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Never too much information
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Janet Porter, High Prairie and District Victims Assistance Society coordinator, purchased eight brochure boxes for community health services offices and Family and Child Support Services offices in the region. The boxes will hold information about suicide prevention, domestic violence, etc.
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Mac Olsen
South Peace News
For Janet Porter, no amount of information for family resources is too much.
Therefore, she was pleased to hold an information fair in the Elks Hall April 30.
“We want to make people aware of the resources available to them,” says Porter, coordinator for High Prairie and District Victims Assistance Society.
The fair coincided with National Victim of Crime Awareness Week, from April 26 to May 2. Porter applied for a $10,000 federal grant to hold the fair in Gift Lake, High Prairie and Kinuso.
She bought eight brochure boxes for community health services offices and Family and Child Support Services offices with some of the money. The boxes will have information about suicide prevention, domestic violence, etc.
“It’s something that will last and it’s something that our communities will use,” she says.
Among the service agencies at the High Prairie fair was Native Counselling Services of Alberta, providing information about criminal, youth and family court work services.
“We’re a non-profit organization,” says Michelle Willier, a criminal and youth court worker.
“Our services are free and we can assist people with pleading not guilty and setting trial dates. We help speed up the court process, but we also refer clients to a lot of agencies, help people to stay out of the justice system and to not re-offend.”
Michelle Hagen, a new family court worker, helps families with their court applications and advocates for them in any child welfare matter. Hagen started working at the NCS office in the Moostoos Building Jan. 5 and she can be contacted at 780-523-3282.
Also at the fair was Nathalie Groleau, a foster care support worker with the Northwest Alberta Child and Family Services Authority. She had information about foster parenting and adoption.
According to Groleau’s display, foster care is defined as “a unique situation of temporary family-based care to children who cannot remain in their own home due to child protection concerns. The goal of foster care is to return the child to his or her family as soon as possible or find alternative permanency options.”
The NACFSA says people can become foster parents:
* Regardless of their marital status.
* If they are at least 18 years of age.
* If they are financially stable.
* If they are willing to complete a criminal background check and a Children Services check.
* Whether they rent or own their own home.
* Whether they have children or not.
For more information about foster parenting and adoption, please call Groleau at 780-523-6678.
Another resource available in High Prairie is the Aboriginal Health Liaison Program. Val Willier is the liaison worker and she speaks Cree fluently to help Aboriginal patients at the High Prairie Health Complex.
“I also make referrals for them as needed and go to the nursing home and visit with them, too,” says Willier. “I love my job, I’m a people person.”
For more information, please call Willier at 780-523-6450, ext. 6580.
Other service organizations were at the fair, including the High Prairie and District Children’s Resource Council, with information about the Good Start Prenatal Nutrition Program, the Parents as Teachers Program and Brighter Futures.
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