About Us
Rural Response for Healthy Children is a non-profit organization serving Huron and Perth County families with a priority focus on rural regions. Our work helps foster a healthy community of trusted adults where children and youth can thrive.
We offer workshops, programs, services and supports that address specific concerns affecting family well-being in our community through programs with parents/caregivers as well at programs at schools for students and educators.
Our team offers education, support groups, activities, and workshops for families who are/have:
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Young children, ages 0 to 6
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Vulnerable families
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Single parenting, co-parenting, or parenting after loss
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Experienced/witnessed family violence
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Youth parents
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Grandparent primary caregivers
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New to Canada
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Experiencing substance use concerns
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Experiencing mental health concerns
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At risk of social or geographic isolation
Our programming is designed to support:
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Healthy attachment
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Positive parenting
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Father involvement
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Families of children with a disability or mental health concern
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Healthy eating and nutrition
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Financial literacy and family budgeting
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Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
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Healthy habits
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Community connections
Learn more on our Programs or Services pages and check out our 2025-2030 Strategic Directions.
Vision
A healthy community where every family can thrive.
Mission
Working together as a community to support healthy family development and well-being.
Values
Responsiveness
Addressing the needs of families in a timely and meaningful way
Connections
Helping families navigate and access relevant supports and services
Caring
Fostering a culture where people are heard and feel valued
Inclusive
Programming that enables full participation and is free of barriers
Approachable
An environment where families are comfortable asking for help
Knowledgeable
Providing and promoting best practices in the field of family well-being
Board of Directors
The governance Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers from the community. These volunteers are vital to the development and growth of the organization due to their work with funders, staff, partners, and participants.
Karen Kan • Chair
Jessica Van Raay • Vice-Chair
Judy Lambers • Treasurer
Shannon Lewis-Beattie • Secretary
Wendy Hutton
Kerri Lyn Grainger
Christina VanPoucke
Terry Hogg
Michelle McRobert
Chantale Potts
We have vacancies on our Board we're looking to fill! Learn more here:
Staff
Members
We could not do what we do without our dedicated team of full-time staff.
Katrina Clarke • Executive Director
Nicole Bedard • Administrative Coordinator
Alex Robinson • Communications Specialist
Jill Robertson • Parent Support Worker
Susan Cowman • Parent Support Worker
Kristi Michel • Child Support & Education Worker
Community Reports
We prepare project and community reports to support transparency and accountability to the community and funding organizations. These are our most recent reports, please feel free to reach out to us for older editions.
Project
Reports
Funding
As a charitable organization, we deliver education and community well-being programs funded by government and foundations. Individual and local group donations leverage the work we do, and allow us to deliver additional initiatives.
Rural Response for Healthy Children is thankful for over thirty years of funding from Public Health Agency of Canada. Additional financial support for current programs is provided by organizations such as Employment Development Services Canada, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the McCall MacBain Foundation. We are also grateful for donations from local groups and individuals that help our programs reach more families in our community.