Community Updates

Healthy Babies Healthy Children Update

In June, the Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program changed the model for postpartum screening as a pilot at Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) and it was a success. In partnership with CMH, HBHC Public Health Nurses (PHNs) are screening new moms at hospital bedside. After three months of implementation at CMH, the postpartum screening rate for all births at CMH increased from 50 per cent in Q1 2019 to 80.3 per cent for June 3^rd to September 3^rd, 2019.

PHNs will continue to conduct bedside screening for the HBHC program at CMH. Effective September 18, 2019, PHNs began conducting hospital bedside screening at Grand River Hospital (GRH).

This bedside screening at GRH and CMH replaces the Postbirth Clinics that were delivered by PHNs.

During the screening, PHNs are also linking clients to community resources and booking a home visit with eligible clients, aiming to continue to see families within two weeks postpartum.

Bedside screening is offered Monday to Friday during regular working hours. Clients who are missed for screening in hospital after hours, on weekends, or on statutory holidays will be contacted by a PHN via telephone to complete the HBHC screen.

By working collaboratively with hospital partners, we are providing better service to a higher proportion of clients. New moms are being screened and receiving equitable supports, as well as experiencing a smoother transition to community care following discharge from hospital with their new baby.

If you have any questions about the changes, feel free to contact Lesley Rintche at 519-575-4400 ext. 7010 or lrintche@regionofwaterloo.ca

Parenting with Passion

Registration for KW Counselling Services’ fall Parenting with Passion programs is now open! This season’s offerings include several FREE one-hour positive parenting workshops, including: Encouragement or Praise. What is the difference? and Cooperation or Obedience. What are the outcomes? Email parenting@kwcounselling.com or call 519.884.0000 to register.

Special Needs Resourcing Collaborative

The Special Needs Resourcing Collaborative is pleased to announce that their new website will be launching on November 14, 2019.  Providing support to Licensed Child Care Programs across Waterloo Region for children up to 12 years of age, the SNR Collaborative is made up of professionals from KidsAbility, KW Habilitation and the Special Needs Access Point (SNAP) who work closely together, not only in their daily practices in the Early Learning and Child Care community, but in their overall strategic direction.

This unique partnership allows them to cultivate respectful relationships with each other and with those they support, as well as always striving to be responsive, efficient and effective in their approach to working with children, youth, and families. Working together to streamline the services provided so that all children, regardless of their abilities are supported to thrive in quality, inclusive early learning environments.

Visit the new website on November 14th at www.snrcwaterlooregion.ca

On the Table Waterloo Region – What happens next?

Information from KWCF is being shared here in Community Updates:  Between September 27th and 29th, Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) and the Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Foundation (CNDCF) invited hosts to bring together friends, colleagues, neighbours and other community members over some food to talk about what matters most to you. The CYPT hosted an On the Table event at our September meeting.  Early indicators are showing the event was a success! Our community was buzzing with discussions.

What’s happening next:

• Part of the value of those discussions was the conversations themselves. Great things happen when we come together, share food, and have a conversation.

• People have made connections to others that could further develop which will provide a greater sense of belonging in our community.

• Many of the hosts are using input and ideas they received to move forward initiatives in Waterloo Region, and will be engaging people who attended their “On the Table” event if they expressed interest in being part of next steps.

• KWCF and CNDCF are collecting high level feedback from the hosts and are in the process of creating a report of the topic areas and key themes to provide back to the community within the next few months.