Supporting Children and Youth
The Child and Youth Program is dedicated to supporting children who have witnessed or experienced violence. This included infants, children and youth between the ages of zero to 18, male youths up to 18 years old, pregnant women and mothers.
The Child and Youth Program provides support to all families as they adapt to the shelter and say goodbye to their old communities when moving into their new communities.
At Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, we believe that children have the right to be separate and distinct from their parents and, as a result, this program is designed to meet children’s individual needs. The program is designed and facilitated with age appropriate activities to enhance development in the following areas:
- Healthy Emotional Expression
- Recognizing the Impact of Violence: creating a safe place for children and youth to discuss and share their own experiences of violence
- Early Prevention: informing children and youth of their rights and advocacy. The program provides individual and group counselling. We also provide support to mothers and children/youth with:
- Routines
- Homework
- Mealtime
- Registration for school and/or daycare
- External resources
We believe that children’s and youth’s voices need to be heard.
Child and Youth Program
The program supports children and youth at the shelter to overcome the trauma of witnessing or being abused. This is done through counselling, encouraging self-expression and creativity, establishing routine, and unlearning unhealthy behaviours.
This program recognizes the impact of violence on children and youth and acknowledges that their rights are separate and distinct from those of their parents.
The Child and Youth program is designed to give clients a supportive environment where they can express themselves safely. The program’s activities include:
- Homework Clubs
- Reading Circles
- Arts and Crafts
- Self-Esteem Exercises
- Mother and Child Activities
- One-on-One Time
- Camp activities
Child and Youth Program
The program supports children and youth at the shelter to overcome the trauma of witnessing or being abused. This is done through counselling, encouraging self-expression and creativity, establishing routine, and unlearning unhealthy behaviours.
This program recognizes the impact of violence on children and youth and acknowledges that their rights are separate and distinct from those of their parents.
The Child and Youth program is designed to give clients a supportive environment where they can express themselves safely. The program’s activities include:
- Homework Clubs
- Reading Circles
- Arts and Crafts
- Self-Esteem Exercises
- Mother and Child Activities
- One-on-One Time