A new mobile B.C. Early Years Centre will provide parents of young children in the 100 Mile House region access to a range of early learning, health and family services.
Hosted by the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre Society, the mobile BC Early Years Centre will travel to communities throughout the region and offer programs like the popular drop-in playgroup Wiggle and Shake, a parent participation play group with special focus on physical, social and emotional development.
During these playgroups, the centre will learn from families about the programs and services that best meet the needs of their children. This information will be used to begin tailoring services at the centre. Continuing through to the new year, the centre will then host outreach events that are focused on each community’s needs.
The centre will also develop an early years app that will notify families when the Wiggle and Shake playgroup is coming to their community and how they can access it.
This new centre is the first step, as part of the B.C. Early Years Strategy, to implement a network of Early Years Centres throughout the province that will provide families with one-stop, convenient access to a range of services and supports, information and referrals. The strategy is an eight-year government commitment to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of early-years programs and services for families with young children.
The 100 Mile House BC Early Years Centre is one of 12 new centres across the province. The chosen sites are in a diverse mix of urban, rural and Aboriginal communities, and will build on existing local community resources to enhance services for families. Each centre will receive $52,000 from the Provincial Office for the Early Years for this fiscal year as part of a $5.5-million investment over three years.
Donna Barnett, Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA –
“The Province’s new BC Early Years Centres are another step toward making life easier for families and settling children up for lifelong success. The region of 100 Mile House has been chosen as one of only 12 sites in British Columbia that will support children by helping them grow and give them a head start as they begin their journeys in life.”
Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development –
“The new BC Early Years Centres are part of our commitment to make life easier for families and ensure young children get the support they need to reach their full potential. Being able to access these early learning and health services at a young age is critical to the healthy development of a child, and bringing services together through these new centres will help achieve that.”
Lisa De Paoli, Executive Director, Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre Society –
“Our long term goal is to reduce the number of children in the South Cariboo who are physically, emotionally, and socially vulnerable entering kindergarten from over 100 children a year to zero. The Early Years Centre will bring together service providers, organizations, businesses and communities to support the needs of our young children to achieve life-long success.”
“In the South Cariboo, will be bringing services to the communities surrounding 100 Mile House including Lac La Hache, Bridge Lake, Lone Butte, 108 Mile and Forest Grove."
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