Burns Lake will soon benefit from an early years centre, a one-stop access to supports and services intended to help children learn, grown and thrive.
The new centre will allow parents with children aged zero to six to access services such as child drop-in playgroup programs, StrongStart B.C. programs, public health clinics, advice and referrals and parent education workshops, all under one roof.
The Burns Lake early years centre will be administered by Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS), which will receive $52,000 annually from the province to offer these programs.
According to Dawne Persson, Early Child Development Manager at CSFS, the exact location of the new Burns Lake centre still hasn’t been determined. She said the new centre is expected to open April 1, 2016.
Burns Lake is one of 21 communities in B.C. that will benefit from the new early years centres, bringing the total to 47 centres throughout the province.
"We know that for those with young children it can be hard enough just to get out of the house some days,” said Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development. “That's why we are committed to expanding our network of early years centres to make it easier for parents to make connections, build relationships and access supports that will help their children reach their full potential."
According to the province, developing a network of B.C. early years centres is a key component of the B.C. early years strategy and an operational mandate of the Provincial Office for the Early Years (EYO).
The new centres were chosen by the EYO with support from the ministries of Children and Family Development, Education, Health and health authorities, including the First Nations Health Authority.
According to the province, evidence suggests that 90 per cent of brain development occurs in the first six years of a child's life, and the benefits of investment in the early years far outweigh the costs.