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French Secretariat (Secretariat Francophone) Denis Tardif, Child and Family Services Authority, Region 8 Carole Anne Patenaude, Director of Institut Guy-Lacombe de la famille Corinne Arabeyre, President of CREF (Parent Link Centre) Maryse Laundry, Linda Arsenault from Conseil Scolaire Nord-Ouest (CSNO), President of Institut Guy-Lacombe de la famille Monique Maisonneuve and Mayor of Falher Margaret Tardif were on hand for the grand opening of the Parent Link Centre on April 25.

Carole Anne Patenaude cuts the ribbon to officially open the new centre, with some help from Isabelle Nicolet, Mia Maisonneuve, Danika Aubin, and Maxime Maisonneuve.

Susan Thompson
Smoky River Express

Thanks to a lot of work and planning, Falher is now home to the only francophone Parent Link Centre north of the Edmonton area.

Local families and representatives from several different local organizations turned out on Saturday, April 25 for the opening ceremony of the Centre d’appui à la famille et à l’enfance, a satellite of L’Institut Guy-Lacombe de la famille in Edmonton.

Parent Link Centres provide supports and resources to parents to ensure children get a healthy start and develop to their full potential.

There are forty-six Parent Link Centres across the province. Parents can access information about community services, get referrals to professionals of all kinds, take part in events, take advantage of learning opportunities, and meet other families.

Although Parent Link Centres were originally geared only toward children age zero to six, they now serve children up to the age of 18.

The new Centre in Falher is unique in that it provides French-language resources and programs to local parents.

“It can be hard for parents to access material and resources in French,” explained Monique Maisonneueve, President of L’Institut Guy-Lacombe de la famille. “The beauty of the Centre is that if we can’t provide it, we’ll find someone who can, be it a professional, someone to help with behaviour, etc.”

The opening ceremony featured a ribbon cutting ceremony and speeches by representatives of various local social organizations involved in its creation, as well as Mayor of Falher Margaret Tardif.

In a letter read at the event, Minister of Children and Youth Services Janis Tarchuk praised the new Centre for helping to preserve Francophone language and culture, especially through innovations such as a French toll free help line for parents (1-866-521-Allo , or 2556).

“Take advantage of it. Use it,” urged Maisonneuve.

The new Centre d’appui à la famille et à l’enfance is on main street Falher, and is open Monday to Friday from nine a.m. to five p.m.

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