Government of Canada announces funding for six new Understanding the Early Years (UEY) communities in British Columbia

VICTORIA, October 12 — Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development, today announced the Government of Canada plans to invest a total of $2,211,221 in six Understanding the Early Years (UEY) communities in British Columbia.

"For communities, for parents, the question always is: How are our children doing and how can we help them do better?" said Minister Dryden. "With the knowledge provided through Understanding the Early Years, communities can identify and fill those gaps that might be preventing children from doing and being their best. That's a powerful tool."

"Understanding the Early Years represents a good opportunity for communities in B.C. to give their young children the best possible chance of success when they begin school," said David L. Emerson, Minister of Industry and Member of Parliament for Vancouver Kingsway. "By forging partnerships, collecting information and sharing knowledge, communities set their own course to support young children effectively."

Giving Canadian children the best possible start in life is the cornerstone of the Government’s commitment to Canadian children. Understanding the Early Years is a community-focused initiative, involving parents, teachers, schools, and community agencies. Through community level research and mapping, the initiative provides communities with high-quality data on their children’s readiness to learn and on family and community factors that influence children’s development. The goal is for communities to better understand their children’s readiness to learn and to develop action plans to respond to their needs.

The Understanding the Early Years initiative began in 1999 as a research pilot project. The Government of Canada announced the expansion of this initiative in 2004 and allocated $68 million to extend it to as many as 100 communities over seven years. The first Understanding the Early Years Call for Proposals closed on April 11, 2005. It invited proposals from communities that had at least 300 five-year-old children entering senior kindergarten or an equivalent level, had an established community coalition, could ensure local school board participation, and had potential candidates for the community coordinator role.

Twenty-one Understanding the Early Years communities were selected from across the country, the six in British Columbia are: Campbell River, Mission, Okanagan Similkameen, Sunshine Coast, North Shore and Victoria.

Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework

For more information on Understanding the Early Years, visit www.sdc.gc.ca

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This news release and backgrounder are available in alternative formats, on request. Call 1 800 788-8282 on a touchtone phone or through a teletypewriter (TTY).

For more information:

Sarah Bain
Press Secretary
Minister Dryden’s Office
(613) 941-0766

Media Relations
Social Development Canada
(613) 941-1110
Website: www.sdc.gc.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Understanding the Early Years communities in British Columbia

Understanding the Early Years

Understanding the Early Years is a Government of Canada initiative that helps give Canadian children get the best possible start in life. The early years of life (from birth to age six), critically influence long-term health and well-being of children. During these early years, children establish the foundation for their future learning, behaviour, and health. Children generally thrive in families and communities that meet their physical and developmental needs.

Understanding the Early Years is based on these principles:

• A good start in the early years of life is critical for long-term success in adulthood.
• Communities play a significant role in shaping experiences for children and their families.
• Research and knowledge are critical to informed policies and programs that affect early childhood.
• Children’s readiness to learn, and the influence of family and community factors, affect children’s well-being and their future.

Understanding the Early Years provides communities with information on:

• children’s readiness to learn,
• family and community factors that influence their children’s development, and
• local resources to support young children and their families.

What is “readiness to learn” and why does it matter?

Readiness to learn refers to a child’s ability to meet the task demands of school (such as listening to the teacher and being cooperative) and his or her ability to learn the curriculum when beginning school.

Children who are ready to learn will when they start school benefit more from all that the school has to offers, both academically and socially.

Monitoring and reporting on children’s readiness to learn guides policy, program and investment decisions for young children and their families. This helps governments, communities, schools, guardians and families to prepare children for a successful future.

Understanding the Early Years communities

Each community participates in a three-year cycle, during which the following data are collected:

• teacher assessments of children’s readiness to learn;
• direct assessments of children’s readiness to learn;
• information from parents on the family and community; and
• local-level information on services and resources available to children and their families.

The success of Understanding the Early Years depends on community involvement. Communities play key roles as sponsor, coordinator and coalition, which are essential to the successful implementation of UEY.

Understanding the Early Years communities must have a defined geographic location and must be prepared to take action regarding children's readiness to learn. Communities must also have: at least 300 five-year-old children who are entering senior kindergarten or equivalent; an established community coalition; the participation of local school boards; and potential candidates for the role of community coordinator role.

For more information on Understanding the Early Years, visit www.sdc.gc.ca.