The Comox Valley Early Years Collaborative hopes the regional district can help find a space that will help the group carry out its Building Connections Project. By engaging with the community, the project aims to improve early outcomes for young children.
The collaborative is a network consisting of more than 40 individuals and organizations, including the CV Child Development Association, Comox Valley Schools and Island Health. A key message of the CVEYC is that a child’s first years are fundamental for lifelong health and development.
An Early Development Index conducted by kindergarten teachers has found the vulnerability rates of Comox Valley children are above the provincial average.
“The average in B.C. is quite high. It’s over a third of children,” project lead Kris Johnson said at the April 13 CVRD board meeting. “So the collaborative wanted to launch an initiative to address this, and see ways that we could improve these outcomes for our children before they reach kindergarten.”
The first area of focus for the Building Connections Project is the north Comox Valley, where the collaborative hopes to establish three community hubs and hire a family connection outreach co-ordinator.
While the CVRD does not own an abundance of property, Area C director Edwin Grieve said the school district has surplus property.
