Chidren Services
Our Reason for Being: We are in the business of supporting children to have a meaningful and satisfying life in our community.
The primary goal of the Children’s Services is to assist children and youth and their families who are at risk of a developmental delay, or who are over 6 and have been diagnosed with a cognitive disability, to achieve their goals. To assist the children and youth to develop to their optimum ability and live, learn and play in an inclusive community. Children’s Services is governed by the Kenora Association for Community Living whose mission is: to ensure that all people with special needs have the opportunity to live a meaningful and satisfying lifestyle and interact as an equal in their community by providing continuous opportunities for personal growth through education, training, support, advocacy and an informed public.
The following service delivery principles guide all services of the Association in the delivery of support to the people of Kenora:
1. Respect of an individual requires recognition of his or her humanity
before his or her handicap
2. Everyone is deserving of respect as individuals.
3. All persons have the right to participate in all aspects of living,
learning, working and playing in the community.
4. The manner and context within which support is offered should affirm
normal patterns of living, learning, working and playing in the
community including normal needs, processes, relationships and rhythms
of life.
Children’s Services provides intensive case management services using a hybrid combination of the personal strengths model and rehabilitation model. The service is provided within a family center philosophy that also tries to move the family towards a person centered ideology as the child enters adolescence.
Children’s Services encompasses support for children birth to 18 and their families through the Infant Development, Child and Youth, Autism and Kid’s Zone programs. The supports are flexible to the individual child and families needs. These services include home based, community and center based programs that are provided on an individual basis or through a group experience,l based on the child and families choice. The family and child's dreams desires and aspirations are always a priority. Individual family support plans are developed for each child and support is given to connect the family up with additional formal and informal supports in order to accomplish their goals.
Infant Development Consultants are excited about new transition planning support for preschools and their families.
Starting school is a big transition for all children and for children with special needs and their families this can be a time of particular stress. In response to this Infant Development Consultants have been supporting families in working collaboratively with both school boards to implement a transition plan to best meet the needs of their child. Families are encouraged to begin this process early by contacting their child’s anticipated school in the late fall/early winter before school entry. The process involves parents and school personnel meeting to “get to know” the children before enrollment; a transition action plan is collaboratively developed. Infant Development Consultants are available to help parents through this process as much or as little as they feel is helpful. The children’s strengths and interests are highlighted. At this time school personnel are able to provide information about their policies and procedures and about the school. At times the receiving teacher and Special Education Resource Teacher are able to visit the child at the Early Childhood Education program they attend. This really helps both the teacher and the child get to know each other before school starts! For more information see Scho ol Entry Transition Planning
