Our Kids Count (OKC) is a community development project aimed at fostering the health and development of children age 6 and under in families in need of support.  This project involves families in all aspects of program planning, implementation and evaluation.

OKC relies heavily on our commitment to reach families that do not traditionally access our programs. We have had great success in accomplishing this through our outreach tool of door knocking. Our front line workers will go door to door in their communities to make contact with hard to reach populations. By meeting and talking with families at the door we learn which programs they would like to see offered and then follow up calls are made to these families, to encourage them to attend the centre.

We deliver programming through a variety of methods. Currently we offer programs in two Family Resource Centres, in neighbourhoods in the City of Thunder Bay.  At these centres, parents are able to register for skill building and/or educational programs, while their children are cared for by trained Early Childhood Education workers.  Examples of programs we have run include community kitchens, parenting, and budgeting. We also provide programming specific to the needs of Young Parents (parents under 22) at two different community locations.

Participants are also able to access services through One-to-One programs, such as Home Visiting or pre/postnatal educational sessions with our Pre/Postnatal Nurse. These programs would take place in the participants own home. 

OKC receives its core funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada through two funding streams known as Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) and Canada’s Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP). For more information about these two programs you visit the website at www.realhelp.ca. OKC is also a United Way funded agency.

We are currently involved in a number of programming partnerships with organizations in the city such as:  Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Thunder Bay District Housing Authority, Smith Clinic, the Children’s Aid Society and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (through Fairstart, Health Promotions and the Healthy Babies/Healthy Children Program). As the sponsoring agency for our local Roots of Empathy Program we also partner with a number of schools and other community agencies to deliver this program. 

Our administrative office is located in Northwood Park Plaza across from Communities Together for Children.  This allows for easy access of information and services for staff of both organizations. 

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