cities fit for children

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Early Childhood Partnership
Embracing a Collective Vision
Presented by Penny Coates Stacey Rennie Office
of ECDLC and Surrey Parks, Recreation
Culture November 2007
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• About the City of Surrey
• Population 410,000
• Approx. 30,000 children 0-6 yrs
• 50 of children 0-6 have English as a second
  language
• 1 out of 3 children South Asian descent
• 30 schools designated as inner-city

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Surrey is the largest provider of ECD services
for children birth to kindergarten entry. In
order to reach these numbers, key partnerships
with community groups and public partners such as
the School District and Fraser Health are
required. The City brings expertise and
resources through the Parks and Recreation dept.,
Libraries and Social Planning in addition to
tremendous commitment at the political level
through initiatives such as the Mayors Taskforce
on Literacy and Early Childhood and Surrerys
Plan for Social Wellbeing.
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The ECP is focused on the health, well-being and
learning of children during their first six years
of life. We are committed to working
collaboratively to create a caring, healthy,
safe, and vibrant community for young children
and their families to live, learn and grow.
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Early Childhood Partnerships Our Two Approaches

• Community Schools Partnership SD36 City of
  Surrey targeting specific inner-city schools to
  develop early learning and literacy programs
• ECP - Partnership between School District 36,
  Ministry for Children and Families, United Way of
  the Lower Mainland, Fraser Health, the City of
  Surrey Surrey/White Rock Make Children First
  Coalition Jointly funds and operates office of
  ECDLC

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Community Schools Partnership

• Vision Priorities
• Combined leadership, expertise resources of key
  public community
• agencies
• Using schools as neighborhood focal points
• Builds a sense of neighborhood identity
• Provides connections to the broader network of
  city-wide services
• W.E. Kinvig Grow Learn
• Lena Shaw preschool
• Early Literacy programs

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Early Childhood Partnership ECP
Vision Priorities

• Research, Policy Planning
• Capacity Relationship building
• Coordination and Project Management
• Resource development
• Advocacy/ External Relationships
• Reporting/ Accountability

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ECD Partnership Outcomes

• Public Awareness
• Surrey Early Years Festival coordinated through
  key community agencies to showcase and link
  families to resources, provide educational,
  interactive activities and be accessible to all.
  Over 3000 participants in 2007
• Choosing Quality Recreation Guide for parents
• Resource cards
• Calendars Punjabi English Success by Six
• ECD Video
• All About Child Care Event Newton
• Surrey Reads Event

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Partnership Outcomes Contd

• New Programs
• Strong Start Program Provides range of early
  learning experiences in a school setting helping
  to build strong connections for families to their
  community
• Kinvig Grow Learn Program ECD program
  designed to improve developmental readiness and
  strengthen the school family relationship. By
  blending braiding existing ECD funding sources,
  a sustainable, high quality ECD program that
  meets the unique needs of inner-city families was
  created.
• ECD Refugee Project
• Every Child needs a Muffin
• Childrens books through the Surrey Food Bank
• Inner-City Book Drive

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ECD Partnership Outcomes Contd

• Training
• Right from the Start
• Mother Goose
• Children Heart of the Matter Conference
• Coping with Toddler Behaviour
• Mary Gordon
• Triple P
• Refugee families and settlement
• How to Read with Children/ Parent Workshops

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Removing Barriers

• Leisure Access Program subsidy program
• Value Pricing drop in programs, day camps
  social events
• More parent and child program offerings

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Strengthening Families

• Community Kitchens low cost weekly cooking
  program
• Harvest box - food buying club that aims to
  increase people's ability to access and eat fresh
  fruits and vegetables in the South Fraser area.
• Parent tot programs expanding

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More Initiatives to come

• Initialize Child and Youth Friendly Zones outside
  of Recreation Centres (piloting in North Surrey
  Newton)
• Implementing Year 2 of the Social Well-Being Plan
  relating to children youth including
  after-school and value programs
• Expanding Grow Learn Model to Lena Shaw
  elementary school

• Expanding StrongStart Program to Newton
• Working with ECP to implement ECD focussed
  refugee settlement program
• Enhancing Greenbrook Drop In/Camp programs to
  include more guest speakers, alternate way of
  food preparation, increasing commitment of
  attendance to the camp

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Thank You
Surrey Parks, Recreation Culture November
2007