If you're looking for information about how to better serve children in your community, we think you'll find it here. Through this site you can access a variety of information which provides an overview of how are community supports families with young children. Information including Municipal Profiles, data collected from teachers using the Early Development Instrument (EDI), child care trends and important research reports are included here.
The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a population-based tool developed by Drs. Dan Offord and Magdalena Janus used to measure a child's readiness to learn at kindergarten. We also believe it is the early years which create or challenge this state of health and well being which allows a child to take full advantage of the school environment and thrive.
The EDI is a checklist that Kindergarten teachers complete annually for each child in their class. It is a holistic measure of children's development across five areas:
1. physical health and well-being 2. social competence 3. emotional maturity 4. language and cognitive development 5. communication skills
In using these maps, we intend to:
Increase the profile of children ages 0-6 years Increase awareness of how community characteristics influence the lifelong health and well being of children Understand and reduce variation and disparity between neighbourhoods in our region Provide direction for our strategic directions and funding decisions
WHAT'S NEW!
IN 2010, Saanich Municipality decided to consult the community and create an Early Childhood Strategy in an attempt to address potential changes for children and families given the recent announcement of full day kindergarten. Over the past year, focus groups, surveys have been conducted to support the development of this important municipal strategy.
The final report will be made available in the fall of 2011 and shared across the community with the hope that the recommendations in the report will be a further catalyst for community development.
Local Municipal Connections
Municipalities including the City of Victoria, Colwood, Langford and Saanich have worked with our members to access and understand our research to support their planning. As provincial and federal government initiatives impact our local efforts we work with municipalities to share information.
Healthy Saanich Committee
PLAY is a member of this municipal committee providing input and recommendations as it relates to young children and families. As a member of this committee, we share information on local research, child care trends as well as actively participate in events as invited by the Municipality of Saanich.
In 2006, PLAY examined the role municipality's play and their current and potential contributions in fostering communities where young children and their families thrive. We know municipalities are engaged in planning as it relates to parks, recreation, zoning and by-laws, all which impact the well being of children.
Childcare is an important need in our region. Over the years, PLAY has worked with its network partners, the Victoria Regional Child Care Council to identify needs and determine options for our community. This work is intended to help parents, community and government understand the complexity of our childcare system with the hope that we can create a solution for all families.
