How a person connects, builds relationships in life depends on care as a child
By Mardy Bacigalupo
Golden Star Editor
Nov 15 2006

The Golden Star will be running a series of health-related stories over the coming months. With assistance from Cathie Green, the community development facilitator for Interior Health East Kootenay Health Service Area, we will examine the determinants of health as they impact Golden and the people who live here.

The determinants of health are income and social status, social support networks, education and literacy, employment and working conditions, social environments, physical environments, personal health practices and coping skills, healthy child development, biology and genetic environment, health services, gender and culture.

It is not surprising that if you ensure healthy development for your child, it will affect their development later in life. With the Town of Golden declaring Nov. 20 as National Child Day, it's fitting to take a look at the health of Golden's children.

According to Cathie Green, community development facilitator for Interior Health East Kootenay Health Service Area, looking to programming offered by Golden's Early Childhood Development Coalition - which includes schools in the Rocky Mountain School District #6, Interior Health, Child Care Resource and Referral, Golden Family Center and more - is a good place to start taking care of your child's health.

"Children can not assist their own welfare so it is through their families that children gain access to, or experience barriers, to other health determinants, including adequate income, good nutrition, healthy environment, decent housing and early childhood services," Green explains. "But early childcare is more than day care. Early Childhood Education Care is a term used to describe an integrated approach to policies and services that is inclusive of all children and parents, regardless of employment and socio-economic status."

She says ECEC can include a number of different programs - childcare centres and other regular childcare services, whose primary focus is to allow parents to participate in the paid workforce.

The benefits of having children involved in early childhood education programs begin to accrue immediately. Green says the effects later in life are more beneficial for those in these kinds of programs rather than those who stay at home until they are school age.

"There is strong research support for the idea that ECEC can be a central factor in early childhood development and the reason is that interactive and social stimulants in these centres promotes cognitive developments and promotes social skills that can establish a foundation for later success in schools," Green explains.

Need more childcare

Her impression is there aren't enough early childcare facilities for children in Golden. She says in many communities the resources are there, but they don't necessarily suit the needs of the parents. Considering there are some parents who rely on shift work - which can include working nights - childcare is not always available for them.

"Currently, Golden has four licensed family child care centres, one licensed preschool, one licensed playschool, a licensed after school program at Alexander Park Elementary School and in Parson there is a playschool," explains Renee Balango, co-ordinator, Golden Child Care Resource Referral. "Most of Golden's regulated childcare is offered between 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

"In our (CCRR staff) opinion, there is not enough regulated childcare space for families in Golden. Families need more choices to suit their work schedules and lifestyles. Families need to have childcare choices."

However, Balango says it is important to recognize the services provided by daycare facilities in Golden are great. She says the childcare providers they refer parents to are doing "an amazing job".

"The child care providers registered with CCRR are committed to working together (exchanging ideas, resources, information), and attending training," Balango says. "They are a collaborative, professional and supportive group. However, we do need more child care in Golden to meet every family's needs."

Many benefits to childcare

Families who have to accommodate parents working night shifts, are kind of left in the dark. Balango says they have to rely on informal childcare arrangements, using various connections in the community, relying on neighbours, friends and family.

Studies suggest children in very low-income families, meaning families living near the poverty line, stand to benefit greatly from being involved in early childhood programming rather than staying at home with parents. Later in life, these children display stronger school performance, lower juvenile crime rates and obtained higher learning as adults.

Green says the mothers of these children benefit as well, since they are more able to contribute to the workforce.

"The reason that is important is, one of the purposes of some early childhood programs is to provide support to parents who are working," she says. "Another reason it's important is it may open the door for the parents of these kids to participate in training and employment. And without those opportunities, families are unable to prosper."

She says parents of children aged five and under are not usually putting their children into daycare types of settings so they can stay home and watch television. They are putting their children into these programs so they can work, train or go to school.

"Most of the time, families require two parents full-time in the paid workforce or at least on a part-time basis," Green says. "So it is very often not a matter of personal choice or preference (whether or not children are in childcare), which brings us back to the determinants of health. As a community, how do we provide support for our working families?"

Green says making a bond with a caregiver in the first 18 months of life is also important for developing trust, self-esteem and emotional control later in life. All of these qualities are essential for positive relationships later in life, as well.

She adds that from conception to age six is the most important time for the life cycle. She says connections and sculpturing of the brains neurons are made during this time, and positive stimulation in a child's early life will improve their capacity to learn throughout their life.

Balango says Golden is doing a good job of taking care and fostering early childhood education.

"People working at the Early Childhood Development Coalition table are generating new ideas and working at sustaining what is available already, and they are doing it together," she explains. "Parents are leaving programs with new information and resources about what they can do with their child and where they can go in the community for more information. Golden has a renovated community park with equipment suitable for toddlers and preschoolers. This brings families together on another level."

But she recognizes there are some challenges which need to be addressed. She says research done in 2004 regarding areas of early education in Golden indicated families do need more regulated daycare options, and information about services available for families and children needs to be made more accessible.

Having formally established the Early Childhood Education Coalition has been an asset to the community. Balango says Brenda Managh, coalition co-ordinator, has done an incredible job.

"She brings together community partnerships at the early childhood development table - with the school board, Interior Health, directors of local non-profit organizations, parents and all of Golden's family and early childhood development service providers," Balango says. "She gives the coalition momentum. Brenda is all about partnerships and she supports everyone in their role - service providers, community leaders, parents, teachers, interventionists, etc. I know from working with her she thrives on collaboration. She does an incredible amount of research around what is best for children and families and works with our group to get there. Brenda has helped us recognize our success in the past, and supports us moving forward."