Next Step Program

The primary objective is the promotion of healthy personality development of the child, and to help the child with problems that are personally or socially destructive.  We offer professional parenting through experiences and conditions that promote normal maturation (care), prevent further injury to the child (safety), and promote healthy personality development (treatment) and enhance life skills.  The program is part of the continuum of care/treatment. 

A distinctive component of the program is that trained Treatment Parents provide family life experiences together with treatment services for the child in a home environment.

Maturational experiences inherent in family living are regarded to be essential iwith a goal to initiate and sustain a family of one’s own include the following:

• emotional relationships of the child with other members of the family, relatives and friends

• socialization of the child in learning modes of behaviour and expectations of his cultural group

• observation of family roles and adult patterns of behaviour that provide models for a home and a family

• sharing of responsibility for housekeeping chores, purchases and management of physical maintenance of a home

• living in a home in a community, and participating in community activities prepares a child for reintegration into a family setting (family of origin, kinship care or foster care).