Programs are working collaboratively to enhance the lives of Ranch Ehrlo’s youngest participants. 

Prince Albert’s Fraser House has begun working with Ehrlo Early Learning Centre (EELC) to bring a more child-centred focus into the home.

“The kids are always learning, changing, and growing and we need to do the same,” said Nicole Connolly, program manager at Fraser.

Fraser House is an emergency receiving (ER) program that provides emergent care for infants and children ranging in age from zero to 11 years old. A dedicated staff provide care around the clock – 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

While the Ministry of Social Services marks the maximum length of stay at 90 days, Nicole said the kids often stay longer to reduce the frequency of placement and stress in the children.

Nicole became manager of Fraser House in October 2024. Despite having a strong and dedicated team, and 15 years of experience in youth care work, she understood these young participants (currently aged two to six) needed a different skill set and approach.

“I wanted to make this a living home by night and a learning centre by day. Many of the children are delayed in development and behind in their milestones and that’s why it’s so imperative and important that we work on learning experiences and opportunities,” she explained. “We need to do the best we can while they’re in our care, to bring them up and build them up as much as we can to prepare them for the rest of their lives.”

With a desire to enhance the children’s care, Nicole connected with Karin Duff, director and brainchild of Ranch Ehrlo’s EELC.

EELC provides high quality childcare to families in Regina, striking a balance between educator-led and child-directed learning that aligns with Ranch Ehrlo’s values of autonomy, consistency, and predictability.

Karin Duff and Tamsen Tomkinson, EELC operations manager, made their first trip to Prince Albert in October 2024. The pair visited the home, met the kids, and talked with staff. After an observation of the space, educators made recommendations to implement new strategies and schedules into the program.  

“We talked about areas of development that staff could promote by having specific activities, resources, and materials; we suggested staff take early childhood education (ECE) courses, and that new staff have ECE and experience,” said Karin. “Another note we made was the importance of creating a space that was reflective of the children – hanging their photos in the home, warming the space with rugs, and putting their artwork on the walls.”

Nicole ran with the recommendations. On January 16^th, Karin and Tamson returned to Fraser to see the positive progress.

“It was exciting to return. When we walked in and could immediately see a changed environment,” said Karin. “The home was reflective of who the children are. Riley’s* room was just so beautiful – it didn’t look like he was staying for a week, but that he lived there – and that’s the intent, to make it feel like a home for these little people.”

Staff understand efforts will be ongoing, and that changes to perception and processes, specifically those around hiring, need to be adapted to reflect the program’s unique and young demographic.

 “We need to change people’s perception so that everyone can have a better understanding of what we are and what we do here at Fraser,” said Nicole. “I hope this collaboration brings more ideas of what we can do better, and what we can do differently. It doesn’t mean we are changing the amount we care, but how we care.”

Karin and her team will visit the program again in April, providing continued opportunity for connection, conversation, and to strengthen the collaboration.

*Name has been changed to protect the child’s identity