Shawnessy, Calgary
Free parenting support
in Shawnessy
Shawnessy is one of southwest Calgary's original family communities, built around the Shawnessy LRT and shopping centre. Your hub is Trellis Society in nearby Millrise — they run parenting groups, child development programs, and developmental screening.
Your Starting Point
Your FRN hub: Trellis Society
Trellis Society is the hub organization for the Southwest Calgary FRN zone. They coordinate all the free parenting programs available to Shawnessy families. This is who you call first.
- Address: 3217-150 Millrise Blvd SW, Calgary, T2Y 5G7
- Phone: 403-472-0386
- Website: www.growwithtrellis.ca
Just call them. Tell them what you need, or say "I'm not sure what I need but I'd like to talk to someone." They'll guide you — that's literally their job.
What they do
Hub services include:
- Information and referral to the right program
- Connecting you with parenting classes nearby
- Arranging home visitation if you want it
- Youth mentoring referrals
- Rapid access counselling connections
All free. No referral needed. Ages 0-18 + their families.
Southwest Calgary Zone Programs
Programs available near you
Shawnessy is in the Southwest Calgary FRN zone. Here are the free programs available to your family through Trellis Society and their partner agencies. Trellis Society is right next door in Millrise. Shawnessy families have immediate access to drop-in child development programs, parenting workshops, and the full suite of southwest FRN services. The LRT makes getting to other programs easy too.
Parenting Classes
Group parenting programs and one-on-one support. Child development drop-in and registered programs for ages 0-18.
Via Trellis Society
Rapid Access Counselling
A single 75-minute counselling session — no waitlist. Solution-focused support for whatever you're facing.
Via Kindred
Home Visitation
In-home support for families with children 0-6. Available for all families, with specialized programming for immigrant and new Canadian families.
Via CIWA & Trellis
Youth Mentoring
1:1 mentoring for kids and teens. Community-based and school-based options.
Via Big Brothers Big Sisters
Developmental Screening
Free developmental screening for children 0-6 — catch concerns early and get connected to the right support.
Via Trellis Society
Available City-Wide
Also available to Shawnessy families
These programs are available to all Calgary families regardless of which zone you live in. They're run as overlay FRN zones specifically for Indigenous and immigrant families.
Cultural programming & traditional teachings
Elder support, ceremony, Indigenous parenting teachings, cultural child development, and home visitation grounded in traditional ways. Available city-wide through Miskanawah.
All Indigenous families welcome · No zone restrictions
Cross-cultural parenting & settlement help
Parenting in a new country is different. CIWA offers cross-cultural parenting classes, home visitation in multiple languages, preschool programs (HIPPY), and youth groups for immigrant families.
City-wide · Multiple languages available
Your Community
Other Calgary neighbourhoods with FRN pages
These are nearby communities in the Southwest Calgary FRN zone and adjacent zones. Each has its own page with local details.
- Bridlewood
- Evergreen
- Millrise
- Somerset
- Silverado
- Woodbine
- Canyon Meadows
How to get started
Most FRN programs accept self-referrals. That means you don't need a doctor, social worker, or anyone else to send you. You can just call.
Step 1
Find your hub
You just did — your hub is Trellis Society. You can also use the FRN Finder to double-check your zone.
Step 2
Call them
Call 403-472-0386. Tell them what you're looking for, or just say "I'm not sure what I need but I'd like to talk to someone." They'll guide you.
Step 3
Don't wait
Some programs have waitlists (especially home visitation). Get on the list now rather than waiting until things get harder. Early connection matters.
Not in Shawnessy? Find your FRN zone or browse all zones. Every Calgary neighbourhood has free parenting support available.