Parenting in the Time of COVID – Parenting in the Early Years Program

As we continue into the second year of the pandemic since the start of the Stay at Home directive brought on by the COVID-19, parents and caregivers continue to struggle with the stress of competing demands:  Switching between in-school and remote learning for their children, navigating the anxieties around safety and hygiene, and coping with social isolation. On the job front, for some, it’s adapting to working from home or the added demands of an essential-service job; for others, it is financial insecurities caused by the loss of income or work. It is a lot to contend with and it is taking a toll on the mental health of Canadian families.

Since May of 2020, many institutions and researchers have been collecting data and closely monitoring the effects the Pandemic on the mental health of Canadians.  One team of researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Canadian Mental Health Association reported that 55% of parents with children younger than four years old said their mental health had deteriorated, as compared to 40% of other parents.  Anxiety and worry were the top emotions parents cited in that study.

Yorktown Family Services provides a wide range of mental health programs and services for parents and caregivers of young children and all are free of charge to participants. Parenting in the Early Years (PITEY) is one such program designed for parents and caregivers of children from birth to six years living in West Toronto. It is offered in both English and Spanish and is comprised of eight weekly session.  Linguistically and culturally modified to meet the diverse needs of families, the program strengthens families and enhances the development and well-being of children. Since the start of the Pandemic, Yorktown has been offering PITEY in a virtual group format through an easily accessible, secure video web conferencing platform.

Ena Burbano, registered Family, Child and Youth Therapist who facilitates PITEY, has been supporting parents since the start of the pandemic helping them to tackle some of their challenges. “Parents are struggling with finding ways to talk to children about the pandemic and help them understand, while not increasing the child’s worries or fears,” says Ena. “Parents are looking for strategies to help children remain focused while learning virtually, or ways to promote physical activity and engagement during a time when socializing is not possible. Parents are facing the worries and fears associated with the virus, while also struggling with the lack of childcare and having to bring their children with them everywhere, adding extra stress.”

Cycles of PITEY are offered 3 times a year, once in Spanish and twice in English. Each week a new topic is presented to engage parents and children. Activities focus on child development, parent-child relationships and interactions, parenting techniques, problem-solving, and the importance of play. In response to overwhelming demand from parents, one of the featured topics will be Parenting Through COVID.

For participants, attending the program with other caregivers can validate and normalize their shared experiences. “Parents learn that they are not alone and that makes them feel less stressed and less vulnerable. They can learn strategies to support children during the pandemic to lessen those worries and fears, and learn ways to explain, in a child friendly way, what the pandemic is,” says Ena.

As the COVID 19 vaccine continues to be administered over the coming months, Ena points to a light at the end of the tunnel. “Parents can now provide this message to children with a certainty that was not available to them until now. This is very encouraging news.”

Registration for Parenting in the Early Years, offered through WebEx, for those with the following postal codes: M6E, M6B, M6M, M6N, M9N, M6L, M6S, or for more information on the program including eligibility, visit our website or contact Ena Burbano 416-394-2424 Ext:224.

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Yorktown Family Services is a member of the Programs Without Walls (PWW) coalition of agencies collaborating to support the health and development of children from birth to 6 years. Parenting In The Early Years (PITEY) is a PWW program funded through the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) under The Public Health Agency of Canada.

Awareness and communications initiatives for Parenting in the Early Years are partially funded through proceeds earned through Yorktown’s memberships with Dolphin Gaming and the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association.