Local politicians are advocating for more supports for parents and young children in St. Albert.
St. Albert MLA Marie Renaud, along with members of city council, are asking the province for funding to support a Parent Link program in the city.
Parent Link centres exist across the province and provide parents and caregivers with resources and support on early childhood development. St. Albert is one of the few mid-sized cities that doesn’t have a centre, although it does have a Family Resource Centre.
Coun. Ken MacKay said these types of supports are important for families and young children.
“There is all sorts of research out there that shows that children who have access to a healthy start are much healthier that they get into school,” MacKay said.
Whether due to economics or time constraints, some parents just aren’t able to offer positive parenting experiences for their young children, MacKay said.
Right now the Family Resource Centre in Campbell Park fills in a gap that exists for new parents and caregivers but the need is still present for a provincially funded Parent Link program.
Renaud said if Parent Link is funded, it will work in conjunction with the existing programs running out of the Family Resource Centre.
The need for a Parent Link program was originally identified by Coun. Jacquie Hansen in 2014 when she briefly worked for the City of St. Albert. The project has picked up steam again after members of the Primary Care Network noted the need for parent support in the community.
Now, representatives from Morinville, Sturgeon County, the school boards, Edmonton, the military, council and the province, have come together to form a working group tasked with finding a way to get funding for the project in St. Albert.
St. Albert is the tenth-largest municipality in the province and all of the larger municipalities have a Parent Link centre. Renaud said in the past St. Albert had been passed over for the program due to a scoring system that includes things like income and ratings for school-aged children.
“I think St. Albert has always been bogged down with these labels that aren’t necessarily true, that it’s this wealthy community that doesn’t need any assistance,” Renaud said.
The MLA noted other communities, like Beaumont, have a similar median income are still able to qualify for Parent Link, while St. Albert remains without the program.
“We also have a fairly high percentage of residents where their first language isn’t English or French,” Renaud said, which is a reason some parents may need some extra support.
Right now, the working group is meeting and putting together a letter for the minister of children's services to ask for the city to be considered for $350,000 in funding to start up a Parent Link program, which would also help support surrounding communities.
Parent Link helps to increase confidence in parenting skills, helps parents cope with everyday stress, decrease isolation for new parents and offers nurturing environments that support early childhood development. They run early childhood development program, parent education programs, family support services, developmental screening and provide information and referral services.
