If you are unfamiliar with the name Parent Link you are not alone. Most of Stettler town council was surprised to learn of the services the non-profit organization provides for families in Stettler.
Lisa Goodkey, Jacki Collisson and Marlo Glennie met with council at the Mar. 15 council meeting. The team outlined the services families can access at the Evergreen Parent Link Centre situated above the Stettler Post Office.
Parent Link is part of the McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association, Central region.
McMan, which began in 1975, provides a broad range of programs in several municipalities across Alberta, including (but not limited to) Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Outreach, foster care, programs for babies, healthy families programs and substance abuse services.
Goodkey, from the Stettler branch, described the range of activities for parents with children aged 0 – 5 years. Music and art programs, drop in playtime, toy lending library, early childhood development, information referral to other agencies and ‘Ages and Stages’ questionnaires to help parents detect developmental delays.
According to Collisson, McMan Central manager, Parent Link is provincially funded by Children and Family Services and their services are provided free of charge.
Glennie, also based in Stettler, manages the Connections section of the program that works with family considered at risk. Prenatal nutrition programs, including providing prenatal vitamins, home visits, group activities, and referrals to other agencies are a few of the services Connections provides free of charge. Glennie’s service area stretches to the Saskatchewan border. Connections is funded by Public Health of Canada.
Parent Link will be relocating to the back of Stettler Mall at the beginning of April.
