OUR MISSION

Building on the Strength of
Young Pregnant Women,
Young Parents, and their Children.
Young Mother Holding Her Baby

OUR COMMITMENT

Grounded in a strength-based philosophy which builds on the inherent resilience of each individual, St. Mary’s Home / Maison Sainte-Marie is committed to providing comprehensive services, advocacy and programs for pregnant youth and young parent families. These are offered in a milieu of respect, care and safety and in partnership with the community.

OUR VALUES AND BELIEFS

  • We believe that:
  • Pregnancy is a time of opportunity for personal growth
  • Young parents are capable of building strong, nurturing and healthy families
  • Children have rights as individuals
  • The following set of values is integral to our work:
  • Respect: Each individual has innate worth and dignity. This is reflected in our attitude and in the practice of equality, fairness and teamwork
  • Trust: Relationships built on integrity and compassion lay the foundation of trust. We are committed to providing an atmosphere where trust can develop and grow.
  • Acceptance: A non-judgmental approach is essential to supporting youth with their life experience and choices.
  • Strength-based: Our role is to build on the resilience, strength and abilities of youth, children and families.
  • Inclusion: We promote an anti-discriminatory approach to service delivery. We are committed to continuously grow in knowledge, sensitivity, and skills so that we can best respond to a wide range of backgrounds and a diverse population.
  • Partnership: Strong community partnerships are integral to our programs and services. We promote and invest in collaboration and partnership.
  • Effectiveness: Working with innovative and best practices we actively strive towards measurable positive outcomes.
Young Mother Holding Her Baby
Young Mother Holding Her Baby

OUR STORY

St. Mary’s Home has continuously and responsively served pregnant youth in Ottawa since 1933. Specialized residential and community support services are provided to marginalized young pregnant women (ages 12-25), young parents and their children. The approach is holistic, grounded in a strong commitment to strengthen and build upon the personal resilience of each individual.

St. Mary’s Home is a not-for-profit charitable organization serving the Ottawa area and beyond. As the only Residential / Shelter program in Eastern Ontario for this population of interest, the Home accommodates 15 homeless young women and up to 15 newborn infants at a time. The Residence assists approximately 70 young mothers and their infants annually. Residential support continues from pregnancy until the infant is up to 8 months of age.

Community support and follow-up programs are available for another 5-6 years. Two blocks down the street is our Young Parent Outreach Centre which opened its doors in January 2002.

The Centre is a ‘one-stop’ hub of services, health care and educational programs that is working annually with 450 youth and 300 children under the age of 4 years. More than 20 organizations are partnered with St. Mary’s Home, making specialized services accessible on site. A focus on a strength based and trauma informed approach along with support for positive parenting and developing healthy attachment in young children are cornerstones of the agency.