DIRECTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRES
HOME

CENTRES

PROGRAMS

LINKS

ABOUT US 		Dartmouth Family Centre      Page last updated February 16, 2005

Downtown location
47 Wentworth Street
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 2T1

Tel: (902) 464-2203
Fax: (902) 464-2664
Executive Director: (902) 464-8230

www.dartmouthfamilycentre.com

North Dartmouth location
107 Albro Lake Road
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B3A 3Y7

Tel: (902) 464-8234
Fax: (902) 464-8232
Executive Director: (902) 464-8230

dfrc@accesswave.ca
www.dartmouthfamilycentre.com

Programs & Services offered at Dartmouth Family Centre (downtown location) (Click for a complete listing)

Programs & Services offered at Dartmouth Family Centre (north Dartmouth location) (Click for a complete listing)

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (closed from 12:00-1:00)
Established: 1995

Clientele: Families with children 0-6 who live in Dartmouth North.

Are user fees charged? No

Any eligibility requirements? No

Major Funder: Public Health Agency of Canada (CAPC), United Way of Halifax Region, Department of Community Services, and Growing Together funders (Department of Community Services, Department of Health, Invest in Kids Foundation, IWK Health Centre, Royal Bank of Canada)

Other Funders: TLC4 Initiative (Department of Community Services), Crime Prevention Initiative (Department of Justice), donations, grants

Annual Operating Budget (range): $500,000-$1,000,000

Best Practices: Growing Together Initiative

Additional Information:

  • Experience with TLC3. One of seven sites across Canada that was funded for 5 years to develop an early language and cognitive development initiative in centre for community. As a result, centre has expertise in language-enriched programs and working with parents to enhance child’s language and learning. Through this initiative, DFRC has speech language pathologist on staff full-time
  • Growing Together Initiative….early intervention as opposed to promotion and prevention. One of two sites in Nova Scotia that has this early intervention community-based initiative (CBFRC). Provide early intervention services. Clinicians, family visitors, early childhood educators work together in a team with the family to identify early any developmental delay and work with family to provide programs and services to facilitate child development. Right in the community. Trans-disciplinary. Philosophy is to build on strength. Family chooses. Family becomes part of the team and decide what programs and services they want to take part in.
  • Community home visitors are former participants who live in the community (parents) who were trained and hired to be centres family home visitors.
  • Centre is parent-driven. Parents participate in monthly focus groups, the board of directors (50% of board members are parent participants in the centres), and various other board and project committees. Parents, as well, co-facilitate, along with staff members, some programs offered at both centres. Facilitator training through a train-the-trainer model enables parents to develop the skills and confidence required to take on these roles and responsibilities.
  • Significantly involved in the TLC4 provincial initiative (Through Linking Communities) that is being funded and guided by the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services. At both a local and regional level, our organization is a partner with other family resource centres in extending the learnings of TLC3 to other organizations within the central region and throughout the province. The focus of TLC4 is on increasing the capacity of staff to support parents in their children’s language development through training and through the guidance of a speech/language pathologist.
  • Worked really hard to develop the programming they have. Have a stable, well- trained team. Developed an excellent, comprehensive database for ongoing evaluation. Have exciting, well-grounded programs (TLC, Growing Together). Want to focus on sustainability.