junior inclusion services logoIf your child or youth has a disability and wants to go to one of the Recreation and Culture or Children and Youth programs, Junior Inclusion Services (JIS) can provide free, limited, one-on-one support to them.

 

Programs

JIS support can be scheduled in the following programs:

July-August

September-June

Steps to take

  1. Contact us (email) or call (807) 626-6565 for questions, or to be put on a request list.
  2. Fill out a Participant Information Form. If you require a PDF copy please let us know!
  3. Depending on program interests and timeline, we will contact you with next steps.

Things to know

Scheduling
  • JIS is free
  • Children/youth are scheduled in a first come first serve order
  • Support is scheduled for a single session (fall/winter/spring/summer) at a time
  • Contact us before you register for a program
  • Children can access up to 40 hours of support in the summer and up to 20 hours of support in fall/winter/spring sessions
  • Support is scheduled based on child/youth need and staff availability

Site visits
  • Conducted at the location of the program, or other agreed upon location. A combination of a phone call and visit may also be an option. 
  • Site visits are scheduled before your child/youth comes to our program.
  • Perfect time to ask questions and for staff to meet your child/youth.
  • Most often within two weeks of program start date.
  • Must be within City limits.

Frequently Asked Questions 
  • What can I expect from JIS support? 

    • Support is based on the needs of a child, and can range from physical, to social, to emotional support. JIS staff will also offer personal care support if necessary. Note that support from a JIS Facilitator is one-to-one, and we do not offer two-to-one support.

  • Is financial aid available for the programs?
    • JIS does not provide financial support for the programs we support in. Check out PRO Kids for information on financial support for children in recreation.

  • Does JIS provide transportation to and from programming?  

    • JIS does not provide any means of transportation to programming. Staff will meet participants on-site for support. 

Personal Support Workers
  • Our programs welcome Personal Support Workers to attend the program with a child who needs extra support!
  • We recommend you call the program ahead of time, so that we can help with any adaptions, information sharing and help create a welcoming environment for the child and their PSW.
  • A PSW Support package will be provided at the program for you to review on your first day with our programs.

More resources for children with disabilities

Over 18

If your youth is 19 or older, Inclusion Services provides support in Recreation Programs.

Support Suspended/Cancelled Policy 

The Junior Inclusion Services (JIS) program, offered by the City of Thunder Bay, provides a valuable opportunity for children aged 5-18 with disabilities to actively engage in our programs. JIS ensures inclusive participation by offering personalized one-to-one support across various support needs.

 In the event that a participants behaviour exceeds our staffing ability, support can be suspended or cancelled until a new plan is developed and in place to provide support in the safest way possible for both the staff and the participant. In these rare instances JIS staff will ensure they have exhausted all support strategies and will keep parent/guardians as up to date as possible. Some behaviours that may result in the cancellation of support are: repetitive aggression or violence towards Facilitators, program staff, oneself, or other participants, recurring events of eloping that raise safety concerns, changing personal care needs and participants that require 2:1 support to maintain safety. Acts of violence encompass behaviors such as biting, hitting, punching, kicking, spitting, pulling hair, throwing objects and other behaviours that put the safety of oneself or others at risk. It is our hope that support can be tailored to meet the needs of your child and we look forward to working with you to make that happen!

Should you have any inquiries or concerns, please feel free to contact us at jis@thunderbay.ca. We are here to assist you.

Interested in being a part of our team?

If you are interested in applying to work in our Programs during the school year or as a part of our summer staff team, visit the City of Thunder Bay Jobs page for job descriptions and application forms.

If you require a PDF in an accessible format, please email our Municipal Accessibility Specialist.

 

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