When a referral comes to IDP program, our supervisor gives them to a consultant. We then call the family, introduce ourselves, tell them a bit about our program and making arrangements to meet the family in their home. We call the family the day of the visit to remind them and to ensure everyone is healthy.
We are a home visiting program which means we come to you. It’s a great way to get to know your family in your own environment. We can also arrange at times to meet at drop-in centers childcare centers and outdoor parks.
On our initial home visit we go over our program intake package that contains why the referral was made, a history of prenatal and medical information to understand and to better support your story. We also sign consent for services so we better know who is involved with your child. We may also book our next home visit. This can be anywhere from every two to four weeks.
Then we take some time to compile important things we discussed, any goals you may have and document them on a home visit record, that we share with you and with any others professionals involved with your child and with the family’s consent.
You can often find us sitting on the floor playing with your little one singing, reading and modelling developmental milestones with you and your family. There are certain times in development where we may do screens and assessments to further monitor a child’s development. We always ensure this is what the parents are wanting. It can be a great way to see what strengths your child has and if any areas that require further support or monitoring as well. If a certain area of development is a concern for the caregiver. or is not progressing, we can help with that too! We are housed in the Children’s Therapy and Family Resource Center, where there are specialized therapists that can be referred to like Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and language Pathologist, Family Support Consultants, and Supported Child-Development Consultants.
We can help guide you in making the referral if necessary and even do a joint visit with them and your family. We can share our information and work on goals together.
We can also connect you in the community with community supports and resources like the Early Years Centre, play groups, Parent child mother goose, library programs, parenting classes and answering questions to help guide you in the right direction. It really does take a village and we are here to help.