(Above) Bethany Hope Centre serves pregnant youth and young parents under the age of 29 (Photos: Courtesy of Bethany Hope Centre)

A new innovative infant and child mental health and wellness initiative at The Salvation Army’s Bethany Hope Centre in Ottawa aims to give parents of young children access to the highest level of specialized care and treatment.

The program, intended for children from birth to six years old, who are being raised by parents up to 29 years old, enables trained expert infant and child development workers to identify early concerns in the areas of communication, problem solving, gross and fine motor skills, and social and emotional growth.

Since the start of the program in January 2023, staff have completed assessments on 48 children, with referrals made to Bethany Hope’s Safe Care program, and to external community nurses, family doctors, and speech and language pathologists.

Screening tools give staff the opportunity to ensure that a child’s age-specific milestones are being met, allowing for the creation of a plan to give them the best possible chance for success.

“I can already see my child’s fine motor skills getting better with the activities given. She can now draw a circle and squeeze glue,” says one mom, who had her three-year-old child screened by an infant and child development team member.

Another mom, raising a six-year-old with autism, asked for an on-site assessment of her 10-month-old baby. “It helps that the playroom staff can do the screening, so I know if my child is meeting the milestones. My oldest has autism so I worry about the baby,” she says.

“We know that a child’s brain matures quickest within the first six years of their life, so infant and early childhood development is extremely important to their future health and wellness,” says Sandra Randall, executive director of Bethany Hope Centre. “This program helps parents feel empowered and informed about their child’s advancement, with the knowledge of what to watch for as children grow. When there is early detection of potential concerns, early intervention means better outcomes later in life.”

For more information about this program, visit bethanyhopecentre.org.