Who We Are:
The Medicine Hat Early Childhood Coalition is a group of community service providers, agencies, school board representatives, and parent advisors who have come together to provide information and support for the development of children in their early years (birth-Age 5) in Medicine Hat.
What We Do:
We have been busy working in partnership with the ECMap project (
www.ecmap.ca).
This project aims to discover how young children in
Alberta communities are developing, and to provide each community with opportunities to survey and further develop the resources that are available for families with children in early childhood. The Government of Alberta, through Alberta Education, funds the ECMap project.
Why are the Early Years important?
Research continues to show evidence of the overall importance of the quality of child development in the early years. The period from birth to age 3 is critical in terms of brain and overall development. Research also leads us to believe that children whose development is nurtured early in life are more likely to be successful in school, more productive in the workforce, and healthier throughout their lives, physically and mentally. Healthy development in the early years sets a solid foundation for the future of children, families, and communities. (Source:
www.ecmap.ca/Early-Childhood-Development/ Pages/Benefi
ts-of-Healthy-Development.aspx)
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How Can Families Support Early Childhood Development?
Children in the early years require quality interactions with parents and other important adults in their lives in order to nurture their development during this critical time. Families can support and nurture early childhood development by: • Learning what behaviours and abilities to expect from children at various ages, through books, local health clinics, a doctor or parenting programs
• Being attentive and responsive to a baby’s needs – from the youngest ages, they have ways to communicate what they need
• Reading to children from the time they are infants
• Playing with babies and children; Play helps them to grow emotionally, cognitively, physically, and socially
• Providing safe opportunities for a child to explore his/her surroundings • Avoiding harsh criticism and punishment
(Source:
https://www.ecmap.ca/Early-Childhood-Development/Pages/ Supporting-Development.aspx)
How can our Community Support Early Childhood Development? Nurturing early childhood development is a demanding job, and it is one that parents can’t be expected to do alone. Community plays a vital role in providing access to resources and programming that can help to nurture this critical phase of development.
With this in mind, the Medicine Hat Early Childhood Coalition is excited to provide details about our fi rst community event this June as part of the Spectrum Festival!
In partnership with L.E.A.R.N., the Medicine Hat and
Redcliff Public Libraries, and other MHECC members, we are pleased to present the Centre for Family Literacy’s Alberta Prairie Classroom on Wheels (C.O.W.) Bus to the Spectrum Festival for June 1-3, 2012. are the details:
Here
• The C.O.W. bus is a friendly space for parents and younger children, zero to six years, to learn and explore fun new ways to add literacy activities into their daily lives.
• We will be located in the library parking lot
• We encourage all families with young children to come and pay us a visit, try out some fun games and activities, and have a chance to meet other parents with young children
• Sun Country Best Western and ABC Family Restaurant are generously providing community sponsorship for this event
For more information about the C.O.W. Bus, please visit their website at:
www.famlit.ca/programs_and_projects/programs/acow.shtml
For more information about the Medicine Hat Early Childhood Coalition, or to become a part of our parent advisory, please contact us at: (403) 548-9690.
Did You Know?
The early years from birth to age three are critical to children’s brain and overall development, and have lifelong impact on health, learning, relationships and well-being.
Communities have a vital role to play in promoting healthy child development. Strong communities with good programs and
supports can help to overcome the impact of poverty and other risk factors
25 percent of children in Canada are developmentally vulnerable. This means more than one in four struggles to perform basic age- appropriate tasks. (Source:
www.ecmap.ca)
ALISSA
McLESTER Childhood Coalition
41073651•02/28/2012
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