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Kids Can Fly Brantford
Kids Can Fly supports families in Brantford and Brant County through accessible programs for early learning, connection and growth.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Receives $150,000 Grant from SC Johnson

Feb 4, 2021 | Brant County, Brantford, Community, Imagination Library - Gift of Literacy, Kids Can Fly News, Literacy

BRANTFORD, ON, February 4, 2021 – Kids Can Fly is delighted to announce that it has received a $150,000 grant from SC Johnson that will double enrollment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Brantford and Brant County.

The grant will be used to provide thousands of age-appropriate high-quality books every month directly to children in the community. Currently, 25% of all children in Brantford and Brant County are enrolled in Imagination Library, a free book gifting program that aims to support early learning by developing early exposure to literacy directly to children in their own homes.  With the SC Johnson grant, the program will expand to reach over 50% of children in our community. Research shows that having even 20 books in a home fosters a love of learning and sets children up for greater success when they start school.

Kids Can Fly is proud to be the local partner of the Dollywood Foundation of Canada, delivering the community-based program to Brantford and Brant County.  “Early literacy programs not only help a child prepare for school by developing early literacy skills and a love for reading, but they also are an investment in a skilled future workforce, leading to sustained economic growth, fuller employment, and increased social justice which pays long-term dividends for the whole community’s prosperity,” says Richard Cook, Kids Can Fly Board Chair. “COVID-19 has illustrated how critically important it is to support learning at home, and how children are impacted when supports are not equal across communities.  By reaching more than half of the children in Brantford and Brant, we hope to help more children start school on equal footing.”

“Reading plays a foundational role in the pathway to success for our future generations,” said Alan VanderMolen, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of SC Johnson. “We are grateful to support organizations like Kids Can Fly that share our goal of providing opportunities that educate children and enable them to learn and grow.”

Kids Can Fly is starting off 2021 with an enrollment plan to increase the number of children currently registered in the program. Plans include hosting events and registration drives as well as strengthening partnerships with other key organizations in early childhood education, obstetricians and midwives, government partners at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels, school boards, and libraries. With a goal to eventually have all children in Brantford and Brant County registered so that everyone has the same early learning opportunities, they will continue to work with the community to develop more corporate partnerships to support this goal and to build a stronger base of future citizens and employees. Follow the Kids Can Fly website and social media channels for more information on how you can get involved to support early literacy in your community.

SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace, and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF! ®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 135-year-old company employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world.   www.scjohnson.com

KIDS CAN FLY, EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTING SUPPORT is a registered charity that focuses on early child development and parental support in Brantford and Brant County. Founded in 2001, Kids Can Fly offers a variety of programs focused on parenting support and early childhood development, including Launch Pad, Parachute Program, Roots of Empathy, and Imagination Library. Our local charity is the largest affiliate of the International Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Ontario, mailing almost 2000 books monthly to kids in our community! For more information on programs, including how you can support its work, as well as how to register your child for Imagination Library, visit www.KidsCanFly.ca

Media Contact:

Sharon Brooks

Executive Director

Kids Can Fly
519.448.1713

info@kidscanfly.ca

 

Jeanne Smitiuch

Canada Director

Dollywood Foundation of Canada

519.771.2543

jsmitiuch@imaginationlibrary.ca

 

This program has been supported by a grant from SC Johnson.

 

Kids Can Fly Board receives update on Research Project on Peer-Delivered Group Program for Postpartum Depression (PPD)

Mar 19, 2019 | Community, Kids Can Fly News, Post Partum Depression

Dr. Ryan Van Lieshout gives a presentation to the Kids Can Fly Board of Directors. Special thank you to Rick and Susan Gamble for loaning space for program at TB Costain/Followers of Christ. Sarah Discher, Mitsie Lewis, Susan and Rick Gamble, Dr. Ryan Van Leishout, Sharon Brooks and Jennifer.

 

Dr. Ryan Van Lieshout shared details of the Peer-Delivered Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Postpartum depression (PPD) with the Kids Can Fly Board of Directors and guests.  Currently, Dr. Van Lieshout is leading a research project in partnership with Kids Can Fly where women who have recovered from PPD facilitate the nine week program for new mothers experiencing PPD.

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 20% of women and costs up to $250 000 per case over the life span. It is also associated with future major depressive episodes, increased health care utilization, partner relationship difficulties, and an increased risk of cognitive, behavioural, and emotional problems in children. For many women, PPD represents their first depressive episode, and given its relapsing and recurring course, it represents an important opportunity to detect and treat women to optimize their health. Just 10% of women with PPD get treatment.

Some of the barriers to detection and treatment are that women are concerned about

  • stigma
  • beliefs about a “happy” postpartum
  • wish to normalize symptoms
  • Worried that CAS may be called
  • medications/adverse effects
  • near non-existence of timely services
  • Limited or no psychotherapeutic options

Impact if untreated:

  • not breastfeeding, fewer midwife and physician visits
  • relationship problems
  • problems with attachment
  • more cognitive and behaviour problem in children

The Peer-Delivered Group CBT Program is free in Brantford.  It is a 9 week program offered at TB Costain- Followers of Christ Church and is offered continuously throughout the year.  Women are eligible if the baby is less than 12 months old, EPDS of 10-23 (diagnosis of PPD).  The program is delivered by recovered former suffers and is most effective when it is delivered by peers alone (no professionals present), structured and based on evidence based treatments.  Childminders (Baby Cuddlers) are available on site to give the mothers time to participate.

Preliminary results are showing a positive impact on recovery from the women and child minders.

Kids Can Fly is proud to be a part of this important groundbreaking work.  If a new mother is healthy and happy it has a profound effect on their children and the reverse is true too.

A special thank you to:

  • Dr. Ryan Van Lieshout, who has made women’s mental health during postpartum period his life’s work and is passionate to make a change in how PPD treatments are delivered in Canada.
  • Rick and Susan Gamble of Followers of Christ Church – TB Costain for leading their homey and comfortable space for the group meetings and their Sunday school space
  • Peer Therapists
  • Volunteer Child Minders/Baby Cuddlers
  • Bahar Amani, MA Study Coordinator
  • Mistie Lewis, Research Assistant

 

Dr. Van Lieshout is the Canada Research Chair in the Perinatal Programming of Mental Disorders, the Albert Einstein/Irving Zucker Chair in Neuroscience at McMaster and a psychiatrist at the Women’s Health Concerns Clinic where he sees women struggling with mental health problems during pregnancy and the postpartum period. https://psychiatry.mcmaster.ca/directory/bio/ryan-j-van-lieshout

His primary research interests are in the developmental origins of adult disease and in particular the perinatal programming of psychiatric disorders. To date, this has focused on examining links between maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and mental health in offspring, as well as associations between being born at extremely low birth weight and later psychopathology.

He is also interested in the diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, and the impact these disorders and their treatments have on neurodevelopmental outcomes (including psychiatric risk) in offspring.

Congratulations and Happy Retirement to Randy Papple!

Mar 6, 2019 | Community, Kids Can Fly News

After 40 years of service, Randy Papple, deputy chief of Brant Brantford Paramedic has retired.

Randy has not only served this community through his vocation, but also through his work with charitable causes and events.

Kids Can Fly has been fortunate to have the support of Randy over the years and we are so grateful for all his support, energy and giving.

You may remember seeing Randy at the Super Hero fundraiser held on Labour Day at Dairee Delite.  He comes as ‘Band-Aid the clown’ and delights children with his balloon animals and infectious energy.

To honour this milestone and to thank Randy for all he has done, Kids Can Fly is placing a child off of the waiting list onto Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.  We can think of no better tribute than to give back to the community that Randy loves so much.

Even though Randy has retired, we hope to still see Band-Aid the clown out in the future!!

Continued support for Imagination Library

Apr 9, 2018 | Community, Donations and Sponsorships, Kids Can Fly News

The Rotary Club of Brantford Sunrise has been a major supporter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library since it first came to our community.  They provided the initial funds to get the first children registered and get the program up and running in Brant.

They have recently given Kids Can Fly a very generous $10,000 donation with the commitment of another $10,000 each year for the next two years!

We would like to thank them for their continued support of the program and their contribution to making this program sustainable for the 1875 children currently enrolled!

Quarter Auction raises $900 for Kids Can Fly!

Feb 22, 2018 | Community, Fundraiser, Kids Can Fly News

Kids Can Fly were the recipients of a quarter auction held in Brantford in January.  We had lots of fun attending and received over $900 in quarters at the end of the night!!

Thank you to Karen Adams for holding these events which benefit a different local charity every time and thank you to all the vendors who attended for your generosity in donating items to be auctioned off!