Admission Criteria

Breaking the Cycle serves women:

1. Who are pregnant and/or parenting at least one child under the age of 6 years and
2. Who are experiencing problems of substance use or recovery
3. Who desire support around their substance use or recovery

Mothercraft delivers Breaking the Cycle in close partnership with other community-based initiatives, including Mothercraft's Parent Infant Program, which serves:

1. Infants and young children at biological risk, specifically infants and young children who have been exposed to alcohol and/or other substances during the prenatal period, and who are at risk for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and other neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal substance exposure, ie who are at risk due to biological factors or have an established developmental disability.
2. Infants and young children at psychosocial risk, specifically infants and young children growing up with a parent(s) who is misusing drugs and/or alcohol.
3. Parental misuse of alcohol and/or other drugs frequently co-exist with the following risk factors to children's development.  These risk factors will also be addressed where the primary criteria of parental substance use exists:
   • parental mental health problems
   • domestic violence
   • parent(s) affected by FASD
   • poverty
   • social exclusion
   • housing instability
4. Early identification of developmental problems and/or parenting difficulties.
5. Demonstration and support of developmentally enhancing early learning experiences in the home and in community settings through the provision of instrumental support, developmental guidance and community consultation.
6. Dyadic parent-child intervention, assessment, counselling and case management services to infants and young children whose families are substance-involved, through a home-based and centre based model.
7. Dyadic interventions as well as group programs designed to meet parenting and developmental challenges and to promote positive and secure attachment relationships, given the child's and the parent's individual vulnerabilities and strengths.
8. A consistent emotional relationship with the family through which trust can be established with the parents and child.
9. Advocacy and support for parents in meeting their basic needs for adequate food, housing, medical care, child care and educational and employment opportunities in order to deal with day-to-day survival and future family stability.

For more information about the Parent-Infant Program please call 416-364-9887 or e-mail btcycle@mothercraft.org