Halton Region offers free parenting programs, including Triple P Online, Healthy Babies Healthy Children, prenatal and breastfeeding support, and more.
HaltonParents provides information and resources on pregnancy and parenting, including access to Public Health Nurses (PHNs) and Dietitians. Through HaltonParents, Halton Region offers a variety of free parenting programs that:
Connect with HaltonParents.
Being a parent can be exciting and challenging. You may have questions about feeding your child or want to learn more about your child’s development and behaviour. Ontario’s Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program, offered by the Halton Region Health Department, provides parents to be and families with young children who are in need of extra support with home visits by public health nurses and trained family visitors.
HBHC provides parents with information and guidance on how to:
Families can receive visits by a public health nurse and a family visitor. The visits are done in your home or at a place and time that works best for you and your family. You can decide what you would like to work on because you know your family best. Public health nurses are registered nurses who work in the community. They are skilled in health teaching and can help families build solutions to challenges they may be facing. They can also help connect you to the services you may need. Family visitors work closely with public health nurses to support parents with young children and share ideas and activities that can help families promote their child’s development.
To learn more about HBHC call 311 and ask to speak to a public health nurse.
For healthcare providers and other community agencies looking to make a referral, please use the Coordinated Referral Form (PDF file).
Engaging and interactive FREE online prenatal classes available to parents-to-be or support persons who are residents of Halton. Learn about pregnancy, labour and birth, breastfeeding, newborn care, and Halton resources/supports at your own pace, using a computer or mobile device.
Do you want to learn how to improve your health and the health of your baby? Halton's Prenatal Nutrition Program (HPNP) is free and runs year round. Come out weekly and enjoy a healthy meal in a friendly environment, surrounded by other pregnant and new parents looking to learn and meet new friends.
The Halton Breastfeeding Connection is a volunteer program that provides free parent-to-parent telephone support for expectant and breastfeeding parents.
Are you pregnant or have a baby that is not yet crawling? Are you looking to meet others while getting support adjusting to being a parent? Join this weekly program to learn about taking care of yourself and your baby in an inclusive and supportive environment. Sessions are led by a Public Health Nurse and an Early Childhood Educator from EarlyON.
This program is closed for 1 week over the school spring break in March, the last week of August, and for 2 weeks over the December/January holidays. Registration not required. For more information, please call 311.
Kids & Me is a free weekly 1.5-hour parenting and early learning drop-in program for families with babies or children up to 6 years of age. You and your child can make new friends, enjoy playing with other children and get extra support if needed.
Kids & Me is more than just a regular drop-in program as it follows a routine with a time for play, snacks, and stories. This gives children an opportunity to practice moving from one activity to another. The program is run by a Public Health Nurse, Early Childhood Educator, Child Development Consultant, and a Librarian. You can ask parenting questions about things like healthy eating, growth and development, speech and language, sleep, and routines. You can also get help connecting to community programs and services.
The aim of this program is to support you as a parent and to help your child learn, play with other children, and follow routines to get them ready for childcare or school.
These drop-in programs follow the school calendar (starting the second week of September) and are closed during the December/January holidays, spring/summer breaks and all statutory holidays. Call 311 for more information. Registration is not required.
ROCK EarlyON - St. Mark (Google Maps link) Mondays from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Triple P Online is a Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® for parents/caregivers of children aged 2-16. It is an online, evidence-based program you can complete in your own time in the comfort of your home. There are two versions of the online program:
All parents/caregivers can benefit from parenting programs like Triple P Online.
If you live in Halton region, you can register for Triple P Online for free by calling 311 or emailing haltonparents@halton.ca.
Once registered with HaltonParents, you'll receive an email with a code to access the program. You will have access to the program for a year.
Halton Region Public Health partnered with the University of Ottawa in a research study to evaluate the new online version of the Make the Connection (MTC) program. The goal of MTC is to help improve parent-child relationships and build secure attachments for parents and caregivers of children 0-36 months of age. The recruitment for the study is now complete and registration for the research study is closed.
If you would still like to access the program, please visit the Make the Connection website (external link).
The Ready, Set, Go! program covers topics such as: