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What is Communities for Kids?
Communities for Kids (CFK) is a not-for-profit, community-based early childhood development
(ECD) initiative. We are one of many Children First initiatives in B.C. Our region spans from Summerland south to Osoyoos and west to Princeton, and includes four First Nations and 11 distinct communities.
Our Vision
Optimum health and development of all children from conception to age 6 in the South Okanagan – Similkameen
Our Goals
- Promote community capacity and leadership for early child health and development
- Increase family awareness of and support family access to early child development resources and supports
- Facilitate community commitment to and sustainability of early child development initiatives
- Build a foundation to support sustainability of early child development initiatives
Why is Communities for Kids important?
You probably know the answer …
THE MOST CRITICAL PERIOD OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IS FROM CONCEPTION TO AGE SIX.
The quality of a young child’s life; their physical, nutritional, medical, emotional, social, and cognitive experience, has a lifelong effect.
Research shows that healthy development during the first 6 years of life is critical to positive health and social outcomes (read more).
Providing a quality environment for children is neither costly nor difficult. Simple and cost effective measures can have a profound impact on healthy child development. Consider the cost of reducing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (e.g., providing parents with information), compared with the health care and social service costs of assisting people effected with FAS.
Economic research concludes that one dollar spent supporting young children will save between $1 and $7 in future health care and social service costs. That’s a Return-on-Investment of 100 to 700%! Brokers would be lined-up to invest in a stock that secure and lucrative. Supporting ECD in your community is an investment that enriches children and your community.
What does Communities for Kids do?
Communities for Kids brings community members together to support a common goal; positive early childhood development for all children.
Communities for Kids supports information sharing, communication, and collaboration among all ECD professionals. This helps achieve integrated and comprehensive ECD opportunities for all young children.
How is Communities for Kids organized?
Communities for Kids works at the regional and community level. The Steering Committee governs our regional work. Community Tables guide our community work. There are Community Tables in, Keremeos, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos, Princeton, and Summerland. The Community Team is the bridge between the Steering Committee and our communities.
The primary mission of the Steering Committee is to establish and realize CFK’s goals and vision. This mission is supported when activities in the CFK Strategic Plan are accomplished.
The Community Team’s primary assignment is to perform the activities in the strategic plan. The Team’s secondary assignment is to develop and support Community Tables. The Team also supports ECD in communities without Tables; where a working relationship is established with a “children’s champion” in that community.
The primary focus of Community Tables is to identify their community’s ECD needs and attempt to find ways to meet those needs. Community Tables are open to all members of the community, and a wide variety of community members are sought; including, parents, teachers, early childhood professionals, business leaders, municipal leaders, service group members, etc. The philosophy behind a Community Table is; “It takes a village to raise a child”. This means that if every community member contributes to their community’s ECD needs, then all children and the whole community will benefit.
Communities for Kids Newsletter Archive
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