Helping Parents with Free Webinar on School Refusal

A child who refuses to go to school can be a difficult and stressful situation for everyone involved, especially parents and caregivers who value education and want to see their child learn and thrive.

Hands theFamilyHelpNetwork.ca, in partnership with Parent’s for Children’s Mental Health, is offering a free webinar on the topic of School Refusal on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, from 6 – 7 p.m.  The webinar is open to families in the Districts of Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound and Simcoe.  You can register for the webinar here.

The webinar, led by Hands professional Social Work team, will help define child motivated school refusal, what it may look like at different ages and stages of childhood, and why a child or youth might be refusing to attend school.  Presenters will discuss tools for assessing school refusal behaviours and the importance of understanding the underlying concerns that are present to address the issue effectively.  Strategies will also be discussed so parents can help their child return to attending school on a more regular basis.

“Education and school are very important in our society and so it is concerning when kids refuse to attend school,” said Denise Almeida, Social Worker in Child and Youth Mental Health Services at Hands. “When a child refuses to go to school it creates a difficult situation for parents and caregivers, as well as the child themselves, the teachers and the school. We want to help parents understand what might be leading to the refusal and provide some strategies that can help ease the situation and get their child back in class.”

Hands provides child and youth mental health support in the Nipissing and Parry Sound regions; our partner agency, Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, provides child and youth mental health support in the Muskoka region. Should you require further support, separate and apart from the webinar, please reach out directly to the agency that provides service in your area.