IPV: Leaving with Children

• You and your children deserve to live a safe, happy and healthy life. You deserve to feel safe in your own home.

• You are not breaking up your family; you are creating a safe space for your children. You and your children are still a family.

• If you aren’t in a space where you are always being belittled, embarrassed, demeaned or abused, you will feel safer to joke around and have more fun with your children, and you will ultimately become an even better parent yourself, as a happier, healthier and contented person.

• You may sometimes have to point out your partner’s bad behaviours to ensure your children know it isn’t right. That being said, you do not need to name call or badmouth your partner; especially as children age, they will observe the abuser in action and your partner’s actions will speak for themselves. Your consistent parenting will speak for itself in your favour, as well.

• Be aware of how your children react in the days leading up to and following their visits with your partner, after you’ve left. Keep an open dialogue with your children so you can ensure they have the right tools to cope with their feelings/anxieties.

• The chaos of this transition period will eventually pass. You’ve got this!

• Click here to view various kinds of mental health and addictions supports.

Al-Anon/Alateen Groups

Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Alateen is a fellowship of young Al-Anon Members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.

Website: Click
Phone:  709-722-2666

Boys & Girls Club St. John’s

The Boys and Girls Club St. John’s provides programming and is passionate about creating a supportive place where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships and develop confidence and skills for life.

Website: Click
Phone:   709-579-0181

Choices For Youth

Choices for Youth provides at-risk youth and emerging adults with programming and services that meet their current and long-term needs. Their work is informed by the lived experience and expertise of young people, feedback from program participants, input from community partners, and guidance from national programming and research.

Website: Click
Phone:   709-754-0446

Community Centres Network NL

Includes Buckmasters Circle, Chalker Place, MacMorran, Virginia Park, Exploits, Froude Avenue, Rabbittown, Smallwood Crescent (Marystown) and Vine Place Community Centres

Website: Click

First Light

First Light is a registered non-profit organization that serves the urban Indigenous and non-Indigenous community alike by providing programs and services rooted in the revitalization, strengthening and celebration of Indigenous cultures and languages in the spirit of trust, respect, and friendship. They offer a range of programs, including ones for children and parents.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-726-5902

Kid Sport Newfoundland and Labrador

Kid Sport NL provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers
that prevent them from playing organized sport.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-579-5977

PLAY (Physical Literacy for All Youth) Project

PLAY provide opportunities for young children (walking to age 6) and their parents/guardians to explore movement activities, and for undergraduate and graduate students to observe and interact with young children in a movement environment at no cost.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-864-8130

REAL Program

REAL provides recreation and leisure opportunities through the provision of
program and financial assistance to as many children and youth as possible who are unable to participate in registered activities due to financial circumstances, up to age 18.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-576-8684

Scouts Canada

Scouts Canada aims to develop well rounded youth who are better prepared for success in the world. Scouting’s mission is achieved by involving youth throughout their formative years in a non-formal educational process; using a specific method that makes each individual the principal agent in his or her development as a self-reliant, supportive, responsible and committed person; assisting youth to establish a value system based upon spiritual, social and personal principles as expressed in the Promise and Law. Ages 5 to 26.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-687-2888

Shalom Inc.

Shalom Inc. is committed to the provision of a safe nurturing residential service for young people 12- 18 years of age who are in the care of Children, Seniors, and Social Development. They work in partnership with the young person, the family, and the community to promote the individual’s physical, social, behavioral, educational and spiritual development.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-579-2208

Thrive Community Youth Network

Thrive is an umbrella organization that works with the community to:

• Address gaps in services
• Build community partnerships
• Increase awareness of existing programs and services
• Conduct outreach to our most marginalized individuals

Website: Click
Phone: 709-754-0536 

YMCA Northeast Avalon

YMCA Northeast Avalon is a charity dedicated to strengthening the foundations of communities. We do this by nurturing the potential of children, teens and young adults; promoting healthy living; and fostering social responsibility. Their focus on inclusiveness and accessibility means we serve people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through all stages of life. Through YMCA financial assistance programs, the YMCA is accessible to all.

Their core offerings include Health, Fitness & Aquatics, Children’s Services, Employment & Enterprise Services, Volunteer Development, and Opportunities to Give. Programs are offered at more than 20 locations throughout our communities with an additional 50 points delivery throughout the province.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-726-9622

Central Intake for Children and Youth

The Children and Adolescent Division of the Mental Health and Addictions Program in St. John’s, NL provides coordinated and comprehensive services to children, adolescents and families facing emotional, social, psychiatric and family challenges.  

Children can access our services up to their 18th birthday. 

Website: Click
Phone:   709-579-8656

Crisis Text Line

Children, youth and young adults can text ‘TALK’ to 686868 to a trained volunteer Crisis Responder who will help with any issues – big or small. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

Text ‘Talk’ to 686868.

Doorways Drop-In Counselling (Ages 12+)

Doorways, St. John’s is offering single sessions Monday to Friday at Building 532 Pleasantville.   These sessions are available in person, virtually and by telephone. For your convenience, Doorways appointments can be provided at a Mental Health Addiction Service location near you. 

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Phone: (709) 752-4903

Janeway Family Centre

The Janeway Family Centre offers coordinated and comprehensive counselling and therapy services for children, youth and families who are facing emotional, social or behavioural challenges. Our team also offers consultation to other health professionals on difficult cases.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-777-2011

Kids Help Phone

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7, national support service. They offer professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French.

Website: Click
Phone: 1-800-668-6868

Click here for a list of various kinds of mental health and addictions supports.

My Parents Live Apart – Public Legal Information Association of NL (PLIAN)

A program for young people whose parents are separating or going through a
divorce, providing some basic information about family law and give young people
an idea of the processes that parents may go through when they separate or divorce.

Website: Click here
Phone: 1-888-660-7788

Coalition Against the Sexual Exploitation of Youth (CASEY)

CASEY is a coalition comprised of persons with lived experience, of community, and of government services working together to address issues relating to the sexual exploitation of youth within our community.

CASEY’s primary areas of focus are to create awareness and understanding of sexual exploitation of youth within the general public, youth and organizations that work with youth, to increase opportunities to network, collaborate, and share information, and to advocate for appropriate supports and resources.


Website: Click
Phone: 709-754-0536 ext.203

Child Protective Services

Are you concerned about the wellbeing of a child in the Avalon East NL area? All programs and services within Child Protection and In-Care are designed to help ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth in St. John’s, NL.

When there is concern of maltreatment by a parent, social workers assess the safety and risk to the child(ren). All decisions to intervene with the family are based on the overriding principle of the Children, Youth and Families Act, which is the best interests of the child. 

Website: Click
Phone: 709-729-4612 or after hours: 709-729-4775

Family Justice Services (FJS)

FJS emphasizes the best interest of children and promotes dispute resolution outside the Court process. Dispute resolution occurs when parties talk to a neutral third person to explore ways to resolve their family law matters.

Website: Click
Phone: 709- 729-1183

NL Legal Aid Commission

The NL Legal Aid Commission aims help people with serious legal problems who are in financial need and cannot afford private counsel. Legal aid is funded by the Federal and Provincial governments and by the Law Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador

Website: Click
Phone: 709-753-7860, ext. 301

Peace Bonds

This website will guide you through the process of getting a peace bond against someone else. There are two reasons why you might apply:

• Because you fear that another person may do you or your family some personal injury.
• Because you fear that another person may damage your property.

Website: Click

Brighter Futures Coalition of St. John’s

Brighter Futures aims to help advance healthy development and well-being of children and families within supportive communities. They provide quality programs and services that promote the healthy birth, growth and development of children aged 0-6 years and their families.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-739-8096

Daybreak Parent Child Centre

Daybreak Parent Child Centre is intentionally designated as a “parent child centre” to meet the diverse, complex needs of families. Recognizing parents as the primary influence in their children’s lives, Daybreak fosters opportunities for positive parent-child interactions by encouraging the participation of parents in their children’s education and development. Daybreak supports the development of healthy children in the context of family and the family within community.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-726-8373

Family and Child Care Connections

Family and Child Care Connections (FCCC)is a community-based, non-profit early learning family resource centre and Family Child Care Agency located in St. John’s, NL. They provide programs and services designed to support children from birth to 6 years of age, their families, the child care community and CUPW families.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-754-7090

First Light

First Light is a registered non-profit organization that serves the urban Indigenous and non-Indigenous community alike by providing programs and services rooted in the revitalization, strengthening and celebration of Indigenous cultures and languages in the spirit of trust, respect, and friendship. They offer a range of programs, including ones for children and parents.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-726-5902

Key Assets

Key Assets provides quality care in a therapeutic setting and aims to make a positive and lasting difference to the lives of children and youth.

They have a wide range of training and consultation services to parents, professionals and agencies involved with the provision of services for children, youth and families. Training Topics include:

– Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
– Understanding and Dealing with Challenging Behaviours
– Liaison Services
– Parenting Skills
– Myers-Briggs Personality Type
– The Therapeutic Use of Daily Life Events (DLE)
– Vicarious Trauma
– Self-Care
– Boundaries

Website: Click
Phone: 709-579-1624

Kilbride to Ferryland Family Resource Coalition

The Kilbride to Ferryland Family Resource Centre Coalition Inc. is a community-based registered charitable organization providing programs and services to families living in the Kilbride to Cappahayden geographical area. There are five family resource centres: two in Kilbride, one in the Goulds, a centre in Bay Bulls/Witless Bay and another in the community of Ferryland.

They offer a variety of programs and services to families with children 0-11 years of age, including drop-in playgroups, toy library, parent education and support groups, as well as a prenatal/postnatal support group program. All programs are free of charge and available to all families living in our area.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-747-8532

Thrive Community Youth Network

Thrive is an umbrella organization that works with the community to:

• Address gaps in services
• Build community partnerships
• Increase awareness of existing programs and services
• Conduct outreach to our most marginalized individuals

Website: Click
Phone: 709-754-0536 

Waypoints

Waypoints is a multi-service agency offering a number of programs to young people, families and the community at large, including family support, employment and outreach, or residential group care programs.

Website: Click
Phone: 709-368-6390