Our clientele are young parents experiencing significant difficulty in adjusting to their pregnancy and/or their role as parent and caregiver. Many have a history of problems such as lack of material or financial resources, a dysfunctional family life, violence, substance abuse and delinquency to name only a few. While most of the clients are from the Montreal region, we are mandated to serve the anglophone community throughout the province of Quebec. In fact, Elizabeth House is the only resource of its kind in Quebec serving anglophone parents experiencing difficulty in dealing with pregnancy or parenthood.

• the need for stability, structure and safety
• to experience a trusting relationship with an adult
• to have a sense of belonging
• to feel heard and understood
• to further develop and acquire academic and lifeskills education
• to experience positive peer relationships
• to understand the source of their anger

• often have experienced a long history of previous placements
• involvement in drug and alcohol usage, and occasional drug abuse
• victims of sexual and physical abuse
• come from severely dysfunctional families
• involvement in delinquencies, illegal acts
• clients tend to project blame, have difficulty taking responsibility for themselves, difficulty in planning, making decisions and difficulty accepting the consequences of their actions and behavior
• aggressive, acting out behavior

BABY AS CLIENT

• need for safety, stability and routines
• need for love and affection from the primary caregiver
• need for stimulation

Characteristics

• for the most part, babies are born healthy, at term and are normal deliveries
• for older babies entering the program due to neglect and abuse the following characteristics may often be seen - lack of shyness, will easily approach strangers for affection; flatness of affect; hyperactivity; poor eating habits

Needs

• need to explore the meaning of being a father
• to further develop and acquire academic/ vocational skills

Characteristics

• aggressive, acting out behavior
• delinquent, criminal lifestyle
• drug involvement
• previous history of placements
• lack of family/social supports
• involved in controlling relationships with the mother of the baby

GRANDPARENTS AS CLIENTS

Needs

• need assistance in relating to their daughter/son as a parent
• need to determine what role they will be playing in the new family

Characteristics

• history of violence, abuse, and drug/alcohol abuse
• psychiatric disorders