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Celebrating Lansdowne Support Worker Mariam
Mariam is one of the Support Workers at Lansdowne Children’s Centre, working with child and youth clients and helping them develop their communication and social skills. She was inspired to take on the role because of her “natural love for kids and helping people. I’m generally drawn to roles that help people feel supported, cared for, and understood.” Working with children and youth who have communication, physical and/ or developmental differences “has shown me the power of
2 days ago4 min read


'This is an act of love': Parker's Promise kits offer support for parents, caregivers
The items in each Parker’s Promise kit are relatively common: a fidget, a lip chap, a tea bag, a pen and journal, and a card that explains how a person can use these things in a grounding exercise. This was done very intentionally by creator Shalyn Wilson, who wanted to make sure the items in the kit could be easily and relatively inexpensively replenished for continual use. “You can recreate that grounding exercise over and over and over again,” she said. Possibly the most i
May 293 min read


Lansdowne Children’s Centre takes major step forward with selection of architect for new Brantford facility
(L to R), Representatives of Montgomery Sisam Architects, Karine Quigley, Shannon Wiley, Wesley Gross; from Lansdowne Children's Centre, Rosemarie Press, Rita-Marie Hadley, and (far right) Tamie Aubin; and Miller McLeod and Rami Bouz of Colliers Project Leaders. Lansdowne Children’s Centre for child development is pleased to announce the selection of Montgomery Sisam Architects for its new purpose-built facility in Brantford, marking a significant and celebratory milestone in
May 263 min read


Over 165,000 reasons to smile in Brantford
Powered by passionate community leaders and dedicated volunteers, Lansdowne Children’s Centre and Brant Food For Thought are celebrating a new Smile Cookie record for fundraising in Brantford. Each organization has received $82,501.52 at the conclusion of the Tim Hortons 2026 Smile Cookie campaign, eclipsing the previous achievement of $79,415.54 each organization received through the 2025 campaign. The money was raised through the sale of Smile Cookies and associated mercha
May 222 min read


Celebrating Speech and Hearing Month at Lansdowne Children's Centre
From expressing our needs to sharing our experiences, communication is an essential part of life. May is Speech and Hearing Month, a time to celebrate the life-changing difference speech-language pathologists, communicative disorders assistants, and other professionals in the field can make by helping kids find the tools that will best help them communicate effectively. “Communication is not just speech; it's also gestures and facial expressions and signs,” said Fran Talarico
May 222 min read


Saying goodbye to former Lansdowne Children's Centre board member Larry Kings
It was with great sadness that the Lansdowne Children’s Centre community heard about the passing of Larry Kings on April 28. Larry and his beloved wife Trish spent many hours as volunteers in the community, supporting several organizations, including the Rotary Club, the Boys and Girls Club, and Lansdowne Children's Centre, where they both served on the Board of Directors, giving their time, expertise and passion to serving our community in the name of improving accessibility
May 11 min read


Therapeutic Paws of Canada Brantford visits with Lansdowne clients, families
Huge thanks to our friends at the Brantford branch of Therapeutic Paws of Canada, who came out for a pop-up visit at the Brantford Lansdowne Children’s Centre site with some of our clients and their families on April 23. It was a wonderful time of fun, laughter, and lots of 'fuzz therapy'! Therapeutic Paws of Canada is always looking for new dogs and cats to add to their roster; if you’re interested in volunteering, visit https://tpoc.ca/ for more information.
Apr 291 min read


Port Dover resident sees advocacy at the heart of Lansdowne Children’s Centre board position
A lot of public advocacy work comes down to building personal relationships in the community, noted Lansdowne Children’s Centre board member Rick Rozak. Hailing from Port Dover, Rozak joined the board in 2018. “The majority of my career, I worked with young people in the youth justice system,” he said. When he started out, he would have a caseload of two or three youths at a time, and a big part of his job was mentoring them through their plan of care, which he would also hel
Apr 213 min read


Delhi resident excited to serve as Lansdowne Children’s Centre’s board treasurer
Justin Wareham is Lansdowne Children’s Centre’s new treasurer on its board of directors. “It’s my first time with any kind of role like this; it’s exciting… scary,” he added with a laugh. Wareham lives in Delhi and works at Millards Chartered Professional Accountants ’ Brantford location as a CPA and an associate of the business. “Most of what I do is auditing not-for-profit organizations. I have a really strong background in that, and I think that'll really translate well in
Apr 212 min read


Charity Motorcycle Ride for Lansdowne Revs Up with New Date and Location
Brantford’s loudest fundraiser is back and ready to roar. The 22nd running of the Charity Motorcycle Ride for Lansdowne Kids, presented by Ensuring Brant, will take place on Saturday, July 4, 2026, launching from a brand-new location: the Airport Community Hall, 3 Airport Road in Brantford.
Apr 142 min read


Jade’s Brave Wing: A mother’s journey of turning trauma into hope for families navigating Brachial Plexus Injury (BPI)
“Connecting with Lansdowne changed everything. It equipped us with the tools to help her, and that knowledge was powerful.” Following a traumatic, unplanned delivery where Jade had to be resuscitated, she was diagnosed with a left BPI, damage to the network of nerves...
Apr 143 min read


A Gift of Kindness, Thank You Grades 5/6 from OLP School!
An incredible act of kindness from a local Grade 5/6 class absolutely made our day. Big thanks to our friends at Our Lady of Providence Catholic Elementary School, Brantford.
Apr 131 min read


Lansdowne participates in World Autism Day flag raising in Brantford
The weather was chilly the afternoon of April 2 as a group gathered in Harmony Square to mark World Autism Day with a flag raising. “Even though it’s cold, it’s still a beautiful day, because there’s so many of you out today, and I’m so pleased to see that,” said Brantford Councillor Mandy Samwell. The event was organized by Autism Services at Lansdowne Children's Centre. New this year was the event taking place in the afternoon, so that it would be easier for families to att
Apr 82 min read


Celebrating Social Work Month
The Social Work Team at Lansdowne Children’s Centre are professionally trained to support families to cope with the impact of illness, disability and complex health needs.
Mar 261 min read


Michele Brayshaw reflects on 30+ year career at Lansdowne Children’s Centre
Michele Brayshaw knew her professional calling early in life. For as long as she can remember, “I just always knew I wanted to work with kids with special needs and their families,” she said. “I went to school with some kids who had special needs that were integrated right into our programs.” Integration and meaningful inclusion have always been central to her professional philosophy. In her post-secondary education, Michele studied Early Childhood Education, and for a time w
Mar 263 min read


Occupational therapy is about ‘looking at how someone can be included and participate in what matters to them'
“OT got my attention because of how dynamic the profession is, and that it’s a helping healthcare profession. You’re working in a very broad, broad realm,”
Mar 135 min read


Mobile Cancer Screening Coach returning to Lansdowne Children’s Centre Brantford site
The Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Regional Cancer Program’s Mobile Cancer Screening Coach is returning to Lansdowne Children’s Centre’s Brantford site on Tuesday, March 3.
Feb 201 min read


Brantford Expositor article highlights Lansdowne Children's Centre staff role in Kickstart to Kindergarten program
Natasha Kramer, resource consultant with Lansdowne Children’s Centre, was one of the experts interviewed for a recent Brantford Expositor article highlighting the Kickstart to Kindergarten program being offered in Grand Erie.
Feb 201 min read


Lansdowne Children’s Centre partners with Mission Thrift Store for new program
Through a partnership with Mission Thrift Store in Brantford, the participants in the new Lansdowne Children’s Centre Venture into Volunteering Therapeutic Recreation program have been experiencing greater connection to their community.
Feb 203 min read


Family Literacy Day: Interview with Lacey L. Bakker, owner of Pandamonium Publishing House
Lacey L. Bakker is the owner of Pandamonium Publishing House, which has published over 150 titles to date. Pandamonium has worked with 60 authors and 15 illustrators and graphic designers over the past decade. For Family Literacy Day on January 27, we asked Lacey to give us some insights into the Canadian publishing world. Q. Tell us how Pandamonium got started. A. Pandamonium Publishing House was officially hatched on October 1, 2015 (a decade ago!) and it started with one
Jan 215 min read
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