About Team Quest 

Who We Are  
Team Quest is excited to participate in the 2025 Servus Calgary Marathon Charity Challenge, leveraging the power of our community to raise funds and awareness for the life-changing programs and services we offer.  

This year we are proud to celebrate 45 years of Calgary Quest Children’s Society supporting youth with developmental disabilities and their families. 

 

About Calgary Quest Children’s Society  

Founded in 1980, Calgary Quest Children’s Society is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting children and youth with moderate to severe developmental disabilities through Calgary Quest School and Calgary Quest Resources. We provide a supportive and nurturing environment where young people thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Through specialized programs, family support services, and a strong emphasis on meeting the learner where they are at, we empower children to reach their full potential while fostering resilience and independence. 
 
Why We Fundraise 
Every dollar raised by Team Quest goes directly toward enhancing the lives of the youth and families we serve. This year, our goal is to raise $45,000 for our family supports.  
 
Parenting a child with a disability can be overwhelming for many families. As highlighted in the paper ‘Parental stress in families of children with special education needs: a systematic review’ (Andrew Y.W. Cheng & Cynthia Y. Y. Lai) “Protective factors such as professional support can (help parents) improve positive coping skills and gain a better understanding of child's progress”.  
 
We want to provide the parents and caregivers of our youth with disabilities with access to information, expertise, and tools that will not only benefit their children, but also help parents feel better equipped to support and communicate with their child. In addition, we want to provide opportunities for our families to connect with and learn from one another, with the goal of reducing stress and social isolation of parents and families as a whole. 
 
The money we raise will help us make this possible by allowing us to provide our families with: 

Therapeutic Resources:  

  • Therapeutic team consulting one-on-one with parents, providing strategies to reinforce learning, emotional regulation, communication, and behavior management  

  • Coping and wellness supports for parents 

    Educational resources:  

  • Parent workshops focusing on topics such as non-violent crisis intervention, Speech Language Pathology, Digital Safety, and Caregiver Health and Well-Being. 

    Technology Support: 

  • Access to iPads: Touch Chat is an adaptive communication software used by many of our young people to support their learning.  This software is only available on iPads and is an essential tool to give our non-verbal youth a voice, enhancing their ability to learn and participate, while bolstering their social and emotional development. 
    Families who are unable to afford to purchase this tool on their own can still receive the benefits of this essential software at Quest. When this software is also used at home, and not just in school, progress is faster, more consistent and facilitates relationship building with parents and other family members. 

By providing these supports through our Family Supports we hope to: 

  • Help parents feel supported and empowered in the education, development, and progress of their child 

  • Help parents better communicate with their children at home, thereby increasing connection and reducing stress for the children and parent 

  • Provide parents with helpful resources through information sessions 

  • Help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation by creating a support network for parents