Services

Parenting

Raising children is not easy. Even in the best circumstances it’s a job that takes a lot of time, energy and patience.

If you’re having difficulties with your children, help is available from Hastings Children’s Aid Society and other community agencies. We can help you learn how to provide a safe and loving environment for your children and help you to deal with problems such as anger and stress.

Parenting Resources

Parenting for Success

Unique parenting programs for adults who are clients of Hastings Children’s Aid Society and require significant assistance in developing their parenting skills. The 12 week program is geared specifically to parents who have temporarily lost custody of their child/children to the Society or are at serious risk of doing so. For more information call Hastings Children’s Aid Society at 613-962-9291.

Triple P (Positive Parenting Program)

Triple P is a system of easy to implement, proven parenting solutions that helps solve current parenting problems and prevent future problems before they arise. The program was adopted in 2007 as a model by a group of 15 community agencies in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, including Hastings CAS. Click here for more information

HCAS Family Enhancement

Family Enhancement, established in April 2008, is a unique program designed to help parents manage their teen’s behaviours in an attempt to keep the family together and the teen out of the care of the CAS. For more information, call Hastings Children’s Aid Society at 613-962-9291.

Mohawk Family Services

Hastings CAS works closely with Mohawk Family Services through a Memorandum of Understanding which details the roles and responsibilities of both agencies in providing child welfare services to families on the Territory. Mohawk Family Services is a Native service working to keep families healthy, happy and safe. They provide services such as one to one counseling, family mediation, family counseling, foster care, active parenting groups survivors group, court support, home visits, supervised access visits, life skill training and support protection investigations. Click for more information

Helping Hands

Through Quinte Children’s Foundation funding, we launched Helping Hands, a program geared towards young, pregnant mothers who are at high risk of becoming involved with CAS services. The program is designed to link with and provide additional services in conjunction with other community collaterals such as Healthy Babies, Healthy Children and Babies and Beyond. For more information, call Hastings Children’s Aid Society at 613-962-9291.

Families First

Developed in collaboration with Plainfield Community Homes, Families First is a program that provides stronger supports to families coping with challenges of the developmentally delayed child at home. Click for more information

Talking to your children and teens

Effective parent-child communication is the foundation for building your child’s self-esteem and fostering loving, supportive relationships with others. Keep the lines open and listen actively to what your child has to say.

To talk with your children and teens:

• get your head physically on the same level as your child’s when you talk
• use words and phrases that your children understand
• avoid including too many ideas in your messages
• paraphrase what you heard your child express
• give clear and consistent instructions defining the exact behaviour you want
• make sure your nonverbal messages do not interfere with or contradict your verbal messages
• make your messages complete and specific
• pay full attention to your child and maintain eye contact with him or her to enhance communication
• avoid thinking about your reply before listening to everything your child has to say
• teach your children not to interrupt and model that behaviour yourself
• ask what, how and why questions that promote discussion rather than questions requiring
only yes or no answers
• be alert to body language and respond just as you do with friends

Disciplining

Most children will learn how to behave well if the environment in which they grow up is nurturing and caring. Children are more likely to grow up behaving well if they are:

• loved, valued and told how important they are
• shown how to behave well because the adults around them behave well
• not expected to behave in ways which are beyond their developmental capacities
• given clear rules and parents are consistent about them
• supervised well and kept occupied with appropriate activities
• provided with predictable and sensible routines
• having their physical and emotional needs well attended to

Good disciplinary practices include:

• positive reinforcement
• praise
• modeling
• structure and routine
• setting and maintaining limits
• realistic expectations and follow through
• verbal and non-verbal cues
• time outs
• logical consequences
• problem-solving

Safe sleep practices for infants

In 2009, Hastings Children’s Aid Society launched a campaign – Sleep Safe Baby – to inform parents, babysitters; grandparents and anyone else who cares for a baby, of the dangers of unsafe sleep practices for infants.

As part of the educational component of the campaign, we created an infant safe sleeping information pamphlet. To view/download a copy, please click here.

Internet Safety

• learn about what your child is doing on the internet, websites, chat rooms, emails and messages
• set reasonable guidelines for your child to use the internet and keep the computer in a family room
• ensure children do not give out personal information online such as address, phone number, or school name or location and to use a screen name
• caution children never to agree to meet anyone from a chat room in person
• become familiar with the internet forums and applications that your child/adolescent uses
• explain to your child/adolescent that his or her internet activity will be monitored and that she or he should have no expectation of privacy on the computer
• use anti-virus and filtering software and keep all software up to date
• review sites your teen visits and ensure online diaries and profiles do not contain identifying personal information
• reinforce the public nature of the internet; once pictures or information are sent, control over what happens to them is lost
• monitor webcam use; inform your adolescent that pictures can be captured (photos and videos) by others without their knowledge; disconnect the webcam when not in use.

Childproofing your home

For tips and techniques to keep your home safe and secure for infants and children, click here to view/download a pamphlet on childproofing your home.