There have been a number of developments with the Giiwedin Anang program in 2024. One of the significant changes is that the program has moved back to our head office at 211 Yonge St. and is once again the location for much of our work. In addition, new funding will allow us to offer our Dreams For Growing Children program on a 5 day a week basis allowing participants in that program greater access to services and one-on-one counseling.
The move back to 211 Yonge has allowed us to increase the number of circles we are holding. We are also using the space at the Indigenous Learning Centre at the NTC for some of our larger circles. We are receiving many referrals for the program, not only from clients and their lawyers, but also from staff at Native Child and Family Services and we’re glad that our two programs are working so well together.
One of the exciting new initiatives that is now fully off the ground is our Supervised Access Centre. For Indigenous parents who may be homeless or may have restrictions placed upon them in terms of being able to see their children unaccompanied, the Access Centre allows people to continue to develop their relationship with their children in a safe and supportive setting. We anticipate developing more cultural options at the Centre to allow parents and children to participate in varied aspects of Indigenous culture.