Community innovators meet to develop better ways of delivering early childhood services to families
November 24, 2010
FREDERICTON, NB – How to best meet the early learning and child care needs of families with young children will be the topic of a day-long workshop being held in Fredericton, Nov. 25, 2010.
Participants are part of the Early Childhood Development Centre initiative supported by the provincial government and the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation (MWMFF).
“Investing in high quality early learning and child care builds a strong foundation for literacy which is the basis of a healthy society and a productive economy, ” says MWMFF chair, Margaret McCain.
The initiative involves families, service providers and practitioners working together with local and provincial authorities to design Early Childhood Development Centres. The centers bring early childhood programs together with schools to ease access for families and provide a more seamless learning environment for children. There are currently nine pilot sites across the province.
The Health and Education Research Group (HERG), at the University of New Brunswick and l’Université de Moncton, is evaluating the transition. The findings will be used to inform policy makers how existing services may be reorganized to provided better outcomes for children, families and communities.
Representatives from each site will receive an update from the research team and share their challenges and successes.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (Montreal) and Early Childhood Care and Education New Brunswick are also participating.
Early Childhood Development Centres are in development in Bath, Centreville, Keswick Valley, Millville, Moncton, Perth-Andover, Richibucto, Robertville and Saint John. The Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation also supports similar programs in PEI and Nova Scotia.
Date: Thursday, November 25, 2010, 8am – 4pm
Location: St. Thomas University Conference Centre, Fredericton NB
For more information or to arrange interviews please contact:
Kerry McCuaig, 647.295.2808
Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation