Ottawa Collaborative for Parenting Support
Officially launched in 2015, the Ottawa Collaborative for Parenting Support (OCPS) is a Task Group of the Ottawa Child & Youth Initiative. OCPS convenes a cross-sector network of organizations and initiatives that support parents and caregivers across Ottawa, including EarlyONs, community-based agencies, Parent Resource Centre, Parenting in Ottawa, and navigation partners such as 211, 1Call, 1Click. By bringing partners together, the Task Group strengthens communication, shared learning, and coordination across the parenting support system.
Mandate
To ensure that parents and caregivers in Ottawa have equitable access to high-quality parenting programs and supports.
The Collaborative works collectively to strengthen the capacity of organizations that support parents, ensuring families can access timely supports that promote healthy child development, foster
connection, and enhance overall family wellbeing.
OCPS Workshops
The Ottawa Collaborative for Parenting Support hosts workshops to support organization staff in their work with parents. Check back here to see what is scheduled in the coming months!
Why a Collaborative Strategy?
In Ottawa, a collaborative approach has been selected to address the need for parenting support. A collaborative approach will potentially allow for improved access to services while maximizing resources in an attempt to better support families.
Guiding Principles for our Strategy
A positive approach to parent support, which encourages parents to take on responsibility, which is founded in family and community strength and support, and which encourages parent engagement and participation in their child's development.
A Strategy Founded in Evidence-Based Practices
A strategy which is based in research, experience and expertise, as well as data literacy and the ability to make effective use of community data resources. This strategy will aim to develop a common messaging around parenting in Ottawa, and a common evaluation for the institutions and services in our community which are designed to support parents to help their children to grow up great.
An Inclusive Strategy
Transparent, accessible services adapted to the needs of the parents in the Ottawa community, as well as supporting resources which reflect the diversity of the parents and families in Ottawa.
A Durable Strategy
A long term strategy to which many community organizations and services are committed and engaged, which is malleable and flexible - capable of adapting to new parenting needs in Ottawa as they arise.
Our Strategy Objectives:
Our Collaborative Parenting Support Strategy aims to:
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Engage parents in their child/youth's social and academic development
- Model and support best practices to ensure that programs and services designed to support parents in Ottawa are of the highest quality
- Provide parents with the necessary means and information to access services and resources available to them in the community
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Expand and develop current information resources available, to ensure documents provided to parents/clients are clear and appropriate.
- Facilitate access and orientation to services for parents which are best suited to meet the needs of their family
The Ottawa Collaborative for Parenting Support is proud to share the Just Ask Campaign which supports our strategic goal to enable access to programs and services by strengthening information resources. Click to learn more.
