Support to Single Parents closes Moncton office

After more than three decades helping single parents in Greater Moncton, “Support to Single Parents” is closing its doors this spring.  Executive Director and founder, Nancy Hartling, is retiring and says the non-profit group simply hasn’t been able to raise enough money to hire her replacement.

“I think that is the part that will be more difficult is that person on the other end of the phone won’t be there to answer questions and redirect and things like that,” said Hartling.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think that is the part that will be more difficult is that person on the other end of the phone won't be there to answer questions and redirect and things like that," said Hartling.

She says the office will permanently close in June, but the programs will continue on since most have been taken over by other organizations.

But without an office offering one stop shopping, some worry that parents won’t know where to go to get support.

“That will be a loss because our clients access both,” said Connie Thurber, CEO of the Pregnancy Resource Centre of Moncton. She says the loss of the Support to Single Parents office is a loss to the community, and many of her clients go on to seek parental courses at the centre.

“I think being housed in one places is very important, it’s a safe place to go,” said Thurber. “As the Pregnancy Centre here is a safe place our client love to come they know that it might not be for a specific class or appointment but they can have someone that listens to them and cares for them.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think being housed in one places is very important, it's a safe place to go," said Thurber. "As the Pregnancy Centre here is a safe place our client love to come they know that it might not be for a specific class or appointment but they can have someone that listens to them and cares for them."

Thurber says even if the support to single parents programs continue, she worries it will be harder for single moms and dads to access that support.

Hartling says the support to single parents website will remain active for a least a year, guiding parents where to go for support.

“I think there will be some challenges for sure, but we are going to try to make is as easy as possible with the website redirection but change is always tough.”

Thurber says the Pregnancy Resource Centre is currently expanding some of their programs, which may help to fill any gaps in parental support caused by the closure of Support to Single Parents.