Parent Support Services Society
204 - 5623 Imperial St.
Burnaby, BC V5J 1G1
Toll Free: 1.800.665.6880
Phone: 604.669.1616
Fax: 604.669.1636
E-mail: office@parentsupportbc.ca

Volunteer Childminders needed!

The Parent Support Services Society of BC is looking for individuals to deliver a quality child minding/play group program for children birth to 5 years (& some older children under 12), whose families are accessing the Parent Support Circle Program. The child minders will work within child minding team and group facilitators.

For more information, please call Bella Cenezero at 604-569-3110, 1-800-665-6880 or click here.

March 09, 2010 - Volunteer Facilitators needed!

We need compassionate volunteers to co-facilitate our Cantonese, Mandarin, Filipino, new English, & Latin American Circles in Vancouver; Cantonese & English Circles in Burnaby; Farsi in Port Moody; English Circles in Port Coquitlam, Ladner, Gibsons, Abbotsford, & Nelson; Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Circles in Surrey & Delta; Filipino Circle in Surrey; & Latin American Circle in Richmond.

For more information, please call Bella Cenezero at 604-569-3110, 1-800-665-6880 or click here.

Volunteers needed in all locations. In Greater Victoria contact Debra Whitman at 250 384 8042. For Central and Northern Island contact Sandi Halvorson at 250 468 9658. For Prince George contact Dahne Harding at 250 561 0607. Watch for training dates coming soon to all regions.

March 09, 2010 - Cookbook and GRG Legal Guide order form

"Cookbook" project - we have compiled a wonderful book of outstanding delicious recipes, parenting tips, favourite children’s stories and fun parenting activities. Please see what the Cookbook offers below.

PSS Comfort Book Flyer 1

PSS Comfort Book Flyer 2

How to order the PSS Comfort Book? Click on the online form

GRG Legal Guide and PSS Comfort Book Online Form

March 08, 2010 - GRG Circles update

Newsletters with updates on Grandparent Raising Grandchildren Support Circles in Central Vancouver Island are available here

March 07, 2010 - STEP Program in Parksville

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP program) for parents with children 6 and under is now available in Parksville, BC, from April 14 through May 26, 2010. More information on the program can be found here. Registration form can be downloaded from here.

February 09, 2010 - PSS Latest Newsletter - Winter Spring 2010

The theme of this issue is volunteerism and profiles volunteers from Nelson, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Also, the winner of the Bill McFarland award, Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond, graciously accepts the award at the 35th anniversary Open House. Click to download (pdf file, size 721 KB). Winter / Spring Newsletter 2010.

January 25, 2010 - Fourth National Biennial Conference on Adolescents and Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Facing the Future Together: Where Do We Go From Here? Date: April 14-17

Special Events

PSS Celebrates 35th Anniversary

Executive Director Carol Ross cuts cake while Board Vice President Kamy Zargarpour looks on. The Open House celebration was a wonderful event with old friends, volunteers, community colleagues joining us for food, stories and a tour of our Burnaby office.

Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond, Representative for Children and Youth, winner of the 2009 Bill McFarland Award

The Bill McFarland Award was established by BC Parents in Crisis Society in 1997.  Over his 50 year career, Bill was instrumental in the development of progressive programs, policies and services for children and their families.

Bill McFarland was an advocate for children throughout his life and social work career. Among his achievements, Bill was a founder of the Alberta Foster Parents Association, the National Federation of Youth in Care Networks, and Parents in Crisis Society of BC. In addition, he was a member of the Berger Commission, a consultant to the Gove Inquiry, and was a recognized expert on the Young Offenders Act. Bill was appreciated by all who worked with him for his integrity, compassion and tireless efforts toward the care and welfare of all children.  This award honours his memory and his tireless efforts for the care and welfare of all children. From 1998 to 2001 the award was presented to an individual or group to recognize significant contributions in the field of child abuse prevention.  In celebration of the 35th anniversary of Parent Support Services Society of BC (PSS), we re-introduced this award in 2009 and sought nominations for:

• Outstanding devotion to the prevention of child abuse over a long period of time, and/or;
• Efforts related to a project which is making a lasting mark in the area of child welfare.

Mary Ellen’s nominees (including some grandparents raising grandchildren) told us much about how very approachable and supportive she has been and how important the Representative’s position is to their families and to the goal of protecting children in BC. They also commended the work of Mary Ellen’s staff saying “all your staff, contacted by [them or their children], consistently provide kind and respectful service”.

We were delighted to have Carol McFarland join us at our 35th Anniversary Open House, November 25th to help present this award to Mary Ellen. Our Members, Board of Directors, volunteers and staff hold the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth in the highest regard and certainly recognize the "tireless efforts" to prevent child abuse and bring attention to the harsh and unjust realities that face too many children and families in our province. We are sure Bill would be pleased with this year’s presentation.

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Parent Education Classes

Go to Programs and Services, Parent Education Classes and Community Workshops for information about the Parent Education Classes offered through Parent Support Services in your area.

 

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Projects

Prince George

The Village Parent Resource Registry is a new registry of programs, resources and services for parents in the Prince George community and is part of the Prince George Parent Resource Coordination Project (see below).  The Village is

• A valuable resource for parents in the community
• An indispensable referral tool for service providers who work with parents
• A cooperative network to increase access to and knowledge of parenting services

The Village will be available monthly, with updated and new information about what’s happening for parents in the community.  Our goal is to gather, compile and share information linking parents and service providers.

Click here for the current issue of The Village.

To submit your Prince George program, or to receive The Village, please contact Parent Support Services at 250.561.0607 or email parentnorth@shaw.ca.

The Parent Resource Coordination Project
This Prince George project, funded by the Children First Initiative, is a collaboration with Parent Support Services and its local PSS Steering Committee, the Children First Initiative Parenting Committee and the Prince George Active Parenting Committee.   The project’s aim is to coordinate Parent Support Circles, the Active Parenting Program and the Systematic Training for Effective Parenting Program in Prince George as well as to develop a parent resource network in the community.  For more information about the Parent Resource Coordination Project, or The Village Parent Resource Registry, please contact the Parent Support Services Prince George office at parentnorth@shaw.ca or 250.561.0607.

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Job Postings

No postings at this time.