The provincial government has provided $500,000 to a Comox Valley Child Development Association program, Pathways to Healing Partnership, that supports mothers faced with difficult circumstances.
Staff provide trauma-based help for women in the crucial perinatal period by connecting them to services.
“Women who are referred to the program face many challenges and deserve support,” Courtenay-Comox MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard said on behalf of Health Minister Adrian Dix, Friday at an announcement at the CVCDA in Courtenay. “They may be managing substance use, or mental health challenges, homelessness, abuse or domestic violence. This is a very difficult position for a pregnant or new mother to be in.”
Pathways to Healing has helped 54 families since it was launched in April 2016.
“And the program has provided support to many women impacted by the opioid crisis,” Leonard added.
“We are very pleased to host this very exciting and innovative project to support some of our most vulnerable mothers and children,” said CVCDA board member Christine Helpard, noting the association has been serving the community for more than 40 years.
The money allows the association to continue offering Pathways to Healing, which builds parenting skills, and recognizes the importance of early life attachment experiences, among other services.