Please scroll down this page to find the event you are interested in or want to register for. We often have more than one event on the go. Thank you!

Scroll down to see this month’s events:

Feb 2, 2023 (evening) and Feb 6, 2023 (morning) – School Entry
Feb. 9, 2023 – Shared Lives, Two people and their Support Circle members present for this one-time opportunity, back by popular demand! A My Home My Choice and Relationships group partnership!
Feb. 22, 2023 – Session Three: Building a Support Circle (Power of Support Circles Series)

School Entry Learning Events

FREE information sessions for parents, grandparents and guardians. Learn more about the steps for transitioning your child with special education needs into school. Learn how to partner with educators. Choose from 2 virtual sessions.

Evening Session: Thurs, February 2, 2023 – 6:30 to 8:00 pm
- - - - Family conversations follow: 8:00 to 8:30 pm (optional)
        
        Register for this session by Noon on Tues. January 31st

Morning Session: Monday, February 6, 2023 – 9:30 to 11:00 am
- - - - Family conversations follow: 11:00 to 11:30 am (optional)
        
        Register for this session by Noon on Sat. February 4th

REGISTER HERE

A Zoom link will be sent out 2 days before each session;
A phone-in option will be available; Information will be shared on screen

To download the flyer, click here: School Entry Events Flyer 2023

Join us at either virtual session to listen and ask questions: Families will share their transition to school stories. Find out about their experiences and what helped them the most.
Professionals, one from Children First and another from the John McGivney Children’s Centre School Authority, will speak about the steps involved with school board/agency transition processes.
Parent Tips for School Entry and Beyond – a booklet created by families for families will be reviewed.

A virtual learning event created by families for families

Windsor-Essex Family Network would like to thank our partners and volunteers with the Enhancing Family Support for Education Group for their untiring support of this and other learning for families: Children First, Family Respite Services, John McGivney Children’s Centre School Authority, Inclusion Action in Ontario (Essex-Windsor), Windsor-Essex Brokerage for Personal Supports, and family leaders. Also in-kind support from Community Living Windsor with printing of the booklet. Note: Pictures above are from Pixabay.

The My Home My Choice initiative and the Relationships/Circles Group are proud to present:

SHARED LIVES: Two people & their support circle members talk about what belonging to a circle means to them

Thursday, February 9, 2023 6:30-8:30 pm

A One-time Opportunity, Back by Popular Demand . . . A virtual event for people, families, friends & others! Two people and their circle members (friends and family) share by video. They will describe the early years of their circle, how things have evolved, their mutual relationships, choosing a home setting, and where things are at today 19 years later! What can we learn from their stories?

Join us and facilitator Judith McGill for this virtual event to hear:

Directly from people with an established Support Circle
The meaning of Support Circle membership
Deepening relationships and a sense of belonging
About working through uncertainty and fears

Register by Tuesday February 8, 2022 here: REGISTRATION LINK

A Zoom link for this virtual event will be provided later.
Event flyer is available for downloading here: My Home My Choice Shared Lives -Feb 9, 2023
For excellent resources for thinking about the future and about ‘home’ and what that means go to the My Home My Choice Resources webpage
For resources about relationships, go to the Relationships, Networks, Circles page

APPRECIATION FOR OUR STORY TELLERS & PARTNERS: Windsor-Essex Family Network would like to thank the individuals, families and friends sharing their stories at this event, and those who have been story tellers over the years! We would also like to sincerely thank our partners, sponsors and volunteers with the My Home My Choice initiative AND the Relationship/Circles initiative for their support with: this event, the creation of resources, and other sought after learning opportunities for people, families and friends through the years.

Our partners: Windsor Essex Brokerage for Personal Supports, Family Services Windsor-Essex, Family Respite Services, Community Living Windsor, Community Living Essex County, City of Windsor/County of Essex (with special thanks to the City of Windsor as designated Service Manager for Social Housing Programs), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the people and families who volunteer their time on committees and who share their lives!

Many thanks to our provincial allies for their leadership in supporting people with disabilities to be included, to live everyday lives as full citizens – directing their own lives, being listened to and supported in their decision making, and, who have also presented at past events: Inclusion Action in Ontario , I ndividualized Funding Coalition for Ontario , Family Alliance Ontario.

Picture above is from Pixabay.

Exploring the Power of Support Circles

Learning Series 2022-2023 – Session 3 Info & Registration Below!

This unique virtual learning series was initially designed for people with disabilities, families, friends, independent facilitators, supporters and allies from Windsor and Essex County. As such, we began to build a learning community in Windsor and Essex County in 2021-2022.

The entire learning series called “Exploring the Power of Support Circles” – four sessions, four themes – started with Session One on November 23, 2022. See the information for Session Three, February 22, 2023 below!

For anyone thinking about registering: People can register for any ONE or more of the sessions – it is your choice! Note that registration is limited in order to support time for conversation. There is still room for a additional participants in Session Three!

What we have learned from individuals and families . . . .

Participants appreciate being able to register for different sessions to start getting some background for the future. Others are registering for the sessions they missed in the first series.
Those who have had past exposure to the concepts are choosing to take the full series to be ready for actively working on a Support Circle in the near future or to support others to do so.

No matter where you are on your journey – whether you are new to the idea of a Support Circle, or not – this type of learning benefits individuals and families at every stage of life – from childhood through to adulthood.

For a full description of all four sessions in the learning series, see this flyer: Learning Series, Exploring the Power of Support Circles, 2022-23

To read about our presenter: About Judith McGill-A Biography

To learn more about SESSION THREE being held Wednesday, February 22, 2023 and/or to register for any of the sessions please scroll further down this page.

APPRECIATION: Windsor-Essex Family Network would like to thank the Windsor-Essex Relationship/Circles Group, including family leaders, along with our partners from Windsor-Essex Brokerage for Personal Supports, Family Respite Services, and Community Living Windsor who have provided in-kind support, volunteer time, and sponsorship funding for this Support Circle initiative. Note: This Support Circle initiative was birthed out of the work of the My Home My Choice Initiative & Relationships group work – many thanks to this leadership and guidance!

SESSION THREE: Building a Support Circle

Wednesday, February 22, 2023 – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Join us with Judith McGill to:

Strengthening everyone’s voice
Crafting the initial invitation
Formal planning as a starting place
Rites of passage: teenage hood & adulthood

Judith, of LifePath Training and Facilitation, is a sibling, independent facilitator, adult educator and author with more than two decades of experience assisting people and families with the development of Support Circles.

About Registration . . . .

ADVANCE REGISTRATIONS: For those who have already pre-registered for Sessions 3 & 4 there is no need to register again! We will be sending you a Session 3 flyer as a reminder for your fridge or bulletin board!
For those who have not yet registered for Session 3, there is still some room.
Registration is limited! Registration will close when Session 3 is full!