Pops and young friends Child abandonment and abuse often occur when parents cannot get the help they so desperately seek. The young parents who use our services often experience feelings of extreme isolation, disenfranchisement and self-doubt as to their ability to raise their children. They lack suitable role models and are psychologically frail and, as a result, have difficulty assuming their parental responsibilities. They need support, guidance and encourangement. Thankfully, our two "Butterfly" case workers are available to provide ongoing and crisis intervention. The objectives of their involvement are established with each parent based on their particular needs. As part of this program, we offer home visits to see how parents and children cope in a domestic setting. This strategy helps us assess various aspects, ranging from how the home is physically laid out to how children interact with the people around them. In addition, these meetings are an opportunity to provide information on budgeting, hygiene, nutrition, child development, relationship management, employment, school, child care and parenting. We also try to inform young parents about various government programs and refer them to the appropriate family assistance resources. Furthermore, we accompany them on medical or legal visits and, from time to time, offer short-term respite care. The specialized personnel on our multidisciplinary Day Centre team are also instrumental in helping young parents get the assistance they need, be it health and nutrition advice from our nurse, job information from our work integration specialists, encouragement to return to school or counselling from one of our psychologists. In certain cases, Dans la rue can also provide financial assistance with grocery vouchers or by helping to cover a particularly high heating bill in the cold winter months. Our approach is rooted in respect for the lifestyle choices of these parents and understanding for the complex set of circumstances they have to deal with. The innovative nature of the project and our ever-developing expertise in working with young parents with a history of homelessness serve as a source of inspiration to our peers in community health clinics, youth protection services, hospitals and other organizations. We work closely with these resources to provide the most appropriate care to help these parents build a good life for themselves and their children. We firmly believe that the individual approach offered through the Butterfly program is vital to these young parents, especially given their natural reluctance to turn to the traditional health system. Dans la rue helps bridge the gap between them and more formal sources of assistance in order to build the foundations for a lasting, healthy relationship between parent and child. To find a safe place to live last year, 1,000 street kids used our Assistance Service.