Block Parent are homes are available when help is needed - if your car breaks down, or as a senior citizen you feel ill, or young children are lost or in trouble. Block parents work in cooperation with the Waterloo Regional Police Service. All of the Block Parent homes are police screened. This means that now all residents in the home over the age of 12 must personally go to the police station and get a police records check. This screening process is FREE to all Block Parent families. Currently they have the co-operation of over 130 schools in our Region. The goal is to have a Block Parent Representative at each school to promote the program at school events, to keep a confidential list of Block Parents associated with the school, and to present a safety program to the students.
They teach the children that a stranger is anyone they do not know. They talk about good and bad strangers. They share with them that any home displaying the familiar red and white Block Parent sign is a good stranger and that if there are no Block Parent signs then public places like stores, restaurants, libraries etc. could be used as the employees could assist them by calling their parents or the authorities.
As a Block Parent you are NOT expected to let strangers into your home. You can assist children or adults at the door. You will need to assess the situation and either call the child's parents, the police, or 911. Cell phones or portable phones can be used outside of your home and will eliminate the need to take anybody inside to use the phone.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service and the Regional Fire Services are very proud of the Children's Safety Village.
The partnership between the police and fire services is the first of its kind in Canada. With the partnership of the community and corporate support, the Safety Village is a dream turned into reality. Through the dedicated efforts of many people along with generous donations, the Village has evolved into a unique educational opportunity for students from Grades 1 through 6.
The Safety Village consists of the Police and Fire Education Center and 25 mini replica buildings, some of which are interactive and offer a unique educational opportunity. The Fire Education Center is proud of its recently renovated Sparky’s Apartment, an interactive teaching tool with a simulated smoke machine used to help students understand fire safety, kitchen hazards and the importance of a practiced home escape plan.
KidsAbility-Centre for Child Development
Foodlink Waterloo Region
KidsAbility-Centre for Child Development is an accredited, charitable organization established in 1957 to help children with disabilities. We are governed by an elected board of directors, operated by a professional staff of close to 200, and assisted by 300 volunteers.
We are accountable to the provincial government that provides financial support for our services and to the stakeholders of our community. We are committed to partnerships with individuals and agencies to enhance the services available to children with disabilities.
Foodlink Waterloo Region is a non-profit organization that promotes local food, supports and connects farms and food businesses, provides local food education and outreach in our community, and engages decision makers in putting local food policy on the community's agenda.
Foodlink works with a diverse range of constituents including farms, food processors, food retail, food distributors, restaurants and the hospitality industry, the non-profit sector, community food education, food media and, of course, food consumers.
While not officially a membership-based organization, more than 10% of Waterloo Region's 1,440 farms have participated in the Buy Local! Buy Fresh! program. Foodlink also works closely with a strong network of Farmers' Markets across the region, CSA programs, the Elmira Produce Auction Cooperative and a growing roster of retail outlets that carry the Buy Local! Buy Fresh! brand. More than 30 local restaurants have participated in the annual "Taste Local! Taste Fresh! culinary showcase.
Since 2002 Foodlink has been committed to putting more local food on more local plates. To learn more about Foodlink’s award-winning projects visit www.foodlink.ca.
Block Parent are homes are available when help is needed - if your car breaks down, or as a senior citizen you feel ill, or young children are lost or in trouble. Block parents work in cooperation with the Waterloo Regional Police Service. All of the Block Parent homes are police screened. This means that now all residents in the home over the age of 12 must personally go to the police station and get a police records check. This screening process is FREE to all Block Parent families. Currently they have the co-operation of over 130 schools in our Region. The goal is to have a Block Parent Representative at each school to promote the program at school events, to keep a confidential list of Block Parents associated with the school, and to present a safety program to the students. 
The Waterloo Regional Police Service and the Regional Fire Services are very proud of the Children's Safety Village.
KidsAbility-Centre for Child Development is an accredited, charitable organization established in 1957 to help children with disabilities. We are governed by an elected board of directors, operated by a professional staff of close to 200, and assisted by 300 volunteers.
Foodlink Waterloo Region is a non-profit organization that promotes local food, supports and connects farms and food businesses, provides local food education and outreach in our community, and engages decision makers in putting local food policy on the community's agenda.