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Foster care can lead to a “rough start” for some kids.
As the mother of an adopted child, Anne-Marie Couture knows all about it. She knows it can be challenging for the grown-ups involved, too.
To help ease some of the stress and give kids and adults an outlet for fun and interaction, she's opened up her studio, Jungle Gym Gymnastics, to them.
Every Wednesday from 9-10 a.m., foster parents can bring their foster kids in for free; they have full access to the facility, which includes trampolines, bars, balance beams and fun floor apparatuses.
Kids can burn off energy, and parents can compare notes.
“It's good for them to get together while the kids play,” Couture said.
Having foster families come out to the gym is Couture's way of giving back.
“I know there are still a lot of kids in foster care, being bounced from home to home,” she said. It's not easy for the kids, so anything that can help alleviate some of that stress is a good thing.
“It's important to give a child permanency at an early age.”
Couture said the program will be ongoing — for more information about it or any of the gym's other programs, phone 705-523-9188 or visit junglegymltd.ca.
Posted by Jenny Jelen
