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British Columbia’s graduation program is changing. Our education system has been recognized internationally for its excellence and we can make it even better. The Ministry of Education has worked with educators, post-secondary institutions and employers to update the B.C. Graduation Program.

 

The new program will help students develop their full potential and equip them with the skills they need to adapt and thrive well into the future.

Visit the Ministry of Education website for more information:

 

Summer Reading Club

 

BC Summer Reading Club - Kids ages 5-14 register for this free program with their local public library. They record their reading progress, building self-confidence and developing their reading skills, while participating in fun activities. Online registration begins June 15 at the BC Summer Reading Club website. 

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Daily Cafe

Supporting Reading at Home with The Daily Cafe- A video series to teach your child how to read by themselves for 30 minutes at a time! Reading at Home with The Daily Cafe website.

 
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General Mental Health

  • Kids Help Phone -Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7, national support service. They offer professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French. Whether by phone, text or through our website, you can connect with them whenever you want, however you want. The service is completely confidential — you don’t even have to tell them your name if you don’t want to. Need help now (24 hours)? Dial 1-800-668-6868 or Text 686868 or visit  Urgent Help.
  • Crisis Centre BC - Immediate access to barrier-free, non-judgemental, confidential support and follow-up through 24/7 phone lines and online services.
  • BC Bereavement Helpline are a non-profit, free, and confidential service that connects the public to grief support services within the province of BC.
  • Sea to Sky Safety Net- A local resource for mental health and substance use support services.
  • COVID-19: Stay Well in Uncertain Times – Resources from the Canadian Mental Health Association
  • ERASE- erase=expect respect & a safe education. ERASE is a government of British Columbia strategy with the goals of building safe and caring school communities. This includes empowering students, parents, educators and the community partners who support them to get help with challenges, report concerns to schools, and learn about complex issues facing students. 
  • Family Smart – FamilySmart® comes alongside young people and families to provide support, navigation assistance and information and then invites them and professionals to come alongside each other to learn with and from each other to enhance the quality of experiences and services for child and youth mental health. Squamish’s Parent in Residence who can provide support can be reached at trudie.neubert@familysmart.ca  (Phone # 604 878 3400)
  • Family Smart PiR (Parent in Residence) Brochure - Parents in Residence are available to provide peer support to all families living in BC and to CASA families in Edmonton, Alberta. We work in community and on-site at BC Children’s Hospital’s Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, at Surrey Memorial’s Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Stabilization Unit (CAPSU) and at CASA.
  • Foundry BC, BC Children's Hospital - Foundry supports young people aged 12-24 and their families with easy access to care. Whether a young person needs support for anxiety or depression, wants to see a family doctor or is struggling with a stressful situation, we will help them get the services they need. Foundry makes it easy for young people to find youth-friendly, welcoming and appropriate services – by simply walking into their local Foundry centre, accessing Foundry’s virtual services, or by exploring the tools and resources online at foundrybc.ca. Foundry reaches young people earlier – before their health concerns have a severe impact on their health and well-being. Access virtual services through the new Foundry BC App.
  • Kelty’s Key - Kelty's Key is your source for online therapy. Get tailored treatment from an online therapist, or work on your own with our self-help resources. With Kelty's Key, getting the help you need is flexible and accessible. We are publicly funded by Vancouver Coastal Health, making all our services 100% free.
  • Kelty Mental Health - If you are concerned about your child or a child you care for, the BC Children's Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre has resources to support you. You will find information on key topics that parents and caregivers often have questions about. This includes some first steps you can take if you are concerned about your child, how to navigate through the different options for treatment and support in BC, information on different medications for mental health challenges and how to connect with a parent peer support worker at the Kelty Centre. Whether it's information, tools, or a listening ear you are looking for, the Kelty Centre is there to help.
  • Mental health and coping with COVID-19
  • Mental Health Foundations – offers some good resources and videos for parents and caregivers
  • Open School BC: Keeping Healthy
  • Talking with children about COVID-19
  • TeenMentalHealth.org - A guide for parents and educators out of UBC.
  • Child and Youth Mental Health Services provide free-of-charge assessment, treatment, consultation, therapy and parent education for children and youth experiencing mental health challenges. Services are available to children and youth who live in the areas served by Vancouver Coastal Health and may include nurses, counsellors, occupational therapists, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, rehabilitation therapists, social workers and support staff. 
  • Wellness Together Canada- Wellness Together Canada provides an online portal that allows Canadians to access self-assessment, self-directed e-mental health tools, peer support and live counselling by telephone, video and text.
  • WE Toolkit (of We Day fame) – Offers a number of free resources to help parents and youth nurture their well-being and the well-being of others in difficult times
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Physical Health

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Mood & Anxiety

  • Anxiety Canada – Offers information and self-help regarding anxiety
  • Bounce Back – A Canadian Mental Health online skill-building program for adults and youth (15+) to manage mood and anxiety.
  • HealthyMindsBC- To help support learning across environments, several fun and practical EASE lessons have been adapted for use by parents and caregivers to help children manage worries and anxiety at home. 
  • Parent's Guide to Teen Depression - A guide on how you can recognize the signs and symptoms and best help your child. 
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ADHD & Parenting Resources

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After Hours Resources

  • BC Mental Health Support • 310-6789
  • Kids Help Phone -Need help now (24 hours)? Dial 1-800-668-6868 or Text 686868 or visit  Urgent Help 
  • Suicide Help Line – 1-800-SUICIDE • 1-800-784-2433 (24 hours)
  • Online Service for Adults • www.CrisisCentreChat.ca 
  • Online Service for Youth • www.YouthinBC.

Squamish Area

Whistler/Pemberton Area

Sea to Sky Community Outreach

 
If you need immediate assistance please call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.
 
ERASE -erase=expect respect & a safe education. ERASE is a government of British Columbia strategy with the goals of building safe and caring school communities. This includes empowering students, parents, educators and the community partners who support them to get help with challenges, report concerns to schools, and learn about complex issues facing students. 
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Sea to Sky Community Services' Youth Services provides access to a variety of programming and services for youth ages 12 to 24 years old. Programs range from drop-in space, curated programs and activities, workshops, training, outings, community outreach, school programs and more.
 

Youth can access support, resources and referrals to mental health and primary care services. Programs are based in Squamish and we welcome all youth. Our goal is for youth to thrive to their highest potential are healthy, happy and engaged community members.

Website: http://www.sscs.ca/youth-services/

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Sea to Sky Safety Net -Welcome to Sea to Sky Safety Net, a directory of self-care tools and local resources to help connect people to mental health and substance use support. 

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Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7, national support service. They offer professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French. Whether by phone, text or through our website, you can connect with them whenever you want, however you want. Their service is completely confidential — you don’t even have to tell them your name if you don’t want to. Find out more.

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PEACE Program-The PEACE Program offers free, confidential support to children and youth in BC with experiences of violence https://youtu.be/ZWt_6uUQq90

 

Squamish PEACE Program: 605-892-5748

info@hswc.ca

 

Whistler and Pemberton Area PEACE Program: 604-962-8711

SOGI 123 is an information and resource-rich non-profit that helps educators make schools inclusive and safe for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI) SOGI was created by the ARC Foundation in collaboration with the BC Ministry of Education, BCTF, BC School Districts, UBC Faculty of Education, and various local, national, and international LGBTQ+ community organizations. Please click here for parent resources: www.sogieducation.org/parents
Family Support Institute: Families feeling high levels of stress and anxiety and who may benefit from peer-to-peer support can participate in phone conversations, Facetime, Zoom calls, or text messaging. These peer-to-peer supports provide opportunities to share, listen, learn and connect with families facing similar challenges, fears and questions. Visit: Family Support Institute.
 
Inclusion BC: provides advocacy support to BC students with intellectual disabilities and their families. This could mean connecting families with school and community resources or helping families to advocate for the services they need. Visit: Inclusion BC

Additional supports and resources for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities and diverse abilities may be accessed through:
• At Home Program – Respite and Medical Benefits
• Child Development and Rehabilitation Resource Directory
• Children and Youth with Special Needs (CYSN)
• Community Brain Injury Program
• Mental Health Services
• Nursing Support Services
• Special Needs Child Care Subsidy
 
Parents and caregivers with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can access additional resources from:
• MCFD: Autism Funding
• Pacific Autism Family Network
• The Autism Society of BC: Autism BC
• POPARD Family-School Liaison Service
 
Parents and caregivers with children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) can access additional resources from:
• POPFASD- Caregiver Resource Guide
• Children and Youth with Special Needs (CYSN)
• Key Worker and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)-related Supports and Services
 
Parents and caregivers with children who are Blind or Visually Impaired can access additional resources from:
• Blind Beginnings
• National Network for Equitable Library Service
 
Parents and caregivers with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing can access additional resources from:
• Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
• National Network for Equitable Library Service
• POPDHH: For Families
• POPDHH: YouTube Channel
 
Parents and caregivers with children with Learning Disabilities can access additional resources from Learning Disabilities Association of BC
 
findSupportBC -We connect families of persons with disabilities with resources available to them. It's simple; just select your criteria below to get started.

 

 

In addition to the great resources found on the SD48 K-9 Online Learning Menu the Ministry of Education’s Keep Learning website, for those of you looking for more tips for supporting your kids at home with online learning, please see the following resources from Common Sense Media, a trusted nonprofit based in the US focused on supporting the responsible use of digital media and tech:

 

 
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Some useful links to help parents better understand google classroom (please contact your child’s teacher for specific questions about their learning):

 

 
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Click here to view a recorded April 17th live webinar Google Classroom: A Guide for Parents. Join the EdTeachTeam for a look at Google Classroom from a parent perspective.

Family Smart 'intheknow'-In the know provides expert speakers on topics important to families. Connect and learn with other families for an online discussion. Join by computer or phone. List of webinars HERE.