MOOSE JAW — When Westmount Elementary School teachers Amanda Harper and Erika Topp learned of a growing concern among the parents of children in their care, they wanted to help.
Now, their hard work and dedication has resulted in a resource fair at the school that helps promote awareness of various resources available for children ages five and under.
The second annual Early Years Community Connections Resource Fair wrapped up in Westmount’s gymnasium recently.
“This is the second annual (resource fair),” announced Amanda Harper, a pre-K teacher at Westmount and co-founder of the fair alongside Erika Topp, a kindergarten teacher at the school.
“We have tons of organizations from within our community. (The fair is) kind of a one-stop-shop for parents, caregivers, and anybody that works with or loves children ages zero to five.”
Harper said one of the most valuable aspects of the fair is helping parents and caregivers learn about resources available for their children and said many continue to express their surprise when first learning how many options are available.
“Now,” she added, “we just got to keep getting people in the door.”
The resource fair launched on Sept. 22, 2023, when Harper and Topp first teamed up to address questions about community resources. This was made possible through an Early Childhood Coalition grant, and this year’s event was similarly supported by another successful grant with the program.
Wanda Peakman with the Moose Jaw Early Years Family Resource Centre and Kathy Knudson with the Saskatchewan Health Authority ran a booth at the event to explain the role of the organization.
“We’re just letting families know what the Family Resource Centre is all about and a little bit about the Early Childhood Coalition and all the partnering projects that are happening with that,” Peakman explained.
The centre offers free programming for families with children from the prenatal stage to the age of five, along with affiliated supports and other valuable resources.
“We have lots of drop in… and group opportunities, and many programs cover early learning, family wellness, parent education, resources, and referrals. We welcome all families,” she said. “If you’re new or curious about the Family Resource Centre, I invite you to come down, meet us, have a tour, and see what we have to offer.”
The Moose Jaw Early Years Family Resource Centre is located at 1250 Eleventh Avenue Northwest and can be reached at 306-691-0202. For more information visit MooseJawFRC.ca.
A few additions this September include vendors who were focused on parental and maternal health. “So, not only are we focusing on the children, but we’re also focusing on those that hold our children as well,” Harper said.
One of those new vendors was Cara Chow, owner of Cara Chow Occupational Therapy which opened on a full-time basis this Jan. 8. Her work helps children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and other developmental delays reach important milestones during their development. She also offers individual occupational therapy treatments.
“(This resource fair) is great,” Chow said, “because people don’t (always) see what’s available to them. This is just a nice way to showcase it, and (you) can… reach out if you’re having any concerns about your child’s development. I may be able to help or send you in the right direction.”
For more information about Cara Chow Occupational Therapy, call 306-690-4249 or email [email protected].
To apply for the next Early Years Community Connections Resource Fair or for more information on available resources from within the community, Amanda Harper can be reached at 306-631-4254 or by email alt [email protected].
