Wood Buffalo Family Resource Network
Parenting Summit
Saturday, March 7, 2026
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Eagle Ridge YMCA
The Wood Buffalo Family Resource Network is excited to invite you for a day of learning, connection and support at our first Parenting Summit – designed for parents, caregivers and service providers. This event features sessions on topics that matter most to families as well as the opportunity to learn about and connect to new services in our community. Family Resource Networks are a province-wide Government of Alberta initiative offering programs and services that promote healthy environments and positive experiences during infancy, childhood, and adolescence. In Wood Buffalo, the FRN is a partnership between The Hub Family Resource Centre, YMCA of Northern Alberta, and Taproot Community Support Services, providing inclusive, accessible, family-focused programs for children and youth ages 0–18.
SCHEDULE:
9:00 Doors Open
9:30-11:00 Keynote Speaker
11:15-12:00 Breakout Session 1
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:00 Breakout Session 2
2:00-3:00 Breakout Session 3
3:00 Event Concludes
Keynote Speaker
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Understanding the Emotional World of Parenting
Presenter: Jennifer MacWhirter, M.Sc.
Parenting is filled with joy—but it can also come with moments of anger, fear, shame, and feeling overwhelmed. In this keynote, Jennifer explores the emotional experiences beneath parenting challenges, introducing the concept of parental intent—the deeply caring motivations that exist even in our most reactive or uncertain moments.
Grounded in attachment science, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and over 20 years of clinical experience, Jennifer shifts the focus beyond behaviour to the emotional worlds of both parents and children. She highlights how understanding our own emotional experiences—both as parents and as individuals who were once parented—can strengthen connection, emotional balance, and confidence in the parent-child relationship.
This session offers a compassionate, hopeful perspective for parents and caregivers, reminding us that when we meet ourselves with understanding, we are better able to show up with care, protection, and deep emotional connection for our children.
Breakout Session 1
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Helping Children Develop Healthy Screentime Habits
Presenter: The Hub Family Resource Centre
Triple P Positive Parenting: Helping Children Develop Healthy Screentime Habits. This seminar provides parents and caregivers with evidence-based strategies to support children in developing balanced and healthy screentime routines. Participants will explore practical tools for setting limits, promoting positive use of technology, and encouraging alternative activities that foster learning, connection, and overall well-being.
Connect Parenting
Presenter: Taproot Community Support Service
Introduction Workshop to Connect Parenting, a support workshop for parents and caregivers of pre-teens and teens with difficult behavioral and emotional concerns through a strength and attachment based approach.
Choose only one (1) to attend
Breakout Session 2
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
Rainbows Grief and Loss Program
Presenter: YMCA Family Connect
Rainbows supports children and youth who are coping with loss or major life changes (divorce, separation, death, deployment, deportation, incarceration or trauma). Through peer-based support groups led by trained facilitators, participants share their experiences, build coping skills, and find comfort in knowing they are not alone. The program uses engaging activities such as journaling, games, and storytelling to help children and youth express their feelings and navigate grief and loss.
Traditional Medicine Teachings
Presenter: Nistawoyou Association Friendship Centre
This program explores traditional Indigenous approaches to caring for and teaching children, using cultural practices as a medium to share knowledge and values. It highlights how families worked together as a unit, with grandparents playing an essential role in passing down wisdom and life skills across generations. Children learned through observation and participation in everyday activities—following, copying, and helping—gaining understanding through lived experience. The program honours the importance of intergenerational learning, family connection, and community involvement in supporting children’s growth and belonging.
Choose only one (1) to attend
Breakout Session 3 (2:00 PM)
Navigating Supports for Neurodiverse Children and Youth
Presenter: Autism Society of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
This session will provide an overview of the programs, services, and supports we offer to individuals and families in our community. We will share information on government assistance and funding programs, including FSCD, PDD, Guardianship, Trusteeship, the Disability Tax Credit (DTC), and more. We will also highlight our inclusive, sensory-friendly events offered throughout the year, as well as our Transitions to Adulthood program, which focuses on building social connections and life skills.
Kids Have Stress Too!
Presenter: The Hub Family Resource Centre
KHST! is a research-based project of the Strong Kids Psychology Canada where parents and caregivers will learn how to recognize stress in children, identify stressors, and teach families stress-management techniques.
- Help to understand stress and its impact on health and learning.
- Learn practical techniques for coping with stress and promoting resilience.
- Learn how to address the signs of stress before getting overwhelmed