THE CHILDREN'S COTTAGE SOCIETY OF CALGARY AN ALBERTA SOCIETY

The Children's Cottage Society of Calgary aims to prevent harm and neglect to all children and to build strong families through support services respite programs and a crisis nursery in and around Calgary. The programs offered by the Society are discussed below: The Crisis Nursery provides 24 hour / 365 day emergency care for newborns to children eight years of age for stays of up to 72 hours. Isolated families who require support in caring for their children during times of stress may come to the Society’s Crisis Nursery for help. The Nurturing Newborns Program provides respite and resource connections to parents of newborn to six-month-old infants who have no other means of assistance. Day Cares volunteer space subject to their availability and the intake staff at the Crisis Nursery connect struggling families who meet eligibility criteria to receive day time respite for one day at no cost. The Early Years Family Support Program is a program that provides home visitation support related to parenting education child development information and connecting parents to needed community resources. Families are referred by the Calgary Children’s Services program Alberta Vulnerable Infant Response Team (AVIRT). The Society operates the Calgary West Family Resource Network (FRN) as well as home visitation programs connected to Calgary West Okotoks and Cochrane FRN's. Each FRN consists of a collaboration of organizations that offer prevention and early intervention services and support to families with children from birth to age 17 and expectant parents. Brenda’s House is a shelter for families with children who are currently experiencing homelessness. Fourteen rooms are available to support homeless families along with a daily childcare program to support families’ to achieve their goals. Families are provided with resources to meet their goals for health well-being housing and development in order to leave the shelter into independent housing. The Home Links Program provides homeless families support to find and maintain housing. Families receive assistance in finding and securing affordable market housing and in obtaining furnishings and assistance to set up their housing. After being rehoused families are supported to address issues that have contributed to their homelessness and help them achieve goals and make changes that will prevent their return to homelessness and maintain their housing stability going forward.