The construction size is abuzz with activity; contractors are working around-the-clock to finish off the building’s interior and exterior spaces. We are so close! Team Grandview will start to relocate from some of our sites to this new location beginning in late October through early November. Our first clients will be welcomed on October 24. My office is right in the main hallway – feel free to give me a wave or say “hello” on your first visit.
You can read more about the construction progress in our Summer 2024 New Build Update. For information about how the transition of operations to our new headquarters impacts clients and families, check out our Operational Readiness webpage or the feature story below.
As we embrace September’s cool evenings and a return to routine for many of us, this time of year brings a sense of focus and familiarity. Team Grandview, across all of our locations, remains committed to our daily work of supporting children and youth to live, learn and play. While this Fall will represent a significant time of change in Grandview’s long history, it is our service to the community that propels us forward and keeps us grounded.
This month, we will collectively reflect in acknowledgment of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30; we will advance critical operational priorities in support of our new Strategic Plan; and we will re-connect with colleagues, catching up on what kept us busy this summer outside of work.
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Take care,
Tom McHugh
CEO, Grandview Kids
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The importance of
the "sibling voice"
“Despite being born into it, I have never had a clear definition of what is entailed in the ‘role’ of being a sibling to someone with a disability. It is different for everyone. It is an unspoken understanding that silently works to create the family dynamic,” says Isabella, older sister to her brother, Lucas, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. On our blog, Family Engagement Team summer student, Isabella, details the importance of the “sibling voice” in a family with a disabled child.
Read Isabella’s blog post >
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Chiari Malformation
Awareness Month
Chiari Malformation is a congenital defect in the lower back of the head where the brain and spinal cord connect. Eight-year-old Austin, born premature but generally healthy, had clubfoot requiring reconstructive surgery at seven months. After the cast was removed, he showed weakness on his right side, worrying his parents. Through the support of his parents, Michelle and Matthias, and Grandview Kids Physiotherapist, Winnie, Austin was formally diagnosed with Chiari Malformation at age one.
Read Austin’s story >
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Wayfinding and interior design
Months of planning and thoughtful consideration went into selecting interior finishes and wayfinding icons in our new headquarters. Read about our selections, which were informed through consultations with staff, caregivers and Indigenous partners. The colourful palette and nature-inspired features combine into a whimsical, welcoming world for all those who will visit.
Watch the video >
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Annual Report
In June, we released our 2023-24 Annual Report, highlighting successes from last fiscal year, and closing out our 2018-2023 Building on Excellence Strategic Plan. Within the framework of this Plan, we experienced significant growth and change. We have laid the foundation of excellence to launch and sustain Grandview Kids into the future.
Read the report and watch the video >
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Upcoming Family Engagement Team (FET) events | |
Park Playdates at Grandview Kids' Oshawa Main Site (in-person)
Where: Grandview Kids' Oshawa Main Site, 600 Townline Rd S, Oshawa
When:
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Tuesday, September 10, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Drop-in when it's convenient for you.
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Tuesday, September 17, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Last one at 600 Townline! Registration required
Note that all park playdates are weather-permitting. Please email
familyengagement@grandviewkids.ca for details.
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SSAH Paperwork Party (virtual)
When: Wednesday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Hosted on Microsoft Teams – Registration required
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Caregiver Café (in-person)
When: Thursday, September 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Oshawa Main Site – 600 Townline Road – Registration required
Our monthly Caregiver Café provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for caregivers to relax and enjoy themselves. Light snacks and warm beverages will be available; there's something for everyone to enjoy. Speak with others on a similar journey in a safe space where we can connect with and learn from one another.
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Over the summer, the FET was busy connecting families at several fun events. Here are some highlights from Park Playdates, the Oshawa Zoo trip, Self-Care Workshops, Adolescent Transition Program workshops and Caregiver Cafés. Thanks to everyone who attended to make these events a success! We look forward to hosting many more, where families can network, share information and connect. We are all one big “Grandview family!” | |
In partnership with the Grandview Kids Foundation, we also hosted our 38th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in June. The event was an opportunity to celebrate achievements in 2023-24, close out our 2018-2023 Building on Excellence Strategic Plan, and bid farewell to our 600 Townline Road Oshawa headquarters (which closes in Fall 2024). Thank you to everyone who attended, including Oshawa MPP Jennifer French, who provided opening remarks! | |
At the AGM, two prestigious awards were presented to members of Team Grandview for their efforts in support of clients, caregivers, colleagues and the community. Congratulations to Mitchell D., Ability Acceptance Presenter (pictured left, below), who earned the Making a Difference Award, and Kaitlynn B., Autism Therapy Assistant (pictured right, below), who earned the Power of One Award. Read more about these amazing individuals in our Annual Report! | |
You may have seen Team Grandview out in the community throughout July and August, too, attending several events and information fairs. This is an important component of our community engagement and outreach strategy, with the goal of building awareness of Grandview Kids programs, services and priorities. If you know of other events or community engagement opportunities, email communications@grandviewkids.ca. | |
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The countdown is on! We are only six weeks away from opening our new Ajax-based headquarters. We are busy preparing for staff and clients to transition to this new space; we call this work Operational Readiness. | |
When Grandview Kids opens our new Ajax headquarters, we are closing some of our current Grandview Kids locations, which impacts some clients and caregivers. If your care is impacted by these changes, you would have received further information directly from Grandview Kids throughout the summer. Reach out to your clinician for details. | |
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Read our Summer 2024 New Build Update!
In Grandview Kids’ Summer 2024 New Build Update, you will find content surrounding the progress of our state-of-the-art Sensory Trail, the excitement Team Grandview is feeling for the big move, interior finishes, wayfinding and more!
Click here to read the update >
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Our new Ajax-based headquarters will be home to state-of-the-art features that will enable Grandview Kids to enhance services for clients and families. When our new headquarters opens this Fall, we will continue to operate satellite locations in Bowmanville (Bowmanville Health Centre), Port Perry (SA Cawker), Whitby (Abilities Centres) and Oshawa (Dwyer). This ensures high-quality care is accessible close to home for families across the Durham Region. | |
Here are frequently asked questions about this exciting work: | |
What is happening to your current headquarters at 600 Townline Road in Oshawa?
We have long known that 600 Townline Road in Oshawa – our current headquarters – no longer meets the needs of our clients. We have outgrown this space. This is why we campaigned for years to build a new space. This dream will soon be realized.
This site is permanently closing as we transition operations to our new headquarters in Ajax. The last day of appointments at Grandview Kids’ 600 Townline Road, Whitby Mall and Airport Blvd locations is October 16, 2024. The last day of appointments at our Westney Road Ajax site is November 6, 2024. These sites will all permanently close as of their relocation dates in
Fall 2024.
Our Board of Directors will determine what happens with the 600 Townline Road property after October 2024. Grandview Kids will not operate it in any capacity after this date.
Where is the new headquarters located?
The new Grandview Kids headquarters is located at 1461 Harwood Avenue North, Building A (Grandview Kids) and Building B (Grandview School), Ajax, Ontario, L1T 4T9.
What is the size of the new headquarters?
The new headquarters is 100,306 square feet, with four stories of office and clinical space.
What Grandview Kids services/programs will only be offered at the new headquarters?
Our new headquarters will be home to state-of-the-art features and collaboration spaces, allowing our staff, clients and families to connect in more meaningful ways.
These services will only be offered there (in addition to the rest of our clinical services, offered across all sites):
- Extensive Needs Service
- Purchased Services
- Clinics (e.g., Complex Care, Hypertonia/Botox, Nutrition, Orthopedic, Dietetics)
- Audiology
- Grandview School
This may change in the future to ensure we are responsive to client and community needs; however, this is the plan at the start of our transition of operations to the new headquarters and maintained satellites.
For more information on Operational Readiness and how it impacts clients and families,
visit our website.
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This new feature showcases a volunteer from Team Grandview.
This group of caring, committed individuals, comprised of students, retirees and working professionals, adds a little sparkle to Grandview Kids through the devotion of their time and expertise.
Let’s meet Grandview Kids Volunteer, Sylvia H.!
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Did you know?
Grandview Kids is actively recruiting volunteers to support us at our new Ajax-based headquarters and Oshawa-Dwyer site, starting this fall.
If you or someone you know is interested in our available opportunities and would like to apply, please visit our website to learn more.
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Program Spotlight: Preschool Outreach
Program (POP)
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The Preschool Outreach Program (POP) provides support to early childhood educators in licensed child care programs. Our goal is to assist the child care provider to help the child fully participate in the program. Our multi-disciplinary clinical team can provide support from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology, based on concerns expressed by the child care provider. We also facilitate referrals to other appropriate community agencies.
Grandview Kids is a Special Needs Resourcing agency. POP is funded through the Regional Municipality of Durham by the Ministry of Education to support licensed child care programs to provide inclusive environments for children and families.
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Who is eligible?
Children attending a licensed child care program in Durham Region at least two days per week with a developmental need identified by the child care provider. School-aged children receiving services from a Grandview Kids physiotherapist and/or occupational therapist may also be eligible for support.
How are services delivered?
The child and parent will come to a Grandview Kids site for their assessment. Assessment outcomes and intervention strategies are then shared with the child care centre and the family. The clinicians may also go to the child care centre to help the educators implement the strategies. Caregivers may be invited to workshops to learn more about how they can help
their child.
How do you access the program?
Referrals can be initiated by a child care centre, with parent consent. A doctor’s referral is not required. Visit our website for more information on the referral process.
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Project Spotlight: Changes to School-Based Rehabilitation speech therapy services | |
New provincial guidelines released in 2023 directed all Children’s Treatment Centres, like Grandview Kids, to focus on early intervention, waitlist reduction and a tiered service delivery model. The guidelines adjusted the timeline for services through the Preschool Speech and Language Program, and children are now discharged from that program at school entry.
Based on these new guidelines, and previous work we completed, Grandview Kids began redeveloping our service delivery model for School-Based Rehabilitation (SBR) speech therapy services. We hosted three family focus groups, ensuring that your voices were heard and considered in the development of our new service pathways.
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We are proud to announce that we are launching three new and distinct service pathways for school-based speech services:
Kindergarten Pathway: This pathway will be the first to launch in September 2024. It will begin in a child’s Junior Kindergarten year, and include coaching and group intervention with Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Communicative Disorders Assistants (CDAs) at our sites. Families will be involved in every step of this pathway, and children will receive the early intervention that is crucial to their speech development.
Elementary Pathway: This pathway is a school-based program for students, mostly in Grades 1-6. This service will look like our current model of service delivery; however, we will introduce caregiver coaching sessions and determine how to best maximize our clinicians' time in schools. We will continue to offer individual therapy sessions for students. Our sessions will be time-sensitive, with intense repetitions, and will be based on a child’s ability to actively participate in and complete activities included in their school curriculum.
Collaboration Pathway: This pathway is for older students or students who have completed their journey in the Kindergarten and Elementary Pathways but are still eligible for additional SBR speech services. Families can request a check-in at designated times throughout the year and will be seen by an SLP to update their speech goals, adjust their home practice routines, or be invited to specific groups/camps to work on their goals.
Students will move from one pathway to the next, depending on their progress. We are continuing to refine these pathways over the coming months, and we will share more details in upcoming Gather newsletters and via your clinicians.
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Infection, Prevention and Control (IPAC) update | |
On July 15, Grandview Kids’ client health screening process changed from “active” to “passive,” which means that clients and visitors are no longer required to use TrakrSafety to pass their health screen.
Within two hours of your appointment, perform a self-health screen on every family member who is attending the appointment. If you or anyone in your family is feeling unwell, please do not attend your appointment. Please call our Scheduling Team at 905-728-1673 (toll-free at 1-800-304-6180) to rebook your appointment. If your clinician determines that your child is unwell, they may ask you to rebook the appointment.
You can view all important updates to our screening process on our website.
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Grandview Kids is now recruiting parents/caregivers for a study called: Building knowledge and understanding of the intersection of race and disability in accessing pediatric rehabilitation services. Find your invitation in your email. Use your child’s unique code to complete the survey. Participation is voluntary. There are no known risks or benefits to participating. Consenting participants will have the chance to enter a prize to win one of 20 $100 gift cards. See our website for more details.
This study has been reviewed by the Ontario Shores – Abilities Centre – Grandview Kids Joint Research Ethics Board (#23-023-D).
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Durham Children's Aid Society - Foster caregivers needed! | |
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Sensory Storytime: Thursdays, September 12 and 26, from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the Main Branch. Available for children ages two to six. Connect with other families and enjoy fun themes, songs and stories at this inclusive storytime where all are welcome. Presented in partnership with Grandview Kids.
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1000 Colourful Stories: Join the reading club just for preschoolers! From birth to four years is the best time to nurture a love of reading by reading to your child. Sign up at any branch, get your first reading log, take it home and start your reading journey.
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Design a Bookmark Contest: Running from September 9 to October 7, children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 can showcase their love of reading designing an original bookmark. Entry forms are available online or at any branch. During Ontario Public Library Week (October 20-26).Twelve winners will be announced. Winning bookmarks will be distributed in branches each month in 2025.
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Parent Café –Teen Mental Health Workshop: Hosted on Wednesday, September 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Zoom (virtual). Learn ways to identify emerging mental illness in teenagers and how to seek help. Presented by Ontario Nurse Practitioner (Sima Health Consultancy).
Don’t forget to check out titles, reading lists and sensory kits on the Ajax Public Library’s Grandview Kids Resources page.
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Sensory Storytime takes place from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. on Thursdays at the Pickering Public Library’s Central Branch in September and October (September 12, 26 and October 3, 17). This storytime takes place in a quiet and safe environment. It includes interactive stories, songs, action-rhymes, fingerplays and sensory activities that promote literacy skills and development. It is ideal for children with sensory processing sensitivities and those on the Autism spectrum. | |
Dates of significance
Every month, members of Team Grandview’s Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee share researched blog posts about holidays, cultural celebrations, awareness days and other dates of significance that are meaningful to staff, clients, caregivers, partners and the community.
In July and August, we acknowledged Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Month, International Non-Binary People’s Day, Fragile X Awareness Day, National Disability Independence Day, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month, MedicAlert Awareness Month, International Assistance Dog Week, International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, World Humanitarian Day, and International Overdose Awareness Day. Read more on the blog >
| | In September, we acknowledge International Pain Awareness Month, Chiari Malformation Awareness Month, Ganesh Chaturthi, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Day, Worldwide Cystic Fibrosis Day, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Day, World Suicide Prevention Day, International Myotonic Dystrophy Awareness Day, World Lymphoma Awareness Day, World Patient Safety Day, World Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Day and the International Day of Sign Languages. Read more on the blog > | |
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | |
In September, we also acknowledge the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or “Orange Shirt Day,” which falls on Monday, September 30, 2024. This day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
Read our blog commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation >
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Third annual Dream Big, Dream Brighter: Making the Future a Brighter Place awards dinner is taking place November 21, 2024
In partnership with Elexicon Energy, the Grandview Kids Foundation will host its third annual Dream Big, Dream Brighter: Making the Future a Brighter Place awards dinner on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
The Foundation aims to raise funds for the children and youth who access life-changing programs and services at Grandview Kids. With your participation, we can achieve something truly magnificent.
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The event will feature a dinner and awards ceremony for the Spirit of Grandview Kids Awards, honouring one current client and one alumnus at Grandview Kids. The Spirit of Grandview Kids Award recognizes individuals who embody Grandview Kids' values, have achieved their goals and aspire to create a brighter future for themselves and other children and youth at
Grandview Kids.
Please mark your calendars and join the Grandview Kids Foundation and Elexicon Energy on November 21. Your support and involvement are crucial to the success of this event.
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Content in Gather is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor. Views expressed in posts and resources listed do not signify endorsement by Grandview Kids.
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