‘This place has made me a better parent’

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This article was published 13/08/2023 (859 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two mothers push baby strollers through the doors of Acorn Family Place, asking staff for diapers, and formula to feed their children.

Another mother looks through an assortment of bins lining the wall of the entrance. She holds a blue shirt against her son’s chest before tucking it away in her bag to take home.

The multi-resource centre at 222 Furby St., celebrating its 25th anniversary, is packed with parents connecting over a cup of coffee in the drop-in space as their children read books, build a tower out of blocks or make a craft in the playroom.

“This place has made me a better parent,” said Patricia Quoquat, who’s been coming to the centre with her four-year-old son since last year.

Acorn Family Place is a supportive, healthy and safe environment for single parents living in poverty to relate with each other and give their children the space to play and develop social and emotional skills, said Quoquat.

“When your children are small, it can be really hard to get out there and talk to other single parents in a healthy way.”

The Winnipeg centre has always tried to be a place to combat social isolation and listening to the needs of the community, said Emma Fineblit, executive director of Acorn Family Place.

What started as a small project with the Misericordia Health Centre and Villa Rose, supporting single mothers during and after pregnancy, transformed into its own entity in 1998.

The centre has expanded to offer free licensed child care and respite, parenting classes, counselling services, personal development workshops, wraparound support for families involved with Child and Family Services, food hampers, clothing and a pre-employment social enterprise providing work experience training and catering.

“Some of the systems that are set up to support families aren’t doing so adequately. So, there’s a big role for community organizations like ours to fill in those gaps and even help people access the services that are supposed to be available to them,” said Fineblit.

In 2022, Acorn Family Centre assisted more than 1,000 unique visitors, many of whom accessed the space on a regular basis, hearing about the centre through word of mouth or a referral from CFS, non-profits or school.

Basic needs items such as baby formula, diapers, second-hand clothing, food and hygiene supplies are hard to keep on the shelves, said Fineblit.

“With the cost of living increasing, we’re seeing a lot of demand for that kind of stuff.”

The centre prioritizes supporting families with children under the age of six and shares resources equitably as a “one-stop shop” for caregivers to receive the help they need, she said.

To address the continuous growth of their programming, Fineblit said it is always in need of community donations and provincial funding for preventative and early intervention supports in the child welfare system.

Staff walk alongside families during some of the most challenging times in their lives, and they also have the responsibility to advocate on a greater level to address issues relating to poverty and trauma, said Fineblit.

She noted a trend of parents who are unable to find affordable housing in their neighbourhood, or social housing that is safe and properly maintained.

“Employment and Income Assistance rates are not sufficient enough for people to pay their bills and feed their children,” said Fineblit. “Things are getting more expensive, and our funding levels haven’t kept up with those costs.”

In the meantime, the family hub is celebrating the ways it has contributed to the well-being of neighbouring communities in West Broadway.

The centre is hosting a series of activities Sept. 11-15 to celebrate 25 years in the child and family sector.

“This place has healing programs to rebuild yourself as an individual so that you are a healthier parent for your child,” said Quoquat.

While Jack-Allan played with 17 other pre-school-aged children, she gushed over memories of her son going on a field trip to a local farm with the playroom program last month.

“He really likes being around people a lot.”

tessa.adamski@freepress.mb.ca