Welcome to 2022!  I hope you were able to take some time over the holidays to relax and refresh.

These past two years have been full of change, challenge and adventure at Lake Ridge Community Support Services (LRCSS) and we are expecting nothing less for this coming year. While we eagerly anticipate moving beyond COVID-19, we recognize and are preparing our team for the potential challenges of the Omicron variant.  In preparation, we have provided rapid tests for staff to ensure a safe return to the office after the holiday season. We will continue to monitor the situation and follow public health guidelines to ensure the ongoing safety of our staff, clients and their families.

Find out how we’re responding to the growing concern over Omicron

For our Ontario Autism Program (OAP) families, several key announcements were made this year regarding the new needs-based OAP program including the launch of Caregiver-mediated programs. LRCSS will be participating with Project ImPACT (Improving Parents as Communication Teachers) for families with children up to 48 months of age to increase communication and play skills.

In December the OAP announced another needs-based Ontario Autism Program project, the Entry to School Program of which LRCSS will be providing in partnership with Grandview Kids, Durham Region and Resources for Exceptional Children and Youth. The Entry to School Program is for families with young children up to 6 years of age who are registered in the OAP and who are starting school for the first time (either kindergarten or grade one). We are staffing to prepare for these and more programs we hope will be launching in 2022.

As new programs come into focus We will continue to engage with all of you and provide individualized support and service including support for parents and caregivers through Foundational Family Services. 

In addition to this, we’ll be hard at work developing and fundraising to provide a scholarship to get individuals still awaiting funding through the OAP into service with our ABA for All Scholarship Fund.

Stay in touch with us in 2022 via our email newsletter or follow-up on social media at @lrcssaba.

I wish you and your family good health and happiness for 2022.

Sandie Hoskin

Executive Director