support.  Children with anxiety, extreme behaviour, learning or health challenges can create extra stress.  Turning to others is a way to help parents.

Check the town of Cochrane website for more information on how parents who buy a home in Cochrane are nurtured and supported.

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