Families of children ages 0–8 who live in our service territory can count on the support of the Maison de la Famille Avignon. You can reach out to our team on Messenger or by giving us a call at any time, we’re more than happy to lend a helping hand and advise you on various topics. Health, nutrition, starting day care or school, education… Children go through a lot and it can bring up a lot of emotions!
Our team can also help you understand administrative documents relating to parenting such as the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), registering on the La Place 0–5 ans platform (one-stop access to childcare services), family allowances and so on.
Go to Contact to get in touch.
Families in our service region with a baby aged 12 months or younger can take advantage of our help at home service for new parents. We cater your needs, whether you need a helping hand during the day or on an evening, during the week or on the weekend.
We can come by simply once or on a regular basis, it really depends on what you need help with:
Doing the dishes, laundry, preparing meals
Baby care routines (bath time, bedtime, meals, etc.)
Helping older brothers and sisters adapt to having a new baby in the house
Our help at home service is free and open to everyone, regardless of your household income.
To learn more or request a help at home visit, please contact us.
Interested in learning about baby carrier? Lysanne Pilote is a certified baby carrier and skin-to-skin consultant. She’s available upon request to help parents and others who want to learn about baby wearing carrier safely.
She holds friendly sessions to teach you everything you need to know. You can arrange for a one-on-one session with Lysanne (alone or as a couple) or a group session which you could either attend with friends or that we can open to the public. You’ll be able to bring your own baby carrier or try one of ours, we have plenty of styles to choose from. Visit the Sling library section below to learn more about the types of baby carrier we can lend you.
Lysanne provides this service at Maison de la Famille locations and can also hold session elsewhere if you prefer. Baby wearing carrier workshops are free, get in touch to learn more or schedule a session today.
The Maison de la Famille Avignon has a second-hand store and lending library to help all families save a little and reduce their carbon footprint.
We receive lots of clothing and accessory donations for children aged 0–8 years. We store everything in labelled bins and families are invited to come at certain times during the week or during activities to rummage through the bins and take what they like.
Head to What’s on to see when you can visit the Fouille et Trouve second-hand store.
Save some money by borrowing items such as baby carriers, costumes and books from the Maison de la Famille. You must fill out and sign a form containing information about the item you are borrowing, the duration of the loan and place of return (Maison de la Famille Avignon in Pointe-à-la-Croix, Espaces-Familles in Carleton-sur-Mer or our drop off point in Matapédia).
We have many different types of baby carriers available for you to try. Baby carriers can be very expensive, so this a great way to try different types before you buy, including wraps, structured (buckle) carriers, ring-slings and skin-to-skin infant wraps. We also have some baby carrier covers available for colder weather. Loan lengths vary, we will contact you every three months to see if you still need the baby carrier as your baby grows.
If you’re interested in borrowing a baby carrier, simply contact the Maison de la Famille. Our baby wearing consultant Lysanne will be more than happy to speak with you about your needs and can give you precious advice on safe baby carrier.
A month or so before Halloween we start lending out costumes (0–8 years). We have a costume list available for members to consult. It includes a photo of the costume, its size and availability. You can also come into the Maison de la Famille Avignon to browse through our costume collection in person.
We have many books available for you to borrow including books about parenting, family life and child development. We maintain a list, divided by topic, for our members.
And to make sure you don’t miss any of our activities, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up to our newsletter!
If you’re a low-income family and need a computer, the Maison de la Famille can help. We can get you a low-price refurbished computer through the OPEQ program, which recovers unused computers and donates them to schools and NPOs.
Expect to wait at least 10 days before receiving your computer. All devices come with a one-year warranty from the date the computer is received at the Maison de la Famille.
To see which computers are available and check if you are eligible for the program, visit the OPEQ website.
| 1 person | $26 605 |
| 2 person | $37 625 |
| 3 person | $46 081 |
| 4 person | $53 209 |
| 5 person | $59 490 |
| 6 person | $65 168 |
*Information taken from the OPEQ website in February 2024.
Please get in touch to apply.
When needed, families living between L’Ascension-de-Patapédia and Escuminac can receive baby formula (liquid or powder) and diapers and training pants (Pull-Ups) from the Maison de la Famille Avignon.
Families living between Maria and Nouvelle can access a very similar service at the Centre d’action bénévole Sainte-Alphonse-Nouvelle (Le P’tit Bonheur service) by calling 418 759-3131.
It doesn’t matter why money is tight, simply speak with a member of our team to access this service. We will arrange with you how and when to collect your baby formula or diapers, whether you collect at one of our locations, a meeting point elsewhere or prefer us to deliver to your home (depending on availability).
This is a completely confidential service and we will not ask you for proof of income. You may have to wait a little while to receive your product, depending on what you need.
The quickest way to get a response is to call the Maison de la Famille. Our contact information is available on the Contact page.
Maison de la famille Avignon
30B, Rue Chouinard, Pointe-à-la-Croix
418 788-3359
mdfavignon@gmail.com
Service point:
L’Espace-Familles de Carleton-sur-Mer
767, boulevard Perron
Carleton-sur-Mer
418 788-3359
mdfavignon@gmail.com
Make sure you don’t miss any activities:
