Child Help and Support Room (Proposed)

 Parents, especially newcomers, mostly face trouble with their kids when they need to go out to any office or work. They don't have anyone to keep their children, and they don't know how to access the childcare facilities. So, they had to take their children with them to the organization. Children usually don't like seeing their parents engaging with officer workers, so they start panicking. The whole office faces trouble handling the children. I have planned a child help and support room to solve this problem. It's unlike Childcare, where parents had to book the room first. It's for walk-in children to take care of, give support to, and educate the parents about childcare.

The project:

There will be a room in the organization or children's help and support. This room will keep children when their parents are busy with a counsellor or language test. Every month, the space will arrange a workshop on Canadian childcare information.

 

Clients:

Clients who have brought their children with them can keep them (The children) in the Child Help and Support Room while attending a counsellor or taking any test. The visitor could be any client. Mostly, the newcomers don't know how to keep their children in Childcare.

 

Agency Partner:

Non-profit organizations that work with newcomers.

 

Details about the Project:

In the Immigration Service Department, there are opportunities to give language tests, people can join language learning programs, get help from counsellors, etc. People need 2 to 3 hours to take the test and hours with the counsellors to discuss their problems and support. The children who come with them sometimes become bored, and they cry, scream, or try to run to grab their parent's attention. The parent faces trouble keeping the children calm, working with counsellors, or giving language tests.

 

Sometimes, counsellors inform the management how they face trouble with the children and parents.

 

The counsellors and other staff in the organization felt trouble handling these situations. Sometimes, the counsellors had to keep the baby so the parent could do their tests.

 

In the Child Help and Support Room, a parent can bring their children with their counsellors or receptionist. After their work, test, or counselling, they will come with the counsellor and pick up their child. They will learn about monthly workshops on Canadian Childcare and Community help from the room.

 

Each month, the Child Help and Support Room will arrange a workshop on the Canadian Childcare system, how they can keep their children in Childcare, get government support, seek help from the community to take care of their child, etc.

 

This workshop will be in person, via Zoom (participants can join and interact) and stream on YouTube directly. Some people may not be good at Zoom; they can watch from YouTube.

 

Agency Description:

 

The Child Help and Support Room project will benefit the newcomers and the Organization,  The Immigration Service department will benefit primarily. Then, parents from their department can quickly attend the test and counselling without any interference from their children. The children won't go through any tough times. They will enjoy their time in the Child Help and Support Room with toys or other activities. The newcomers will benefit from getting their support quickly and will get information about the Childcare System and Community help. In the future, when they need to work or join in any activities, they can keep their child in the daycare and get help from the community.

 

Project Description:

 

The clients who visit the organization can keep their children in a separate safe space and get information and support about Childcare in Toronto. And they can attend any test, class or counsellor without any interference from their children.

 

The project will be to help walk-in clients, and there won't be any booking system. The organization will appoint a professional childcare person with two job placement students to work in the room. Each month, they will arrange a workshop to give information about Toronto ChildCare facilities, how parents could keep their child in Childcare, how to get government subsidies, etc.

 

The organization will use one of their available room, and the new cost will be once to set up the room, like carpet/foam, cushions, toys, and some accessories and to appoint a Child Care facilitator and pay their wages. But it will benefit all: the clients, organization workers and placement students. All will be able to work in peace of mind. Moreover, the clients and students will be able to learn about the Childcare system in Ontario.

 

Setup may take one week, and we will continue the project on trial for one year. If we find the task helpful, we can extend it for more years. To understand the project's success, we will take the clients' verbal opinions about the service each time they took it and the organization staff monthly. Then, we will check the success rate. We will continue extending the project life if it is more than 80%.

 

FINAL Needs Assessment:

 

When a client comes to the organization with their children, there is no extra space where the children can stay busy. Naturally, the children won't like to sit in a chair with their parents. They run inside the office, try to touch everything and play with it, and sometimes scream to get the parent's attention. To improve this situation, we need this "Child Help and Support Room."

 

Community-Based Assets & Community Partners:

 

-          Ministry of Education and Child Care: We will contact them for funds.

-          The city of Toronto: for funding

-          Value Village: We will ask to donate toys, dresses, and other necessary items for the room. We may buy some from them if needed.

-          Dollarama: We may need to buy toys and other necessary items.

-          Walmart: To buy cheap furniture, diapers, and all other necessary items.

-          Manager of the YMCA Greater Toronto (Milner, Scarborough): Needs his permission and help in funding.

-          Security Company of the Building: Contact them and make a policy if any child goes missing.

 

 

Conclusion & Outcomes:

 

This " Child Help and Support Room" project will help run all programs smoothly for the parents with the children in the organization. And parents will be able to learn and get support in the Child Care System. In the long run, parents will prefer to take support from this organization because they can bring their children without worrying about them during their work.