Strathmore Parent Link funding still unknown

By Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean and Janet Kanters Times Contributor and Times Editor

As of March 31, 2020, Alberta’s Ministry of Children’s Services will be ending contracts with 300 organizations across the province that offer prevention and early-intervention services such as Parent Link Centres, home visitation services and Community/Family Resource Centres.
But according to Aspen Family and Community Network Society, which operates the Strathmore Hand-in-Hand Parent Link Centre, the ministry has offered “an exciting opportunity” that will support streamlining services for families in Alberta communities.
“The Family Resource Networks will be introduced April 1, 2020, replacing Parent Link Centres, home visitation programs and family resource centres, and will continue providing programs and services to children, youth and families,” stated Aspen on their website.
According to Lauren Armstrong, press secretary to the Minister of Children’s Services, the Parent Link Centres have not been eliminated, nor have Family Resource Centres or home visitation services. “Instead, we have launched a new expression of interest process to consolidate and re-align the way prevention and early intervention services are delivered across the province.”
Operating in Calgary and Strathmore, Aspen’s three Hand-in-Hand Parent Link Centres provide a safe and supportive environment for families with children aged 0-6 to access and explore child development programs, parent education opportunities and valuable community resources. All programming is provided at no cost.
Betty Lepps, director of community portfolios with Aspen Family Community Services in Calgary, which funds Strathmore Parent Link, says service providers were offered an opportunity to submit an expression of interest by Jan. 20, 2020. She added that community service centres are expecting a funding cut simply because the government has reduced the available funding from $77 million to $55 million, but said the new model is being set up to enhance services, not decrease them.
“With Parent Link, before, it was just one level of service that they could provide; but this should allow greater access to all levels of service,” Lepps said. “No community will be without a resource centre – we just don’t know yet who will be providing the services in each community.”
Lepps said she was optimistic the new delivery model would allow services such as Parent Link to provide additional services under the new model that they weren’t able to before.
Organizations will be notified with a final decision in March of 2020.