For Professionals

Referrals

MIM is delivered by Child Development Institute in Toronto, and through a number of licensed Affiliates throughout Ontario. If you are interested in referring a client to MIM, please find the location closest to your client and contact the agency directly.

Affiliates

Interested in becoming a MIM Affiliate? Check out the FAQ below to learn more.

MIM Affiliate FAQ

What is a MIM Affiliate?

A MIM Affiliate is an organization that is licensed to deliver MIM. To become a MIM Affiliate, you will enter into a formalized licensing agreement with Child Development Institute (CDI) that includes assessing site readiness, ongoing training and consultation, and a regulated quality assurance process.

In order to offer MIM, facilitators and their supervisors must attend the MIM Core Training, participate in agency-based clinical supervision, and take part in consultation provided by CDI.

What are the costs associated with becoming a MIM Affiliate?

There are initial start-up costs associated with training and implementation support, as well as an annual licensing fee.

How long does the implementation process take?

MIM Affiliates typically begin delivering the program 3-6 months following the licensing agreement. This process includes site assessments, trainings, consultations, and general setup.

What is MIM’s program structure?

MIM is a 10-week mother-child group model designed to support mothers in nurturing their own wellbeing while strengthening their relationship with their children. Through a gradual, relationship-based approach, MIM facilitators support mothers in building on existing strengths, enhancing their parenting skills and increasing their confidence in responding to their child’s needs.

Along with trauma-informed parenting discussions, each session includes opportunities for play, songs, stories and practical stress management exercises that foster the mother-child connection. Mothers also have access to individual parenting support outside of the group.

What is the typical group size for MIM?

MIM is designed to support six mother-child pairs per group, with a minimum of two facilitators. This group size allows facilitators to provide responsive support to each mother-child pair while creating a supportive environment where mothers can connect and learn through meaningful discussions.

Is MIM offered in French?

Yes, MIM program materials have been translated for French-serving communities. However, MIM Core Training and CDI consultation support are provided in English only at this time.

Who is the target population for MIM?

MIM is designed specifically to meet the parenting needs of women parenting children under the age of four who have experienced violence and trauma, such as family violence, childhood abuse and neglect and sexual assault.

What makes MIM unique and innovative?

At first glance, MIM looks like any other mother-child play group: mothers play with their children and have group discussions. The uniqueness of MIM lies in the content of those discussions. Within the comfort and safety of the group, women are able to discuss the impact trauma has had on their parenting – how they feel triggered when they breastfeed their baby, how their toddler’s tantrum reminds them of their abuser, and how hugging their child doesn’t always feel good are discussions that occur regularly in MIM.

These conversations are necessary for healing, but many women don’t feel comfortable talking about these issues in regular parenting groups.

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Who do I contact for more information about becoming a MIM Affiliate?

For more information about bringing MIM to your organization, please contact our team at mothersinmind@childdevelop.ca.

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