Episode 026: A Community for Caregivers: Connections, Support and Advocacy with Kim McLeod

<p align="justify">Brenda Agnew, your host, is joined by <span style="color: #1155cc;"><u><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmcleodgrandmak/?originalSubdomain=ca"> Kim</a> <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmcleodgrandmak/?originalSubdomain=ca"> McLeod</a></u></span>, child and youth counselor. When working with Kim, parents find two opportunities in developing their parenting skills: the personal work, and the functional work, focusing on how they can show up to parent their child throughout their development. Her work is based on years of experience working through foster care with children and their biological families, adoptive families, and the blending that occurs in family makeup.</p> <p align="justify">Kim’s work also has a specialty in supporting the mothers of children who have special needs and medically complex needs. With this group of parents, she works on advocacy: finding the voice and self-compassion.</p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"><strong>Key Takeaways</strong>:</p> <p>[2:08] How Brenda met Kim.</p> <p>[2:23] Kim talks about <span style="color: #1155cc;"><u><a href= "https://www.facebook.com/OneMoreThingforSNparents/">One</a> <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/OneMoreThingforSNparents/">More</a> <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/OneMoreThingforSNparents/">Thing</a> <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/OneMoreThingforSNparents/">Parents</a> <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/OneMoreThingforSNparents/">Group</a></u></span> (OMT)</p> <p>[8:38] Where are you going to find community?</p> <p>[11:12] What supports?</p> <p>[13:10] Homecare givers save the health system millions of dollars.</p> <p>[15:05] Let’s talk about the mental health struggles.</p> <p>[19:50] The difference between a typical parental duty and the real life of a caregiver.</p> <p>[23:06] What are the costs for children that need different support in place to learn life skills and to become autonomous beings?</p> <p>[24:45] Brenda and Kim talk about OMT’s mission of helping parents become the best advocate