Stars of the Future FAQ

Date Posted: Friday, June 22

Have a question for us that hasn't been answered? In this post, we'll dive into answering some of our most frequently asked questions that we receive from you!

Here are some commonly asked questions regarding Stars of the Future:

Commonly Asked Questions about Stars of the Future:
Q. We did not receive a letter for my child, but they fall in that age category.  Can my child still attend?
A. Yes, your child can still attend.  Book an appointment at the 204-346-6136.  If you did not receive the invitation, you may have either recently moved or have moved since your child was born and have not updated Manitoba health with your new address.

Q. We are a foster family and have a foster child in that age group.  Can they attend?
A.  Yes, they can attend.  You will need to give  their Manitoba Health card # (both the 6 and 9 digit #s)  when you make the appointment.  If a referral is made, you can either sign the form if you have permission to do so, or you can take a copy for the social worker to sign.

Q.  My child’s birthdate does not fall in that timeline.  Can they still attend?

A.  If your child was born in 2014  they can still attend.  The assessment is for children ages 3- 31/2 so it may not be an accurate picture of where they are developmentally.
If your child was born before 2013, they are not able to attend Stars as they will be entering kindergarten and are no longer eligible for the services we can offer.
If your child was born in 2015  and you Manitoba Health Card is up to date with your current address, you will  be invited to attend either the Fall 2018 Stars (children born between Jan-June 2015) or the Spring 2019 Stars (July- December 2015).

Q. We do not live in South East Manitoba. Can my child attend? 
A. Unfortunately, no.  We need to keep within the boundaries. Our boundaries are hwy 1 to U.S. border and hwy 75 to Ontario border.  If a referral is needed, we cannot make it for you and you would have to go through the assessment again with your child.  Contact your doctor or Public Health Nurse if you have concerns.

Q.  My child is too young to attend, but I have concerns about their development.  What do I do?
A. You can do a referral yourself to Children’s therapy if you have concerns.  Go to http://www.sscy.ca/childrens-therapy-initiative and scroll down to South Eastman for contact information and a referral form  or call 204-326-6411 ext. 2109.  You can also speak with your family doctor or pediatrician.

Q. We are more comfortable doing the assessment in a different language.   Do you offer Stars in other languages or have translators?
A. Stars of the Future is offered in English.  There is a similar French program offered through  the Centre de la petite enfance et de la famille.  For  the francophone schedule, please contact your local cpef office.

We do have someone that will do German translation if needed.  To make an appointment in German, please call Gertrud at 204-346-6128.  If you or your child are more comfortable with a translator in your first language and know someone that can come with you to translate, please bring them along to your appointment.

Q.  I have other children.  Can I bring them along?
A.  You will be attending the appointment with your child and speaking with the clinicians, so you may find it easier to make arrangements for care for other children. However, if you can’t, you are welcome to bring them along and have them attend the appointment with you.  We do not have toys available, so you will want to bring your own things to keep them busy and happy in the room with you.

Q.  I have twins.  Do I need to make two appointments?
A.  If you have twins or even triplets, we suggest two options.  You can book two appointments within the same hour and bring two adults or book two appointments either back to back(one child would then just follow along while the sibling has their appointment) or at different times.  We have had some parents bring one child in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Q Why do you not offer appointments in the evenings, weekends or in other towns?
A.  We do try to accommodate as many towns as we can.  We are limited to the amount of days we can offer clinics.  We can’t take away from the clinician’s schedules anymore than we do, as they are very busy with seeing children for appointments.  We also cannot do evenings and weekends as it would take away from our own families and we are therefore limited to weekdays.

Q. I have an appointment, but I can’t make it last minute.  Who do I contact?
A. 
If you can’t make your scheduled appointment, please call the Stars phone 204-346-6136 and leave a message.  We will check the messages throughout the day.

Q.  I can’t remember where the clinic is held!  How do I find you?
A. 
Go to the home page of this website and click on the events tab.  Go to the correct date and look for the clinic info. You may have to expand the contents to see the event.  It will always begin with the community. EX. Steinbach Stars of the Future.  Click on it for more details and you will see a small google map with the location and the address.

 

I have tried to cover many of the questions that I have been asked before.  If your question has not been answered, please contact me (Andrea) at 204-346-6698 or [email protected]. Please note that during Stars clinics, I will be out of the office attending the clinics.