Ready for the challenge
Peace River Block Daily News
08 Nov 2006

EXCERPT

One in four of B.C.'s children is known to be vulnerable in at least one developmental area by the time of school entry. In some areas of our province, vulnerability levels are over 50 per cent. According to Dr. Clyde Hertzman at the University of British Columbia, most of this vulnerability is entirely preventable.

"Even allowing for individual, family and community differences, research indicates that here in B.C., it should be possible to reduce the number of vulnerable children to as low as eight per cent. This will take commitment, resources, community mobilization and an evidence based approach to ECD."

Government and communities need to transform the current patchwork of ECD support and services and move forward in a coherent way to improve outcomes for our youngest children and their families.

Through its unique Success By 6 initiative, The Early Childhood Development Provincial Partnership is ready and willing to take up the challenge to make a measurable difference for the young children of British Columbia. The ECDPP strongly agrees the time for action is now, as never before, due to:

- Recent increased federal government funding for early learning and child care

- The growth in leadership and commitment of credit unions and local communities to young children and their families through Success By 6

- Increased awareness of the health and education sectors regarding the benefits of becoming collaborative partners in Early Childhood Development

- An emerging understanding of local governments regarding how their mandates for planning, social housing, libraries, parks and recreation are key to creating child-friendly communities....