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KACL Children’s Services Programs provide support and intervention services to children and youth, birth to 18 years of age, and their families. Being community and family-centred, our services are designed to work with the uniqueness of each child and with each family dynamic in their home, school/childcare program and community. Our Community Consultants work to establish relationships with families in order to build support structures for all of life’s changes; we believe that family and community relationships are crucial for each child to fulfill their potential.
Children’s Services has provided services to Kenora since 1961 beginning with providing educational and learning opportunities for children, who at that time were not allowed to attend public school. Presently, services are organized in three main programs, the Infant and Child Development Program, the Child and Youth Program, and Kids’ Zone childcare programs.
The Infant and Child Development Program (ICDP) supports families who have concerns about their child’s development or are at risk for a developmental delay when they are between birth and entry to school.
The Child and Youth Program (CYP) works with children and youth, aged 6 to 18, and their families, where the child or youth has been diagnosed with an intellectual disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder or are suspected to have either.
To access any of KACL Children’s Services, contact Central Intake. An Intake worker will discuss your family’s needs and help you to determine the most appropriate service(s) for your child. You can also specifically request KACL’s services during the conversation with the intake worker.
Access Centralized Intake – https://www.fireflynw.ca/get-help-now/
To speak with a Children’s Services Manager at KACL, call 807-467-5232.
Infant and Child Development is a support service for families with children from birth to entry to school, residing within Kenora and the surrounding areas. ICDP Community Consultants partner with families to provide home-based, family-centered support, information and early intervention services. This support is available to families whose children may be at risk of a developmental delay because of their birth history or other medical issues, or when a family has identified concerns about their child’s development. A child does not need a diagnosis to be eligible for ICDP support services.
KACL first offered the Infant Development Program in 1977, which places the association among those service providers to first offer this program in Ontario. The foundational approach of the program is to provide family-centered services in the early years of a child’s development. ICDP consultants primarily support families in the home and within the routines of their daily environment. The consultants engage with children and their families to identify and plan for developmental goals, creating strategies for progress at home and in the community. The consultants can also connect families to group parenting programs, collaborate with other community services and professionals, and assist families in securing specialized funding to support their child. As each family is unique, ICDP Consultants offer as much or as little support each family feels is necessary.
The KACL Infant and Child Development Program is a member of the Ontario Infant and Child Development Association (OAICD).
The Child and Youth Program (CYP) is a support service for families with school-aged children between the ages of 6 –18 years, who have been diagnosed with an intellectual disability and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Children must reside within Kenora or the surrounding areas to be eligible for CYP support.
The CYP recognizes that each family is unique. The Consultants work in partnership with children, youth and their families/caregivers to develop goals based on the needs and strengths of the individual and the family. The CYP maintains strong relationships with the area’s schools and community partners to provide continuous advocacy for families. Our Community Consultants partner closely with families to engage youth in community to create connections and vision for their future.
There are many transitions that can be especially challenging for people who have been diagnosed with an intellectual disability, whether it is a transition between school years, changes in the family or adolescence. One of the major transitions for youth and their families are the changes and challenges of transferring from the children’s service model to adult developmental services. The CYP Consultants work closely with the youth and their families to develop a transition plan when they enter high school. The CYP aims to prepare youth early and assist them and their families in making the transition to adulthood as smooth as possible. This includes a focus on building independence and confidence that develops a youth’s skill set for the next stage of life. This can include an employment specific focus to provide a trajectory for ongoing job success.
A meaningful and satisfying life for all
To welcome each person’s gifts and individuality through meaningful relationships in resilient, connected communities where we all belong.
On behalf of the Board and Employees of KACL, the Board of Directors and Employees of KACL gratefully acknowledge that we live, work, enjoy the richness of and play on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people of Treaty 3, and on the homeland of the Metis. We pay our respect to the First Nations and Metis ancestors of this place and reaffirm that the historic and current relationship that exists between us is defined by Treaty.
We commit to work to create the conditions for belonging and social justice so that each person can live fully in the unique identity that matters to them, in a community that accepts and welcomes. We recognize that our work must be in the service of Reconciliation. Our work must be at the level of the individual and the community, so that our collective identity as a community lives up to the values we want for ourselves and our children. A community where equity, peace, and respect for cultural differences are respected and nourished; and a community that acknowledges that the early Anisahinaabe people of these lands saw we were strangers, welcomed us as guests, and invited us to stay as neighbours.
