High River’s Parent Link Centre will once again be offering its programs in Okotoks starting next week as they have secured space in the community.

The centre will be operating one day a week out of the Foothills Centennial Centre while it continues its search for a permanent home in Okotoks.

“We’re still looking,” said program assistant Nikki Gass. “If we can find a more permanent space we’d love to be able to do that, but for now we’re just happy to be back in Okotoks.”

Starting March 13, the Parent Link Centre will provide drop-in services at the Centennial Centre every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The same programs and services parents accessed at their previous location will be offered at the Foothills Centennial Centre.

“We’ll have crafts, play dough and all the toys for them to play with,” said Gass.

She said they are also looking to host monthly family events in Okotoks and more details will be announced.

It’s been more than two months since the centre has been able to offer its services in Okotoks due to issues with space.

The centre was operating out of a room in the Mountain Shadows Recreation Centre until the end of 2012.

There is a demand for the program in Okotoks. More than 200 families signed up for the program in town and attendance at the former location had averaged between 30 to 50 families a day.

Based in High River, the centre offers programs in communities across the foothills. It provides a variety of free, drop-in programs and support for parents and they also help connect parents to other programs as needed.

They will be using a portion of the main hall at the centennial centre to start with and they might start offering more specific programs in the afternoon on Wednesdays in the future.

Gass said they’ll keep an eye on the program and will look at expanding its services on additional days depending on the number of parents who use it and availability of space at the centennial

centre.

“We’re going to see what our numbers are like,” she said.

Okotoks parent Stephanie Heidt said she is excited to see the centre reopening in town.

“I am an avid user of the Parent link,” she said.

For more information about the centre and its programs call 403-652-8633.

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