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(Photo: CACAC)
"I’m going to have the best day ever"

Child advocacy centre provides 100 play boxes to hospital frontline staff

Apr 23, 2020 | 11:28 AM

The Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) has found a unique, relevant, and impactful way to support workers at the Red Deer Regional Hospital by providing 100 Amped2Play ISOLOVEPLAY boxes to frontline staff, their children and families.

The centre says they believe strongly in the work that hospital frontline workers do, and rely on their partnership when it comes to supporting the children of Central Alberta who have been impacted by child abuse. This is why, through their Valuing Mental Health Program, they have been able to provide these activity play boxes to families to take home and enjoy after braving their day at the hospital for the good of the community.

“The boys had a blast with this. They were so excited to show his friends on google classroom all the craft stuff today, it was so cute,” says one nurse at Red Deer Regional Hospital.

Each item in the box is chosen to provide multiple play scenarios in numerous creative ways. ISOLOVEPLAY Box creates an opportunity for playful connection, education, movement, challenge, and success, while reducing stress, creating a sense of belonging, motivation for learning and engagement, along with the essence of community building and conflict resolution.

“Thank you to the nice people, I’m going to have the best day ever,” said a 5-year-old recipient.

The work done at the CACAC will never end as long as there is a need, they say. Our vital programs to support children, youth and their families continue, even though we are also dealing with multiple event and support cancellations, resulting in loss of funding. Regardless of this, the mental health of our community’s essential employees and their families is of great importance to us, and through our programing we have been able to support 100 families by providing the ISOLOVEPLAY activity boxes.

“The families of our frontline workers hold each other up as they face each day helping us all, so if these activity boxes give even a glimpse of distraction and enjoyment from what they deal with daily, we consider this a success,” says CACAC CEO Mark Jones.