Welcome to Family Place

We are so pleased to be able to provide parents and caregivers with a wonderful array of family-centred programs and services throughout Cape Breton Island.

We are able to do so because of the great support we receive from the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Community Action Program for Children and Canada's Prenatal Nutrition Program.

Extending our reach to even more communities is possible because of additional support we receive from the Department of Community Services, Nova Scotia Health, and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Because Family Place continues to grow and develop, and because parents, grandparents, and other child care providers continue to let us know what kinds of supports, programs, and resources will best meet their needs, our programs are ever-changing.

We are now able to provide this information to you in an online format. Please check out our programming by visiting the county page that corresponds with where you live.  Our calendar can be found under the "events" section within each county.

All programs are not active at the same time, and all are not available in all areas.  Participants and other agency staff are encouraged to call their local office to discuss additional program needs and interests.

Please consider this your personal invitation to browse, call, and/or drop into one of our locations to meet us and share some of your family's time with Family Place.

JoAnna LaTulippe-Rochon,

Executive Director

Upcoming Events

Cape Breton Family Place Calendar

Click on a date to display the event details for the day below the calendar.

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Check Out Family Resource Programs Across Nova Scotia

By JoAnna LaTulippe-Rochon | November 21, 2022

Family Place is part of a large network of Family Resource programs operating across Canada.  We are excited to share with you a new website that showcases our wonderful companion programs across the province.  Take a few moments and check out our neighbours on mainland Nova Scotia.  See something you like?  See something that peeks…

Happy Diwali

By JoAnna LaTulippe-Rochon | October 22, 2022

History and Significance of Diwali Although, there are no official records stating the origin of Diwali; among many legends about this festival, one thing is common — the triumph of good over evil. It would be apt to say that different parts of the nation celebrate this day for different reasons. The northern part of…

Seasonal Health and Safety Reminders

By JoAnna LaTulippe-Rochon | October 22, 2022

Healthy Tips to Keep in Mind During the Upcoming Holiday Season Wear your mask if you are going to be indoors or around a crowd of people.  It will help keep the spread of COVID down. Be certain to stay up-to-date with recommended vaccinations. Wash your hands often to keep yourself from spreading germs and…

Celebrate National Child Day on November 20

By JoAnna LaTulippe-Rochon | October 21, 2022

Did you know that National Child Day has been celebrated across Canada since 1993?  It is a special day that is set aside to commemorate the United Nations’ adoption of two documents centered on children’s rights: the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1959, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights…

Fall Programs are Buzzing with Activity

By JoAnna LaTulippe-Rochon | September 28, 2022

Our Fall Programming schedules are set and we have loads of exciting programs and services to offer you.  No matter where you are located around the Island, our staff are ready to engage with you and your family.  We are offering lots of programs and services to support you as parents and caregivers – and…

Coming Up - Across Cape Breton

Download all events as ICS file

We are pleased to provide a range of family and community programs:

Resource Libraries and Clothing Rooms

To increase community access to materials that help to meet the basic needs of young children and families libraries of developmentally appropriate books and rooms overflowing with children’s clothing are available for use by local families.

Book Bag Program

A family literacy program for children between the ages of three and five years of age along with their parents or child care providers. The group meets, reads a story together, and shares in a related craft activity. The program ends with the children selecting books to take home for a week and return these…

Growing A Garden – DeGannes Family Garden Program

Join with us for our weekly gardening program as the season allows. Come early spring and help us ready the garden beds. As the last of the frost leaves us, we will begin to plant the gardens. Throughout the fine weather months, we meet weekly to hoe and weed and play outside. Lots of fresh…

Streetproofing Your Child

A session for parents of children who are entering school, this program focuses on understanding stranger danger and helping parents and children increase their awareness and preparation for the naturally growing levels of independence as children grow older.

Parenting Journey Home Visiting Program

This program offers the services of a friendly, experienced home visitor to visit families with children from ages three to sixteen years. Staff support families in a variety of ways. They may offer support with stress management, parenting issues and challenges, housing, food security, discipline, accessing community resources, meeting basic needs, budgeting, healthy lifestyle choices,…

Maggie’s Magic Cupboard

This nine week program will provide participants with opportunities to share knowledge and increase skills related to cooking, eating healthy, food safety, and saving money on food. Participants prepare a full meal each week, participate in a guided grocery store tour, and are provided with a low cost recipe book at the end of the…

Baby Talk Programs

Informal opportunities for parents, child care providers, and their littlest ones (infants 0-24 months) to come together and enjoy safe, friendly, developmentally appropriate play environments. The program involves playtime as well as opportunities for learning and sharing information among parents and staff.

STARSS – Start Thinking About Reducing Second-hand Smoke

An approach that is encouraged for staff to work with families heightening their awareness about children’s exposure to second hand smoke (SHS), this program supports parents and caregivers to reduce such exposure. The program can be offered informally, with minimal interventions, or more formally through either group or individual sessions. The ultimate goal of the…

Personal Stress Management

This is a four to six week program for parents offering easy to follow steps that will help participants identify stress and healthy ways of dealing with it. Topics include Introduction to Stress, Stress Hardiness, Insomnia, and Productive and Unproductive Responses to Stress.  

Enhanced Home Visiting

One of the key services of Public Health Service’s Healthy Beginnings program this program is available to parents of new babies who are identified as wanting and benefiting from some extra supports as they leave the hospital with their newest little ones. The program works with families during the first three years of their children’s…