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November 6, 2006 MANITOBA PRESENTS NATIONAL CHILD DAY FORUM– – –Parenting Expert to Host Public Education Seminar in Winnipeg Manitoba parent-child coalitions, community partners and world-renowned speakers are coming together at the annual National Child Day Forum in Winnipeg to focus on supporting communities in helping families raise healthy, active children, Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross, minister responsible for Healthy Child Manitoba, announced today.
“The theme of this year’s forum is Parenting in Motion, putting the joy back into parenting through fun and active play,” said Irvin-Ross. “I’m thrilled to welcome legendary Olympic athlete Silken Laumann and prominent psychologist Dr. Matt Sanders, along with many others, to inspire us and share their expertise in parenting and early-childhood development.”
“All kids love to play and explore the world and babies, toddlers and preschoolers really benefit from an active lifestyle,” said Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Eric Robinson, minister responsible for sport. “Manitoba in motion has been developed to help all Manitobans to take part in regular activity for fun and fitness, and that includes the very youngest Manitobans. This forum will provide ideas that can be shared with parents to encourage the whole family to develop a more active lifestyle.”
Sanders, founder of the world-renowned Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, will be hosting a free public education seminar in Winnipeg offering tips to help parents learn positive ways to raise confident, competent children. The seminar will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Mulvey School, 750 Wolesley Ave.
“There is no simple, one-size-fits-all instruction manual for raising children and sometimes parents need a little help,” said Irvin-Ross. “Triple P provides families with strategies and skills to keep both parents and kids on a positive path.”
Manitoba has worked in partnership with Sanders to bring the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program to the province. The provincial government has invested more than $1.4 million in the program, launched in March 2005. To date, the primary focus has been on Triple P training for service providers including practitioners from the regional health authorities, school divisions, early-learning and child-care sectors, child and family services, and family-resource and friendship centres.
Created in 2000, Healthy Child Manitoba is represented by the only cabinet committee in Canada dedicated to children and youth. Chaired by Irvin-Ross, the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet also includes the ministers of Aboriginal and northern affairs; culture, heritage and tourism; education, citizenship and youth; family services and housing; health; healthy living; justice; and labour and immigration; and the minister responsible for the status of women.
Since 1999, more than $64 million in new funding has been invested in early childhood development including programs such as the Healthy Baby community programs and prenatal benefit, the Families First home visiting program and Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth’s Early Childhood Development Initiative.
More information on the National Child Day Forum is available at http://www.parentinginmotion.com.
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