Early childhood services

There is no more important job than being a parent.

Jeffery Hale Community Services has a range of services for parents with children age four and under to support you and put you in touch with other English-speaking parents living in the area.  Please open our Early Childhood Services pamphlet for a summary.

Pre and post-natal care

  • OLO and SIPPE programs: OLO provides pregnant women who have limited income with coupons for free eggs, orange juice, milk and vitamins and follow-up by a nurse, dietitian or social worker. SIPPE promotes the health and wellbeing of families in difficulty from pregnancy until the child is school age.
  • Prenatal classes – Topics include lifestyle during pregnancy; becoming parents; labour and delivery; feeding a newborn; caring for a newborn; and the return home.
  • Prenatal clinic – A place to talk with a nurse about your worries and needs around your pregnancy, delivery, breast feeding and bringing your baby home for the first time. Once you have a prescription from your doctor, call us to set up your visit to the clinic. Our nurse will do any blood tests that your doctor prescribes. She will help you connect with your birthing centre, give you a “From Tiny Tot to Toddler” guide and suggest other services to meet your needs.
  • Postnatal home visits – Our perinatal nurse will visit your home after the birth of your baby to make sure that your new family is healthy and doing well.  For other local resources, open our Pregnant? pamphlet.
  • Postpartum Depression Screening: A new baby can affect a woman in ways that are not always positive. By taking a quiz of 10 short questions, our perinatal nurse can make sure that everything is going well for new mothers and offer specialised help when needed.

Parent networking

  • Baby Chat Café – A great place for parents of infants up to one year of age to get together twice a month. Hear talks on parenting and exchange tips. Parents-to-be also welcome. Go to our What's New page to learn more.
  • Moms’ Nite-Out – Events for moms with young children to connect and get involved in the local community. These informal, fun volunteer-powered activities help moms recharge their batteries and meet others. MNO volunteers also help organize outings for parents and their children.  Go to our What's New page to learn more.
  • Take-a-Break Drop In – A place for parents with children four and under to get together while their children are being cared for by volunteers two mornings a month from November to May. Guest speakers lead informal talks on parenting. Also, park playdates are held on Friday mornings from June to October. For more details, open our Take-a-Break brochure.
  • Toddler Talk Online – A free e-bulletin with news about family-friendly services and activities and child-related health issues. Open the Toddler Talk Online Guidelines for more info. 
  • Travellin’ Toddler Time – A free activity just for pre-school age children, and their parents or grandparents. Sing songs, hear stories, enjoy a snack and make crafts. Each month, themes and locations change, moving between Saint Brigid's Home, Morrin Centre, the Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre's Ste-Foy site and the Quebec City Reading Council at the Eastern Quebec Learning Centre. Join us each month and get to know the English-speaking community. For dates, themes, and locations please open our Travellin' Toddler Time poster.

Parent know-how

  • Baby Book Bag programme – A free gift bag for new parents to help strengthen parent/baby bond through reading and promotes literacy. Contains reading tips from the Quebec City Reading Council, a free one-year membership to the Library of the Literary and Historical Society, and a baby book donated by La Maison Anglaise et Internationale bookstore.
  • Baby Massage Workshops – Offered twice a year by a certified massage therapist.  Learn how to soothe and relax baby through massage. Strengthen the parent-child bond. Get to know other parents with babies eight months of age and younger. Go to our What's New page for date of next workshop (if scheduled).
  • Baby Food Puree Workshops – Given by a registered dietitian. Learn more about feeding your baby and starting solids. Make tasty and healthy baby food with other parents and take home samples. Lots of time for chatting and questions. Go to our What's New page to learn more.
  • First Aid Course for Parents – Given each year by a certified Red Cross instructor.  Covers accident prevention, shock, fainting, choking, artificial respiration and CPR, burns, bumps, fractures, minor scrapes and bleeding, poisoning, bites, asthma, epilepsy and allergies. Go to our What's New page for date of next workshop (if scheduled).
  • The Parent Toolkit – An annual workshop series. Learn more about normal child development. Find tools to help you handle difficult behaviours. Discover ways to stay calm and avoid spanking. Talk with other parents about ideas and experiences. Go to our What's New page for date of next workshop (if scheduled).
  • Letters to Daddy programme – This series of letters helps dad understand what growing up feels like from his baby's point of view. Get a letter each month during the first year of your child's life. Take a look at a sample Letter to Daddy.

For our more information on our Early Childhood services, please contact Community Services reception by phone at 418 684-JEFF (5333), ext. 1580 or use our contact form.