Jane Emerick
Chief staff
A contribution of $50,000 from Success by 6, will help the Sea to Sky Community Services in Squamish promote greater accessibility to early childhood services, according to the implementation manager of the Putting Children First initiative.
Jane Balance, whose program spans the entire Sea to Sky corridor, Britannia Beach, Squamish Nations, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Mt. Currie, Southern Stl'atl'imx Health Society (Douglas, Skatin, Baptiste and Tippella) and N'Quatqua, said the funds are essential for allowing early child development programs to function.
"The funding is extremely important, it is allowing us to do things otherwise we would be unable to do," she said.According to Balance, part of the funding will go towards supporting an outreach worker in the Southern Stl'atl'imx Society region to ensure access to early childhood programs as well as communicating information about the area to the rest of the Sea to Sky corridor.
Balance said an early childhood development team, identified other areas of priority that could possibly see funding. These include training, greater sources of information, culture and language management, child minding services, coordination with the outreach worker, maintenance of current programs, and coordination with existing programs.Success By 6 is a joint initiative of United Ways, Credit Unions, the provincial government through the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and Community Leaders.
The funding for the Sea to Sky Community Services Society was announced Monday April 3, and on April 10, the organization is launching a campaign to raise awareness and funds to help early childhood programs though out the Lower Mainland. According to a press release, the funds allocated to the Sea to Sky Community Services Society will help the organization provide services more frequently, for longer hours and with greater capacity.
The Putting Children First Initiative works with the Sea to Sky Community Services Society and has the vision of improving the healthy outcomes of children under six and their families.
"We are working towards building the capacity of parents and communities to support children before they go to school," said Balance.
