Communities for Kids Community Team Page

The Communities for Kids (CFK) Community Team works together to perform two primary roles:

• Develop and support CFK Community Tables
• Achieve the goals of the CFK coalition.

Aboriginal Engagement Strategy
Success By 6® has recently allocated limited targeted funds to support Aboriginal Early Childhood Development (ECD). The Communities for Kids coalition is developing a strategy, in collaboration with interested South Okanagan-Similkameen Aboriginal peoples, to identify how these funds could be used to support Aboriginal ECD.

Communication Strategy
Communities for Kids is developing a communication strategy to help raise public awareness of the critical importance of ECD. A major part of this strategy has been the development of this website. Regular website updates will bring new information to families and ECD professionals. A larger communication strategy is under development.

Funding Community Projects
The Communities for Kids coalition secured Success by 6® funding in the spring of 2006, to support South Okanagan-Similkameen ECD projects. In August of 2006, Communities For Kids reviewed the first set of funding applications and awarded $20,000.00 to Hedley, $20,000.00 to Princeton and $18,850 to Keremeos. See those community web pages on this site to read about their projects.

In 2007, the Oliver CFK Table was awarded $18,700 for a transportation project, and also $1,200 to purchase mats for the community's Parent and Tot program.

The Okanagan Falls CFK Table was awarded $1,037 to purchase equipment for their community's Tumble Bumble program.

Watch this website for more news reports of a Success By 6® funded project in your community!

Woodlie Park project: Hedley.
The Friends of Woodlie Park, a volunteer group of Hedley citizens lead by Elef Christensen, was awarded $20,000.00 to help develop Woodlie Park. The funds will be used to purchase park gates and playground equipment. A grand opening ceremony is planned for the spring of 2007. See picture from the cheque presentation ceremony.

CFK Parenting Conferences
For summaries and photos of our Annual Parenting Conference, please go to "CFK Conferences" on the menu bar at the top of this page.

EDI, South Okanagan Similkameen
Kindergarten students in public schools and some independent schools in the region participated in the Early Development Instrument (EDI) in February 2006.  Reports about the school readiness of our region’s young children, compared to others in the province, were then developed by university researchers.  Dr. Clyde Hertzman from the University of British Columbia presented our region’s results at a morning meeting in Osoyoos on November 2, 2006.  Afternoon sessions with Joanne Schroeder gave participants an opportunity to work with community partners in a group.

More…go to UEY research

Community Mapping Project, South Okanagan Similkameen
The Community Mapping project, sponsored and coordinated by Understanding the Early Years, collected information on resources available to children from conception to age six within communities in the South Okanagan Similkameen.  Communities for Kids Community Tables helped to identify the local resources which were most important to them.

Look on this website to find the resulting community resource directories (see community resources), as well as community maps   They are available for Okanagan Falls; Oliver; Osoyoos; Summerland, Keremeos and area, Princeton, and Penticton and area.

 More …see UEY research

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