Putting the children first; Well respected speaker Charles Coffey touches down in Nelson to speak about investing in early childhood development
Nelson Daily News
12 Oct 2007
By: Hannah Wright

Charles Coffey, Chair of the Council for Early Childhood Development, encouraged community leaders in Nelson to "turn up the heat" on childhood investment for the future.

At a conference Thursday morning in the Hume Hotel, Coffey -- retired Executive Vice President, Government Relations and Business Development for the RBC Financial Group -- spoke on the important role that all communities had to play, in investing in Early Childhood Development for the long-term future.

Pat Dooley, Director of Achievement with School District #8 and Regional Coordinator of Kootenay-Boundary, helped co-organize the event with Kim Adamson, West Kootenay Coordinator for Early Childhood Development initiatives.

"Kim and I first heard Charles Coffey in Vancouver last January at a conference on bold vision for early learning. We felt his message needed to come back to our community," said Dooley.

Coffey, who has won awards for his leadership roles in communities, claimed that the phrase in the title for his talk "turning up the heat" has more to do with Mayor John Dooley, Kim Adamson and the Nelson Daily News.

"I read the March 2, 2007 Daily News piece with great interest - 'Dooley turns up the heat on childcare: Proper funding needed: Mayor making headway with key municipal government lobby groups thanks to local childcare advocates input.' This is great press in my mind and so indicative of leadership in action," Coffey said.

Coffey went on to emphasize the need for all parts of communities and especially businesses to participate in the investment for future generations. He emphasized that an important and uncommon link that needed to be made is between economic development, and reaching out to children.

"It's time for business to make the link - it's time for business to get comfortable with the uncomfortable - and its time for business to seriously look at the facts and numbers in terms of return on investment," he said.

As well as the important investment in the Early Developing Child, Coffey stated that he also wanted business leaders to know that an investment in Parental support systems is equally important. He refers to a report he supports released on March 26, 2007 - The Early Years Study 2.

"The report calls for the implementation of quality, universal, accessible, affordable, and optional, early child development programs, that strive to meet the diverse and changing needs of children and parents, be they stay at home parents, or in the work force," Coffey said.

He continued that Early Childhood Development (ECD), is the most critical stage of human growth and that there is much evidence to support, that properly supported and funded ECD programs improve the social functioning of children. Although he confirmed that ECD investment was by no means inexpensive, the returns would be more than worth it.

"Focused spending on young children provides returns that outstrip any other type of human capital investment," he said.

Although a large amount of capital investment in the matter would be required, Coffey made it clear that more than money, the public needed to use "what's between [their] ears" to get results.

Pat Dooley ended the talk by informing the conference of steps Nelson has already taken on the road to investment in ECD.

"Our boards of education have an already expanded mandate which does include early childhood education," she said. "Also last May we pulled together a group and created a vision for early learning in our community."

Coffey praised the efforts that members of the community had already made for ECD investment but emphasized that more needed to be done to achieve a successful level of action.

"The well-being of children is so critical it warrants the commitment of government, institutions, service providers, individuals - and business. This does not mean everyone plays the same role; but everyone needs to play a role," said Coffey. "The worlds future literally depends on it." ….