The Partners for Early Childhood - MRC des Sources organizes a special event each year incorporating resources which are available and advantageous for young families, with a 5-year-old child and younger. The 2^nd such Festival Maternity-Paternity event will take place on November 5 (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) at l’école de la Passerelle d’Asbestos. This event, free for all, aims to bring together young families in a festive and friendly environment and to put them in contact with the resources available to them in the MRC des Sources region. Contrary to the 2010 event, people are invited to visit the Festival at the time that is convenient for them during the course of the day.

Charles Roy, well-known Asbestos chiropractor, accepted the role of Honorary Spokesman for the event. “It is a great honor for me to be the Spokesman for the 2^nd Maternity-Paternity Festival. Being a father of four children, myself, I feel that it is necessary to develop the role of the parents and to offer support in their adventures with their small children. Such an event will make it possible for families to create bonds between themselves and to become familiar with the resources of the medium available during their family’s journey”.

At noon, lunch will be offered free to all the pregnant women of the MRC des Sources and their family (on reservation). Meals, at low cost, will be available upon reservation, for other families which would wish to remain for the meal. 

The Maternity-Paternity Festival will provide an exceptional occasion for organizations to create a closer bond with the parents as early as possible in the life of the child. The kiosks will be offered free of charge. More than 31 resource contacts relating to young families will be on site to inform the families on the stages of pregnancy and childbirth, breast feeding, healthy eating habits, development of the child and day-care services, reading and language, the parental role, assistance at the house and safety, workshop-activities for the family, returning to your studies, municipal services for families. 

People of all ages will be able to attend the spectacle of Jonathan Wizard, animations of the World of Rico and a workshop of initiation to ‘scrap booking’. La Sûreté du Québec will be on hand to conduct a private clinic of checking car seat safety.  

Julie Mongrain, co-ordinator of Partners for Early Childhood - MRC des Sources mentioned that: “the parents will be able to the teeth of their children checked by a dental hygienist, acquire information on available places in the $7 day-care services or check out the Passe-Partout program or other activities offered for parents, pregnant women and children. ”

The Partners for the Early Childhood is a regrouping of twenty organizations working for childhood and the family aiming at supporting a medium of optimum family life and social for the total development of the children from pregnancy - up to 5 years. This type of resources have existed in the MRC since 2009 and is financed by Avenir d’Enfants.

To obtain other information on the Festival, or to reserve for the dinner, you must contact Genevieve Roy with 819-879-0360.