THE SERENITY HOUSE

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PROPOSAL
FOR A
THE SERENITY HOUSE
COMMUNITY BASED FAMILY CARE HOME
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• IX. Individual Young Parent Stories
• X. Funding Options
• XI. Evaluation Plan
• XII. Appendixs

• I. Personal Perspectives
• II. Mission Statement
• III. Project Description
• IV. Staff and Administration
• Goals and Objectives Summary
• Needs Assessment Submission List
• Local Health Authority Stats
• Summary of local numbers

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LORNA JESSICA
I. PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
I, as a mid- career mother of four
children, earned my degree in Child and Youth
Care with a specialization in child protection in
June 2005 from Malaspina University College.
Since then I have worked for the Ministry for
Children and Family Development in Guardianship,
Family Services, and Investigation, with partial
delegation designation in October 2005, and full
delegation training in February 2006.
From this experience I gained a huge respect for
all the social workers that are striving, with
many barriers, to keep our children safe. I
realized that there is a huge unmet need in our
community, which fit perfectly with my passion to
work with adolescents and my daughters passion
for working with young children.
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LORNA JESSICA
I. PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
I Jessica, one of Lornas four children
have followed my moms passion for working with
children. After graduating from high school, I
earned a diploma, in Early Childhood Education
and Care at Malaspina University College. The
courses showed me how important it is to foster a
child development in not only cognitive learning,
but also physical, emotional, and creative
learning.
Both my mom and I have known young girls who
struggled first with an unexpected pregnancy, and
then with the challenges of being a young mom,
single, parent. Because of this, we have a
passion to help these girls make choices that
will be best for their own lives, and that of
their child.
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Hiiyeyu Lelum (House of Friendship) Society
Kathryn Coopsie Program Nurse, and Melinda Grey
Dietitian/Program Manager said Often babies
are apprehended by MCFD because there is nowhere
for a mom and her baby to go that will provide
supervision and teaching on an ongoing basis.
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II. MISSION STATEMENT
Our Mission is to provide a safe and caring
residential resource for Young Parents and their
children, which will provide them with a chance
to co-create healthy familial patterns and themes
for future generations, and to work with them in
a manner which will enhance optimal growth and
development of infants, children, and youth,
through assessment, intervention, prevention,
advocacy, and education.
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Jean Crowder, MP said As they indicate in their
proposal, other similar facilities have very long
waiting lists this is no surprise to me because
I am fully aware that the need for this kind of
facility is great, particularly in the Nanaimo -
Cowichan region. The fact that a well trained,
mother-daughter team will be at the heart of this
new program is an inspiration to me Im sure
their example will also inspire the young moms
they wish to help.
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III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Our proposal is for a four-six suite complex,
Community Funded, Staffed Family Care Home
for 4- 6 pregnant Young Parents aged 19 and
under and/or parents and their infants or
children under the age of five, who are in need
of housing, and life skills support, with a Child
Care Centre. (Exemptions may be made for parents
up to the age of twenty five.) We are currently
looking at possibly modeling our house to be
similar to the Kiwanis House in Victoria, which
has eight suites and is staffed by the YWCA
Outreach program. They accept Moms on
Supervision orders, Independent Living, Youth
Agreements, Income Assistance, Homeless, etc. for
up to a year and provide them with a safe
environment, support, counselling, life skills
training, parenting skills, communication skills,
etc. etc. http//www.kiwanisvictoria.com/khouse.ht
ml Our main priority, is to provide this
resource with twenty four hour a day supervision
and to receive referrals from Child and Youth
care professionals in the community. These at
risk young parents whom professionals could be
working with may be, in care, homeless,
experiencing domestic violence, have drug and
alcohol issues, and/or may have their child
removed at birth due to a lack of parenting
skills (Our local Safe House only allows Moms to
stay a maximum of one month). This resource
would provide Young Parents with supervised time
to stabilize their lives and/or to connect with
extended family, as an option to removal. Or time
to discover themselves that they are not at a
time in their lives where they are ready to
parent. It is our hope that this resource may
serve to minimize the bonding and
attachment disruption issues resulting
from possible multiple placements that could be
created when a parent and an infant are separated
at birth. In our research so far CWAV
(Cowichan Valley Women Against Violence) has
reported to us that they have had thirty-eight
women in the last year who could have benefited
and been referred to this type of program.
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Growing Together Child and Parent Society said
There is a desperate need for housing/homes to
meet the needs of young mothers and their babies
in the Cowichan Valley. As a result mothers who
are deemed homeless are being separated from
their babies.
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IV. STAFF ADMINISTRATION
1 CYC Executive Director 3 ECEC ( Early
Childhood Education and Care Professionals) 3
CYC (Child and Youth Care Professionals) 2
Security Staff All the above staff will provide
24 a day supervision and support within the home.

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Margaret Moss Health Center Mary Hill Manager
said A supervised transitional home could
provide an opportunity for young mothers to learn
parenting skills, to adjust life style issues,
and to have support for breastfeeding and healthy
eating.
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V. GOALS OBJECTIVES SUMMARY
PRE ESTABLISHMENT
POST ESTABLISHMENT

• 1. To obtain, Sustainable, Committed,
• Capital and Operational funding
• from the community for a minimum
• of three years.
• 2. To obtain donations and support from the
  community
• 3. To contact Licensing to determine
• requirements for a Family Care
• Home and Child Care Center for
• Young Parents, and submit
• completed applications.
• 4. To contact and connect with like
• minded professionals to join our
• staffing team at the Serenity House.

• To interview prospective parents and determine
  their commitment and suitability for our program
  ( i.e. clear boundaries, visitation of partners,
  chores, meetings with support persons, and
  restrictions on all drugs and alcohol.
• To continue commitment to research all available
  grants and funding to enhance and sustain the
  program.
• To follow CYC and ECEC code of ethics and core
  beliefs during all aspects of the creation and
  implementation of this program.
• To maintain our evaluation plan on a continual
  basis.

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Cowichan District Hospital Social Worker Sharon
Driscoll said There are many reasons that
these infants aren't able to be with their
parents, but often it seems the major barrier is
there is not a resource that can offer them
support, supervision, and time to link
appropriate resources and an environment that
offers parenting support/teaching.
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VI. NEEDS
ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION LIST

• CWAV
• Success by 6
• MCFD (Ministry for children and Family
  Development)
• House of Friendship Healthiest Babies
• Community Options Society
• Growing Together Child Young Parent Society
• MLA - Doug Routley
• Cowichan District Hospital Social Worker
• Cowichan Family Life
• Margaret Moss Clinic
• MP Jean Crowder

• Festiburt Clinic Maternity Doctors
• Peri Natal Coordinator for Vancouver Island
• Future Corp
• B.C Counsel for Families
• YWCA Victoria/ Victoria Kiwanis Club
• UVIC
• Cowichan Valley Opening Learning Cooperative
  (Alternate School)
• Social Planning Cowichan
• Individual Interviews with Prospective Young
  Parents
• Duncan Methadone Clinic

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B.C Counsel For Families did an extensive study
on young parents and a couple of quotes from the
study are The most frequent reason for a
young parent to drop out of school was lack of
adequate or stable housing in the community.
Attempting to parent, living independently and
completing secondary school concurrently require
significant energy and adequate resources.
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VII. LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY STATS
Early Development Instrument 25 not ready for
school B.C highest child poverty rate.
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Doug Routley, MLA Cowichan Ladysmith said
The project proposed by Lorna and Jessica
McPherson is the kind of project that will have a
positive effect in our community and lends itself
to a pilot project that would be of value
throughout BC.
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VIII. SUMMARY OF LOCAL NUMBERS

• Note Some parents may be working with more than
  one of these resources and not all the parents
  would be eligible or accepting of this program.
  Therefore we are estimating the number of parents
  that could potentially use this Family Care Home
  locally at 30-40 parents/year.

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Larry Mattin Principal of Adult and Alternate
Education in the Cowichan Valley said A
supportive transitional home with an attached
daycare that provides opportunities for personal
growth, while demonstrating healthy modeling and
healthy parenting would be an invaluable services
to the young moms of our community. Such a
transition home could help our teen moms break
the cycle of poverty, transition from foster care
to adulthood smoother, and become contributing
members of our society.
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IX. INDIVIDUAL YOUNG PARENT STORIES
SUMMARY
To have readily accessible childcare
To have subsidies housing and transportation
To have input into program structure
To learn about ages stages
To have a young parents food source
Young Parents Need a Chance
To Parent
To not be judged
To access safe,clean, loving and secure
environments
To gain support in Mental, Physical and Emotional
Challenges
To have support to further their education or
career
To connect with health programs resources
To be free of drugs alcohol
To have their subjective experiences recognized
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IX. INDIVIDUAL YOUNG PARENT STORIES
SUMMARY
To learn how to love themselves first
To have more parenting programs
To change unhealthy familial patterns themes
To bond with their children
To have counseling
To have privacy
Young Parents Need a Chance
To set goals
To connect with extended family
To learn to trust
To learn how to budget
To be heard
To become independent successfully
To build healthy relationships
To learn self care
To have 6mths to a year of professional support
To be free of abuse and neglect
To participate in social activities
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To feel safe loved
To be free of abuse and neglect
To have able willing parents
To belong
To have quality childcare
To be loved nurtured
To have their medical needs met
To be with their parents
To have a warm home
To be cuddled
To play socialize
Children Need a Chance
To be educated
To have quality food water
To have a secure attachment
To discover their emotions display them
positively
To be Individuals
To know love themselves
To be seen heard
To grow physically, emotionally, spiritually, and
mentally.
To Laugh
To remain connected with immediate extended
family
To be adequately clothed
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(Kathy Skovgaard, Executive Director of Cowichan
Valley Women Against Violence said) It is a
largely hidden reality that there are so many
young struggling single parents who are often
living in semi isolation due to poverty.
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X. FUNDING OPTIONS
Funding for a suite for one young parent and
their child ( 6,000 per year) Operational
funding support (100,000 per year) Capital
Funding/Start up costs (Property or Building) or
Funding for the building/mortgage (50,000 -
75,000 per year) Funding for grocery expenses
(5,000 per year) Donations of Building
Supplies and/or Labor    Funding for
parenting support for one young parent and
their infant. (Approx. 12,000 per year)

Funding for program and office supplies
(3,000 per year) Funding for staffing and
professional development of staff (325,000 per
year) Funding for transportation expenses
(4,000 per year) Funding for Administrative
Costs in order to continue to create and
implement fund-raising campaigns and ideas.
(50-100) Funding to provide workshops,
training, and other support services related to
individual parent and child needs. (500-1000)
Note Ideally we are looking for three years
committed funding in order to ensure
sustainability. But, we will welcome any ideas
or suggestions around other possible funding
options that you may suggest or that may suit
your individual circumstances better.
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Young Mothers In Care University of Victoria
Study Quote from practitioner The reality is
young moms are having difficulty raising their
kids cause we dont fund and support them.
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The Success by 6 public consultation meeting on
May 18th 2006 revealed that the highest priority
for our children in our community is to support
young parents.
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XI. EVALUATION PLAN
Daily routine logs journaling Quarterly staff
evaluations Integrated Case Management (ICM)
meetings with professionals in the community
Monthly Inspection of parents suites and
childcare center Parental Weekly Goal setting
evaluation

• Annual General meetings
• Weekly Staff Meetings
• Program evaluation
  questionnaire for staff
  Parents
• Accountability reports for funders if necessary
• Yearly licensing inspections

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MCFD Nanaimo Resource Team Leader Ministry of
Children and Family Development said This
resource could possibly lead to the moms living
independently, or may assist in helping the moms
come to a place of understanding that they may
not be able to parent at this time in their
lives.
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XII. APPENDIX'S
Documents Available on request Appendix A
Detailed Needs assessment submissions Appendix B
Individual Young Parent Stories Blank
Consent forms Appendix C Success by 6 Public
Consultation Meeting Report May 18/06 Appendix D
Painting a Portrait of Support Final Report
(August/04)
Appendix E Young
Parent Program in B.C Final Report (September/05)
Appendix F Young
Mothers In/From care project (April/03) Appendix
G Resumes Appendix H Professional
Development Appendix I CYC/ECEC Code of
Ethics and Core beliefs Appendix J Bylaws and
Constitution For a copy of any of these
documents you can also look at our website
www.theserenityhouse.ca

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THE END