The Cold Lake and District FCSS is reaching out into the community and giving families a play space for their kids with their Mobile Parent Link program.
“I go out to two locations,” explains Outreach Programmer. Maggie Noftall. “I go to the senior’s centre. That’s where the North Library is in Cold Lake and there is a hall space in there. Heritage Hall it’s called. Then I also go out to Cherry Grove and currently we’re in the hall space in the church.
“I go to each of those locations once a month. I basically pack my van as full as it can possibly get with toys then I set up a play space in the hall. There’s scooter boards, hoops, tunnels, balance beams. Our community has lots of babies so I make sure there’s a little baby play area too. Parents are free to come in between 9 and 11 when we finish up.”
Noftall says the service is extremely appreciated in Cherry Grove, where options for families to take their kids out is basically limited just to her.
“The wonderful thing about Cherry Grove is it’s always the same group of moms because they all live out there. We have a nice little network and they always do everything they can to come out every month because they don’t want the program to end.”
Noftall firmly believes in the importance of the program. “It’s giving parents the opportunity to access quality programming for free. It’s intended to offer children to just have free play because that’s so very important to early childhood development. They don’t be scheduled out the ying-yang and have everything planned for them. They need to be able to play and explore and experience.”
The Mobile Parent Link next hits Cherry Grove tomorrow.