A local chapter of a provincewide initiative to map early child development will open to the public sometime next month.
The Early Child Development Mapping Project (ECMap) is part of a five-year research and community development initiative funded by Alberta Education and headed by the Community-University Partnership at the University of Alberta.
Council agreed during a Jan. 9 council meeting to allow the local group, the Envision First Innisfail Early Childhood Mapping Coalition, use of the Dr. George/Kemp House at no cost for a one-year pilot project beginning in February. The house will offer programs for children 0 to 5 and will also provide information and resources for parents.
"The early years are key years for later success and challenges. We want to support (them) in the preschool years with their parents for the best possible outcomes" explained Laurie Lafortune, community development coordinator for the ECMap before council. She said 25 per cent of children in Alberta have some sort of deficiency in one or more areas of development.
"We want to know how are our children doing and we're working within communities to see what their needs are," she explained. In total 60 communities in the province have started local coalitions. Other communities in the area that are part of the program include Drumheller, Sylvan Lake, Hanna and Red Deer.
The Innisfail coalition was formed in April 2010 and represents members of Innisfail Day Home Society, Anothony Henday Association for Lifelong Learning, Innisfail FCSS, Chinook's Edge School Division and Discoveries Playschool, Alberta Health Services, local ministerial groups, parents and grandparents.
"The general plan is for parents who don't know where to access programs to have a place where they can work together," said Reshann Butts, a coalition member.
"Research from the province shows we're behind in social maturity and language and thinking and we need to find ways to boost that." She said the data reflects provincewide results and the group is still waiting to collect local data from schools which is expected sometime mid February or March. A baseline survey was collected from parents in town last spring and Butts said they are using some of that data as well.
"As well, sometimes families need a go-to place. Sometimes it isn't just the children who need a social place but mom and dad too."
The group's intent is to offer educational programming, development screening, parenting courses, resources and referral services to strengthen the development of young children. Programs offered are meant to focus on five areas needed for school readiness including physical health and well-being, social knowledge and competence, emotional health, language and thinking and communication skills.
Some of the programs that will be offered include Little Chefs, Wobly Walkers, Creepy Crawlers and Jammy Time, which will be offered in the evening.
"Programming will be offered at different times," explained Heather Dixon, project coordinator.
"We have spoken to parents in the community and they asked for programs in the evening and weekends as well, so we have taken that into consideration and will be offering a variety of hours."
She said the programs, expected to launch by the end of next month, will be available initially eight hours a week with the expectation to increase.
The coalition received $50,000 in seed funding last April for the program. While the pilot project will be for one year in the George/Kemp House, Dixon said the group will continue to run its initiative concurrently with the provincial study and conclude in 2013.
Parents wanting to know more about the coalition and the programs offered are asked to call 403-227-7744 or look for the Envision First Children Innisfail group on Facebook.
