'We must stay the course on preparing infants'
The Daily News (Prince Rupert)
February 7, 2008
By: Leanne Ritchie

A new round of data on the state of young children on the North Coast is not expected to paint a bright picture, but that does not mean the situation isn't improving.

Speaking at Prince Rupert city council last week, Judy Riddell of the Berry Patch Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR), said they are expecting to see a new round of data soon compiled from Dr. Clyde Hertzman's Early Development Instrument (EDI) in mid-February.

"You need to know all the B.C. numbers went up," she said.

"What I am feeling is what we have started hasn't had a chance to kick in yet. It's a matter of staying the course and increasing our efforts."

The EDI measures the percentage of children who enter kindergarten unprepared, essentially in a 'vulnerable state'. Currently, the data is being compiled every three years by researchers with the Human Early Learning Partnership at the University of British Columbia.

The EDI is a checklist that kindergarten teachers complete for each child in their class after they have known them for several months. It measures a child's development in five areas: social competence, physical health and well-being, language and cognitive development, emotional maturity, and communication skills.

In the first province-wide round of data collection, 39 per cent of Prince Rupert's children were listed as 'vulnerable', compared to a provincial average of some 24.5 per cent.

Riddell noted that the EDI measurements are taken when a child enters kindergarten, at about the age of five, however, new programs and initiatives aimed at helping parents and children with early childhood education have only been running for about three years.

"We haven't had a chance to make the impact we want yet," she said.

….However, Riddell acknowledged they need to do more to work with parents and children in the home and through Success by Six and are seeking additional funding for other programs.

Coun. Kathy Bedard said the numbers of children who are unprepared for kindergarten may be a reflection of the continued economic troubles faced by the community.

"We have children going to school in this community who are hungry. Those are the facts," she said, noting the region still has a 9.2 per cent unemployment rate. "The economic condition hasn't changed since the last time Mr. Hertzman visited."

Riddell was speaking to council along with Robyn Garon and June Lewis, Success By Six coordinators, about a conference attended by the delegates and three members of council last year on the topic of building cities fit for children. They encouraged council to consider the needs of its youngest and most vulnerable citizens for each decision council makes.