Children with Special Needs

The Community Respite Program provides parents of a child or youth with special needs with a break from the day-to-day demands of caring for their son/daughter. An MCFD-CYSN Social Worker (Ministry of Children & Family Development – Child and Youth with Special Needs) will determine eligibility for the service and will complete the referral process. Screened/approved caregivers are matched up with families and will provide short-term respite by caring for the child/youth for a determined number of days per year. Respite can be hourly, overnight, weekends, or up to a two week period.

For more information contact the Chilliwack Society for Community Living (CSCL) at 604-846-7777, karen.pedersen@cscl.org.

1:1 Child/Youth Supports is a goal-oriented service that primarily focuses on and provides support in appropriate social skills, life skills, pre-employment skills or other particular skills needed for the Child/Youth. Service arrangements are flexible to reflect the needs of the Child/Youth and their family’s circumstances. Each contract will typically provide 4 hours/week of support to the Child/Youth for a period of six months to a maximum of two years. An MCFD-CYSN Social Worker (Ministry of Children & Family Development – Child & Youth with Special Needs) will determine eligibility for the service and will complete the referral process.

For more information contact Chilliwack Society for Community Living at 604-846-7777, or email aileen.mathews@cscl.org.

A program that serves families with children from birth to three years of age who have developmental delays, diagnosed disabilities or are at risk for delays. Families with children under three years of age are usually introduced to the services from the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre by an Infant Development Consultant. The consultant, as the service coordinator, will support the family, help them set goals for their child, guide them as they incorporate suggestions into daily routines, and learn to become advocates for their child. The Infant Development Consultant will assist parents (who know their child best and are able to spend the most time with them) to interact and play in a way that will encourage development.

For more information contact Fraser Valley Child Development Centre at 604-824-8760 or ctucker@fvcdc.org.

The Key Worker assists the families and caregivers of children and youth who have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) or other complex developmental behavioural conditions (CDBC). Key Workers provide support for families during the diagnostic process, advocate for serviccs and disseminate information specific to your child’s needs. It is a community-based and family-centered service.

For more information on Fraser Valley Child Development Centre services visit www.fvcdc.org.

Kidz Club is an after school program for Children with special needs, ages 6 through 12 years of age. An MCFD-CYSN Social Worker (Ministry of Children and Family Development – Child & Youth with Special Needs) completes eligibility for this service and referral. Once referred, a registration process is completed. The local phone number is 604-702-2311; ask to speak with a Children & youth with Special Needs Social Worker. Once referred, a registration process is completed. Children typically attend one day per week (maximum two sessions per week if space allows). Children participate in pre-scheduled activities for the day where a variety of community and centre based recreational and leisure activities are offered (ie: crafts, games, swimming, community tours, etc.). Registration and activity fees apply.

For more information contact Chilliwack Society for Community Living (CSCL) at 604-846-7777, aileen.mathews@cscl.org.

The Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) funds a range of programs and services for children and youth with special needs and their families. Services and supports are intended to promote children’s healthy development, maximize quality of life, assist families in their role as primary caregivers and support full participation in community life. MCFD works in partnership with the Ministries of Health and Education, and regional and community agencies throughout the province, to plan and coordinate services. Our goal is to deliver accessible high-quality intervention and support services for children and youth with special needs and their families through an integrated service delivery approach. See the CYSN Links page for contact information on community resources.

Contact information: 604-702-2311 Mon to Fri 8:30am to 4:30pm 8978 School Street Chilliwack V2P 4L4.

The Next Step Autism Intervention Program is committed to enhancing the quality of life for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder through intensive, individualized early-intervention services. Services include assessment, individual and group therapy, socialization, opportunities to discover self, and behaviour intervention.

For more information on Fraser Valley Child Development Centre services visit www.fvcdc.org.

Our Occupational Therapists serve children who have physical and/or developmental delays as a result of neurological, musculoskeletal and genetic disorders. The Occupationsl Therpaist’s main concern is a child’s success in the areas of productivity, self-care, and leisure. They work to enhance a child’s independence with everyday skills such as feeding, dressing, seating, toileting, age appropriate play skills, hand function and sensory processing.

For more information on Fraser Valley Child Development Centre services visit www.fvcdc.org.

Physical Therapists provide services to children with developmental delays and are available to help with your concerns about your child’s movement and physical independence. The Physical Therapists will be looking at your child’s physical abilities at each stage of their development to assess such skills as rolling, sitting, crawling, walking, climbing, running and jumping.

For more information on Fraser Valley Child Development Centre services visit www.fvcdc.org.

SASS (Specialized Autism Support Services) is a Fee for Service program that allows families to utilize their Autism Funding (AFU Funds) to pay for 1:1 supports or small group supports for their Child/Youth with Autism. This service is a goal-oriented service; however, it is only available to families that receive the annual Autism Funding from the Ministry of Children & Family Development. Families utilizing this service, sign an annual contract with CSCL for the service. Once the contract is signed, a Support Staff will be recruited/assigned to work with the Child/Youth to achieve the goals that were outlined by the families.

For more information contact the Chilliwack Society for Community Living (CSCL) at 604-846-7777, natalie.karam@cscl.org.

Support advocacy and assessment services to children and their families after an initial disclosure. Short-term counseling may be provided until long-term counseling can be put in place. For sexually abused children and non-offending family members. By appointment, Chilliwack Community Services, 45938 Wellington Avenue.

For more information contact 604-792-4267.

The Speech and Language Therapists help infants and preschool children who have difficulty communicating with speech, language and hearing disorders. Their goal is to help these children communicate to the best of their ability at home and in the community.

For more information on Fraser Valley Child Development Centre services visit www.fvcdc.org.

Supported Child Development Consultants assist families who have children with extra support needs to access inclusive child care that meets the family needs. Services are provided to children from birth to twelve years of age who have developmental delay or disability. Currently Fraser Valley Child Development Centre provides Supported Child Development Services in Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

For more information on Fraser Valley Child Development Centre services visit www.fvcdc.org.

Summer ‘Scapes is an inclusive Summer Day Camp for children ages 6 through 12 years of age. An MCFD-CYSN Social Worker (Ministry of Children & Family Development – Child and Youth with Special Needs) will determine eligibility for the service and will complete the referral process. Weekly Camp Themes are offered and a major field trip is planned each week to match the weekly theme (ie: Waterslides, Zoo, Stanley Park, Science World, Burnaby Heritage Village, etc.). Throughout the week, activities will revolve around the weekly theme. The children will participate in swimming approximately two times per week (at a local swimming facility), as well as have opportunities to complete crafts and play games. The Camp operates for 8 weeks each summer. Registration fees apply.

For more information contact the Chilliwack Society for Community Living (CSCL) at 604-846-7777 or email aileen.mathews@cscl.org.