Niagara Children's Centre
567 Glenridge Avenue L2T 4C2 Saint Catharines, ON, Canada

MEET OLIVIA | Tuesday, May 18 at 4:25 PM Donate to Olivia's campaign: https://niagarachildrenscentre.akaraisin.com//par/6685043 Tune in to Newstalk 610 CKTB tomorrow afternoon to chat with Olivia and her mom Sarah. Olivia's little sister Everly receives services at the Centre and she is so excited to talk about how the Centre has made all of their lives better. Join us!

MEET JACK | Monday, May 17 at 7:20 AM Donate to Jack's campaign: https://niagarachildrenscentre.akaraisin.com//part/6790039 Join Jack's dad Jonathan as he connects with Tim Denis on Newstalk 610 CKTB tomorrow morning at 7:20 AM. They'll discuss Jack's early interview, goals for his future and how the Centre has provided support along the way.

Our Help Kids Shine campaign is generously sponsored each year by CIBC Wood Gundy. Being able to count on corporate sponsors who champion the work our Centre is doing is invaluable - thank you!

MEET DIANA | Sunday, May 16 at 7:45 AM Join Newstalk 610 CKTB tomorrow morning with Diana, an occupational therapist at Niagara Children's Centre. She'll discuss how she collaborates with students, their families and school staff to promote student access to the school environment and their participation in daily school routines. ... Donate now at https://helpkidsshine.ca See more

DID YOU KNOW that 30,000 babies are born prematurely in Canada every year, and 1 in 10 babies worldwide are born too soon? Today is World Prematurity Day, a day to raise awareness of the challenges and long-term impact of preterm birth globally. We are proud to support the families of many premature babies every day. Meet Owen - he was born at 31 weeks & 6 days and faced many complications.... His mom Dawn shares, "Life with Owen has taught our family a greater appreciation for many of the small things in life; we enjoy spending time together and enjoying the outdoors. Owen’s favourite things are camping, swimming, and his sister’s laugh. That’s not to say life with a severely disabled child isn’t a rollercoaster, but Niagara Children's Centre has helped Owen and our family immensely. The staff at the Centre has helped us navigate things we never could have imagined: from controlling his reflux, maintaining his nutritional intake, and assisting with Owen sleeping safely." Today Owen attends the Centre School working on his communication and mobility. He and his family were also Help Kids Shine ambassadors this year, sharing their story and raising funds for the Centre.

Several of the Rotary Clubs of Niagara provide vital support to our Centre, and they need your help in order to do that. Their annual Rotary TV Auction website is now live - you can register, browse items and get ready to make bids between Dec 3-5. Happy shopping!

Think your child might be ready to toilet train, but aren't sure of how to tell? Join our Behaviour Consultant on Tuesday, Dec 1 from 4-6 PM for a workshop focused on toileting readiness. Advanced registration through Zoom is required. You will need to register with an email connected to a Zoom account (available for free at zoom.us). https://niagarachildrenscentre.zoom.us//tZwud-CrrT0rH9Mv-6

REMINDER | Our Parent Talk 2.0 Education and Support Group is meeting virtually on Tuesday from 8-9 PM. Registration is still open via Zoom: https://niagarachildrenscentre.zoom.us//tZcvfuCtqjwjH93V40

REMINDER | Our Financial Application Assistance workshop is coming up this Tuesday from 10 AM to NOON. Connect with our social work team for help with ACSD and SSAH forms. Registration is required: https://niagarachildrenscentre.zoom.us//tZMlfuGopzMoHN1iKX

THANK YOU!! We so appreciate everyone who took the time to vote for our Centre. You have made us the Reader's Choice Diamond Award winner in the Speech Therapy Services category

Our Niagara Children's Centre Superhero Run starts tomorrow, but you can get into the spirit tonight with superhero story time. Details in the post below!

Share your feedback with our advocacy group Empowered Kids Ontario, and assist them in working to influence government decisions for children with disabilities. The survey is anonymous open until Tuesday, November 17we look forward to your feedback! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EKOFamilies

HELP US HELP KIDS SHINE! Today is the official kick-off of our #HelpKidsShine Campaign, which typically runs each year in May, but we've shifted to coincide with our Niagara Children's Centre Superhero Run this year. Throughout the month with the support of Bell media stations Newstalk 610 CKTB, 105.7 EZ Rock and 97.7 HTZ-FM, you'll hear on-air interviews with staff and ambassador families while we raise money to support the over 5,800 children Niagara Children's Centre serves each year. This year's ambassadors are children and families whose lives have been impacted by the Centre and feel strongly about giving back. You can read more about them and donate to their fundraising campaigns here: https://niagarachildrenscentre.akaraisin.com//2020ambassad

Centre parents and caregivers are invited to join our social work team to learn the 'how to's' of organizational and time management skills. Recognize the importance of SMART goal setting and learn how to break down larger goals to become more manageable. Thursday, October 22 | 11AM - 12PM Advanced registration is required via Zoom (please register with an email connected to a Zoom account, available for free at zoom.us): https://niagarachildrenscentre.zoom.us//tZ0vf-qpqTorE9Q3P5

You can still register and donate at NiagaraSuperheroRun.ca!

Our Niagara Children's Centre Superhero Run pickup event begins at 5 PM tonight at Niagara Children's Centre. We'll be going live here at 6 PM with our Director of Development, Marla Smith.. Make sure you join us here at 6 TONIGHT!

Today is #OrangeShirtDay - a day dedicated to commemorating the residential school experience, to witness and honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. This is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected. Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.

MEET SILAS! Tune into Newstalk 610 CKTB on Friday, October 2 at 4:25 PM to hear ambassador Silas' mom Achsah speak about #HelpKidsShine and her son's incredible story being born at just 25 weeks gestation and his journey so far at Niagara Children's Centre.

REMINDER | If you've registered for the Niagara Children's Centre Superhero Run you can drop by the Centre (567 Glenridge Ave, St. Catharines) tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept 30) between 5-7 PM to grab you swag bags. This includes your t-shirts, medals, instructions for the family activities and more. We'll also have ice cream treats available - socially distanced of course!

REMINDER | Centre parents and caregivers are invited to join our behaviour consultant next Monday, October 5 from 4-6 PM to discuss the difference between meltdowns and tantrums and strategies to support your child during each. Registration is required, see details in the post below:

Our #HelpKidsShine campaign starts this Thursday, October 1! Meet our 16 ambassador families online and through radio interviews on Newstalk 610 CKTB throughout the month of October. Tune in on Thursday to hear Marla, our Director of Development speak at 10:25 AM. This fundraising and awareness campaign typically takes place in May, but we've shifted it this year to coincide with our Niagara Children's Centre Superhero Run. Visit HelpKidsShine.ca to learn more about our ambassadors and how you can make a difference in the lives of children and families in Niagara who receive therapy and support from our Centre.

ONE WEEK AWAY! There's just one week left until our virtual Superhero Run, but plenty of opportunity to lend your support. You can still register and pick up everything you'll need on Wednesday evening. You can still donate to a team or a participant. And you can still participate in our online auction that has tons of goodies with all proceeds supporting the Centre. Check out NiagaraSuperheroRun.com

Join our behaviour consultant for another Toileting Readiness workshop! Centre parents and caregivers can register for this workshop taking place on Friday, October 16 from 9-11 AM via Zoom. Please ensure you register with an email address connected to a Zoom account (available for free at zoom.us). https://niagarachildrenscentre.zoom.us//tZYrcuCgrDMvE9P_Db

Niagara Children's Centre has been nominated for a Reader's Choice Award! We're nominated in the "Best Speech Therapy Services" category and we'd appreciate your vote. Thanks to everyone who nominated and has voted so far, it's an honour to be recognized by our community

Our online auction still has tons of great items, with all proceeds supporting the Centre! Don't miss out: https://www.32auctions.com/SuperheroRun2020

With less than 2 weeks left until our Niagara Children's Centre Superhero Run, we've made it 75% of the way to our fundraising goal. Help us get that final 25% to support children and families in Niagara by registering and donating at http://NiagaraSuperheroRun.com https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca//peninsula-childrens-c

You can still register for our virtual Niagara Children's Centre Superhero Run taking place on Saturday, October 3! When you register, you'll receive an awesome swag bag with tons of goodies, instructions for family fun activities, a t-shirt and a medal. Pick up takes place at the Centre on Wednesday, September 30 and you'll also get an ice cream treat as our thanks to you. NiagaraSuperheroRun.com to register NOW!

Your good news story for the day - Centre Ambassador Owen and his family received a pool thanks to Make-a-Wish Niagara! We love seeing Owen's smiling face in our therapeutic pool, and we're so thrilled he'll have a heated pool at home to keep him strong and healthy, but most of all to provide hours of fun. https://www.niagarathisweek.com//10188311-backyard-pool-/

Today is #RehabilitationDay in Ontario. We're celebrating our hardworking therapists who #HelpKidsShine every day through physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, social work, rec therapy, and more. Your dedication is inspiring - thank you!

Calling all Niagara Children’s Centre families and community members: Even before the pandemic began, 80,000 children were waiting for child development and rehabilitation services in Ontario. The challenges brought on by COVID-19 are clearly compounding what the already difficult and frustrating delays for families across the province. We are calling on the Ontario government immediately make substantive investments in children’s health and social care to alleviate the s...uffering of more than 160,000 children and families who are desperately waiting for mental health treatment, hospital surgeries and procedures, child development and rehabilitation services, and pediatric home care services. We’d like to invite you to attend the Kids In Crisis Town Hall on September 17, 2020, at 7 p.m. ET. The telephone town hall will provide a forum for pediatric physicians, front line providers and families to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on our already strained children’s health and social care. Sign up here: https://vekeo.com/event/childrenshealthcoalition-61250/