We at Our Kids Count take seriously our commitment to reach families that do not traditionally access our programs. We have had great success in accomplishing this through our outreach tool of door knocking. Our front line workers go door to door in their communities to make contact with hard to reach populations. By meeting and talking with families at the door, we learn which programs they would like to see offered and then follow up calls are made to these families, to encourage them to attend the center.
We deliver programming through a variety of methods. Currently, we offer programs in two Family Resource Centres in the City of Thunder Bay. At these centers, parents are able to register for skill building and/or educational programs, while their children are cared for by trained Early Childhood Education workers. Some of the programs we have running include Community Kitchens, Triple P Parenting, Children interactive playgroups, and budgeting. We also provide programming specific to the needs of Young Parents (parents under 21) at two different community locations.
Participants are also able to access services through One-to-One programs, such as Home Visiting or pre/postnatal educational sessions with our Pre/Postnatal Nurse. These programs would take place in the participants own home.
OKC receives its core funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada through two funding streams known as Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) and Canada’s Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP). For more information about these two programs.
OKC is also a United Way funded agency.
We are currently involved in a number of programming partnerships with organizations in the city such as: Evergreen A United Neighborhood; Anishnawbe Mushkiki; Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Center (TBIFC); Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA); Canadian Hearing Society (CHS); The Children’s Aid Society; and Thunder Bay District Health Unit. As the sponsoring agency for the local Roots of Empathy Program in Thunder Bay, we also partner with a number of schools and other community agencies to deliver this program.
Our administrative office is located at 704 McKenzie Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7C 3L4 Phone: 807-623-0292.
Our Westfort Family Resource Centre is located at 1315 Crawford Avenue, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 3E3 Phone: 807 346 6863.
