The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

5 Your Halton Connection Oct. 2010 www.halton.ca HEALTH CARE - Thursday, September 30, 2010 `HaltonParents' opens the door to a new online community Parenting talk for all stages by Regional Chair Gary Carr Meet the `HaltonParents' team 7MSÏA?LÏ?JQMÏAFCAIÏMSRÏwww.haltonparents.ca DMPÏKMPCÏBCR?GJQÏ?@MSRÏC?AFÏNCPQML Preconception/Pregnancy/ Early Years Anna Piercy:Ï.S@JGAÏ&C?JRFÏ,SPQCÏ ?@WÏ?LBÏ.?PCLRÏ &C?JRFÏRC?KÏD?AGJGR?RCQÏ!?JJGLEÏ,CUÏ.?PCLRQÏBPMNÌGLÏ QCQQGMLQÏ?LBÏNPCL?R?JÏAJ?QQCQÏKMRFCPÏMDÏRUMÏWMSLEÏ AFGJBPCL Ï Karen Hay:Ï.S@JGAÏ&C?JRFÏ,SPQCÏ.PCQAFMMJÏ2C?KÏ QGLACÏÏUGRFÏMTCPÏÏWC?PQÏFCJNGLEÏD?KGJGCQÏ GLÏT?PGMSQÏFC?JRFA?PCÏQCRRGLEQÏ?AAPCBGRCBÏ2PGNJCÏ.Ï .MQGRGTCÏ.?PCLRGLEÏ.PMEP?KÏNP?ARGRGMLCPÏKMRFCPÏMDÏ RUMÏB?SEFRCPQ Lilly Sulug:ÏMTCPÏÏWC?PQÏMDÏLSPQGLEÏCVNCPGCLACÏ .S@JGAÏ&C?JRFÏ,SPQCÏ?RÏ&?JRMLÏ0CEGMLÏ.PCQAFMMJÏ 2C?KÏDMPÏMTCPÏÏWC?PQÏUMPIÏCVNCPGCLACQÏGLAJSBCÏ AFGJBFMMBÏ?QRFK?ÏQAFMMJÌ?ECÏFC?JRFÏ?LBÏAMKKSLGRWÏ BCTCJMNKCLRÏKMRFCPÏMDÏRUMÏWMSLEÏAFGJBPCL Parenting is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. It can also be one of the most challenging. That's why Halton Region has launched `HaltonParents,' a new online community for parents that offers the latest in local parenting news, tips, health matters, events in your community and much more. It's a place for parents to talk directly with an integrated team of Public Health Nurses and Child Development staff from across the Region, and to connect with other parents about their parenting experiences. The staff on this integrated team each specialize in a particular stage of parenting to help support any parent no matter the age of their child: Planning parenthood, pregnancy and the first year of a child's life Toddler/preschool ­ ages 1-5 Elementary school years ­ ages 5-12 High school years (teenagers) ­ ages 13-18 This team is trained in all aspects of healthy child development, positive parenting techniques, raising competent teenagers, mental health issues, and much more, and can also link families with community services whenever the Region itself doesn't offer the kind of help they need. The Region, through the Health Department, and the Social and Community Services Department, has been offering free parenting services and support in many ways for years--face to face, over the phone or by e-mail--and now, with HaltonParents, they're bringing that work into the social media space through Twitter and a parenting blog, and also by linking directly to the parenting resources on the Region's website through www.haltonparents.ca, or e-mailing the team directly at haltonparents@halton.ca. Staff at Halton also understand that protecting the privacy of every Halton family is paramount in these kinds of discussions. They also know that parenting is a personal journey for everyone and what works for some may not work for others. So, whenever issues of a more personal nature come up, the team is ready to take any discussion offline to ensure confidentiality, while still ensuring a parent's needs are met. "Social media has opened up a new way for us to connect with the residents of Halton," said Dr. Bob Nosal, Halton's Medical Officer of Health. "We hope that by offering another way for families to find us, we can build on our capacity to promote healthy growth and child development, and help create strong family units in Halton." So follow `HaltonParents' in whatever format works for you. We hope you'll join in the conversation with us. School Years Kirsty Kohler: .S@JGAÏ&C?JRFÏ,SPQCÏDMPÏMTCPÏÏ WC?PQÏUGRFÏRFCÏ1AFMMJÏ2C?KÏ?RÏ&?JRMLÏ0CEGMLÏDMPÏ MTCPÏÏ?AAPCBGRCBÏ2PGNJCÏ.ÏNP?ARGRGMLCPÏKMRFCPÏMDÏ RUMÏWMSLEÏKCL Erika Norris:Ï.S@JGAÏ&C?JRFÏ,SPQCÏ1AFMMJÏ2C?KÏ QGLACÏÏUMPIQÏUGRFÏ?ÏLSK@CPÏMDÏCJCKCLR?PWÏ QAFMMJQÏGLÏ SPJGLERMLÏ?QQGQRGLEÏRFCKÏRMÏAPC?RCÏ FC?JRFGCPÏQAFMMJÏAMKKSLGRGCQÏ?AAPCBGRCBÏ2PGNJCÏ.Ï NP?ARGRGMLCP Halton Parents Blog `HaltonParents' in its many formats ­ online and by phone: kÏ 2UGRRCPÏUUU RUGRRCP AMK&?JRML.?PCLRQÏRGNQÏJGLIQÏ CTCLRÏ?LLMSLACKCLRQÏ?LBÏKMPCÏ kÏ @JMEÏUUU F?JRMLN?PCLRQ UMPBNPCQQ AMKÏ?PRGAJCQÏMLÏ ?ÏUGBCÏP?LECÏMDÏN?PCLRGLEÏRMNGAQ kÏ N?PCLRGLEÏUC@QGRCÏUUU F?JRMLN?PCLRQ A?ÏRGNQÏ FC?JRFÏGLDMPK?RGMLÏ?LBÏKMPCÏDMPÏCTCPWÏQR?ECÏMDÏ N?PCLRGLE kÏ CK?GJÏF?JRMLN?PCLRQF?JRML A?ÏUChJJÏPCQNMLBÏRMÏ WMSPÏN?PCLRGLEÏOSCQRGMLÏMPÏAMLACPLÏUGRFGLÏÏFMSPQÏ MPÏJCQQ kÏ "G?JÏÏMPÏÌÌÏDMPÏN?PCLRGLEÏGLDMPK?RGMLÏ MPÏRMÏR?JIÏBGPCARJWÏUGRFÏ?Ï.S@JGAÏ&C?JRFÏ,SPQCÏ +MLB?WÌ$PGB?WÏÏ? K ÏRMÏÏN K Teens Meghann Foley:ÏÏ.S@JGAÏ&C?JRFÏ,SPQCÏ7MSRFÏ &C?JRFÏRC?KÏDMPÏMTCPÏQGVÏWC?PQÏ?ÏN?QQGMLÏDMPÏUMPIGLEÏ UGRFÏWMSRFÏKMRFCPÏMDÏRUGLÏRMBBJCPQ Monique Leparskas: GJGLES?JÏGLÏ$PCLAFÏ?LBÏ #LEJGQFÏ.S@JGAÏ&C?JRFÏ,SPQCÏ7MSRFÏ&C?JRFÏRC?KÏ UMPIGLEÏDMPÏ&?JRMLÏ0CEGMLÏQGLACÏÏEMÌRMÏNCPQMLÏ GDÏWMSÏ?PCÏJMMIGLEÏRMÏECRÏAMLLCARCBÏRMÏPCQMSPACQÏMPÏ QCPTGACQÏGLÏWMSPÏAMKKSLGRW We also have expert staff resources available covering issues such as: kÏ Mental health kÏ 'KKSLGX?RGML kÏ !FGJBÏA?PC kÏ !FGJBPCLÏUGRFÏ1NCAG?JÏ ,CCBQ kÏ 1CVS?JÏFC?JRF Halton Region Meeting Schedule Oct. 11Ï -DDGACQÏAJMQCBÏDMPÏ2F?LIQEGTGLE 2FCPCÏ?PCÏLMÏKCCRGLEQÏDMPÏ-ARM@CP ÏÏ +CCRGLEQÏA?LÏ@CÏTGCUCBÏ?RÏwww.halton.ca 2FCÏ0CEGML?JÏ+SLGAGN?JGRWÏMDÏ&?JRMLÏkÏÏ PMLRCÏ0B Ï-?ITGJJCÏ-LR?PGMÏ*+Ï* "G?JÏÏMPÏÌÌÏkÏ2MJJÏDPCCÏÌÌÌÏkÏ227ÏÌÌÏkÏUUU F?JRML A? 5CÏUCJAMKCÏWMSPÏDCCB@?AI Ï!MLR?ARÏAACQQÏ&?JRMLÏ?RÏ?AACQQF?JRMLF?JRML A?Ï .JC?QCÏJCRÏSQÏILMUÏ?QÏQMMLÏ?QÏNMQQG@JCÏGDÏWMSÏUGJJÏF?TCÏ?LÏ ?AACQQG@GJGRWÏMPÏ?AAMKKMB?RGMLÏLCCBÏ?RÏ?Ï&?JRMLÏ0CEGMLÏFMQRCBÏ CTCLRÏMPÏKCCRGLE 2FGQÏN?ECÏF?QÏ@CCLÏBML?RCBÏ@WÏRFGQÏLCUQN?NCPÏRMÏAMKKSLGA?RCÏ GKNMPR?LRÏGLDMPK?RGMLÏRMÏ&?JRMLÏPCQGBCLRQÏ?RÏLMÏAMQRÏRMÏR?VN?WCPQ