Program Director, Patricia Steiner with Parent Connect participant Amara.
Amara, mother of five moved from Nigeria to Canada in 2015. She was struggling with learning a new language and adapting to a new culture. Amara didn’t have any support from extended family. Amara was so excited to find out about the New Westminster Parent Connect Program. It turned her life around. Once a week throughout fall and spring, the United Way supported Family Services of Greater Vancouver offers the Parent Connect Program to parents like Amara. Program Director Patricia Steiner describes Parent Connect as a facilitated, discussion-based program bringing together Connector Parents, who have lived in the community for several years, and Newcomer Parents. “It’s really about learning more parenting skills and finding out about community resources while strengthening social connections,” Steiner says. “I have learned so much from other parents in the program and it’s wonderful to have time to connect with moms and guest speakers while my children are in child-minding services downstairs. Not only am I meeting new people and learning new things, but my children also have a great time socializing with other children,” says Amara. The program gives parents with young children a break from the extensive family responsibilities, provides them with a great opportunity to learn more about the community and to make friends while sharing the experiences and challenges of parenting. “We couldn’t do it without the support of the United Way,” says Patricia Steiner. Helping families like Amara’s is what United Way and our partners in community do every day of the year, thanks to the support of people like you.
