Building connections with your children can be a difficult task. Not always being able to draw from lived experience makes managing the needs and wants of your little ones feel like learning a foreign language without an interpreter.  

Home environments can often be challenging with toxic stressors such as family violence, depression, addiction and poverty, studies show that these put you at a greater risk of not being able to end that cycle on your own.

That’s why we are so passionate about the parental support programs we provide at CUPS.

Becoming the best parent they can be

From helping our client’s navigate the Circle of Security by helping them explore the dynamics of a child’s need to feel safe with their caregivers, to meeting and forming bonds with other parents who are just as dedicated to personal growth, CUPS offers its clients a number of opportunities to help them become the best parents that they can be.

The Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH™) study is one example. This program was co-created by Dr. Nicole Letourneau, an Alberta professional who has spent her 20+ year career focused on promoting the health of infants and children growing up in families affected by toxic stress.  

ATTACH™ focuses on helping parents of toddlers 0-3-years-old embrace the skills of reflective functioning that promotes a secure attachment with their children. This study helps parents learn how to better understand and talk about their feelings so they can improve their ability to stay calm under pressure, which is so important when helping young emotion-filled children find their calm.

Imagine being supported one-on-one by someone who gets it and can help a parent get it too! 

And then there’s Nurturing Parenting, a flagship program at CUPS that has been operating since 2011.

Founded on the belief that children who are cared for develop the capacity to trust, love and respect themselves, this program emphasizes the importance of raising children in a warm, trusting and caring home. Parents explore topics such as brain development, adverse childhood experiences, bonding and attachment, discipline, routine, age-appropriate expectations, self-awareness, and self-care.

These are just a few of the many programs at CUPS designed specifically with parents in mind. And one more way we are able to help families build resilience for the future — together. 

Parents who would like to attend our programs should meet CUPS eligibility requirements, including being either recently or currently involved with CUPS programming. Please email carecoordination@cupscalgary.com or call (403) 221-8780 extension #4 for more information.