About us

The Walker's Place Program is a co-ed 6 bed long-term residential program for children between the ages of 8 - 18 years with multiple, complex special needs.
The Walker's Place Program is prepared to offer short-term respite care for those children and their families who require such an arrangement.
The Walker's Place program is within a 1 level ranch style home, set back from the road, on a large wooded lot in Burlington, Ontario. The home includes large bedrooms, a large living room, a play area, a sensory room, a large completely fenced backyard, as well as a fenced front yard.
The Walker's Place program offers a structured, supportive, and nurturing environment where children with special needs can find consistent, supportive staff members who genuinely care about helping each child reach their own potential.
The Walker's Place program provides daily opportunities for exercise and community involvement while encouraging the development of appropriate social skills

Programming

Individualized program plans are established for each child based on their own needs, level of development, and interests. Program plans are evaluated on a monthly basis and modified accordingly.

Children at Walker's place may attend the local elementary or secondary schools from the public or catholic programs.

OFGH currently operates a "section" classroom within the local secondary school, for those children who would benefit from this type of environment.

Staff members will provide daily opportunities to encourage the development of independence in the areas of personal care, play skills, communication, social skills, and activities of daily living.

Opportunities for participation in appropriate community recreational activities will be investigated and chosen in consideration of the child's interests and abilities.

The Walker's Place program utilizes the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis to address behaviour which has been identified as inappropriate, and maladaptive.

Staff members will manage behaviour the systematic tracking, assessment and analysis of motivational and reinforcement factors, of each identified behaviour of concern.

Consistency is a key component in the modification of maladaptive behaviour at Walker's Place.

Individual behaviour plans, including behaviour specific intervention strategies, will be established for each child residing at Walker's Place.

Behaviour plans will be consistently monitored, re-assessed, and modified as required to ensure continued modification of the identified behaviour of concern.

Ontario Family Group Homes is committed to hiring qualified, caring employees, who genuinely care about the individuals they support.

All full time and part time staff members at Walker's Place have a minimum of a 2-year college diploma in the area of social service, or a related field of study.

Demonstrated experience with childen and adults with complex special needs is required for employment at Walker's Place.

Up to date positive police screening is required prior to commencement of employment at Walker's Place.

All staff members at Walker's Place have successfully completed training in Understanding and Managing Aggressive Behaviour (UMAB).

Walker's Place staff members are required to maintain current First Aid & CPR certification.

Additional training in the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis & appropriate behaviour management techniques, is provided for Walker's Place staff by qualified OFGH staff members.