The local United Native Friendship Centre received more than a quarter of a million dollars from the federal Health department this past week to start a full-time Aboriginal Head Start program here.
Kenora-Rainy River MP Robert Nault was on hand to present a $260,000 cheque to the UNFC on behalf of Health minister Anne McLellan.
“Early intervention prepares young children for the future by promoting healthy lifestyle habits,” said Nault. “This project will assist in the development of a positive self-image, enhance self-esteem, and provide the tools necessary to build a bright and successful future.
“The main goal is to make young people proud of who they are,” he added.
The program is designed for aboriginal children aged two-and-a-half to five in an effort to prepare them for school and beyond by teaching them social and intellectual skills.
The program will provide children with holistic programming that addresses six components of the Aboriginal Head Start initiative: culture and language, education, health promotion, nutrition, social support programs, and parental involvement.
The goal of the program is to prepare aboriginal children for entry into kindergarten, as well as promote healthy eating habits and lifestyle choices.
The program also will re-introduce aboriginal culture and language to children by involving the aboriginal community by way of elders and parents.
“[The program will be] utilizing elders to assist with openings [smudges] and help with teaching and nutrition,” said Tracy Jensen, Aboriginal Healthy Babies co-ordinator with the UNFC.
“I’m very excited about it because the cultural component is the thing that is different than other programs that get kids ready for school,” noted Wilma Yerxa-Bird, president of the board of directors for the UNFC.
“It isn’t just to prepare them for school, to get them ready for normal things, but getting them to know the elders and learning some traditional teachings,” she stressed.
“Keeping the culture alive.”
A unique aspect to the program, which has run as a summer program through Sixth Street School here in the past, is the level of parental involvement.
“A big part is parental involvement,” said Jensen. “There will be a parental council that will help with the everyday running of the program.”
Children will be accompanied by their parents and as they take part in program initiatives, so will the parents. Parents will gain the skills and support needed to strengthen their families and participate in all aspects of the project, including planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Support and training will be provided in traditional parenting, child development, household budgeting, and other areas that would strengthen the parent/child relationship.
“Having parents involved can only contribute to the success [of the program] because they can feel they’re actually a part of what their kids are learning,” noted Yerxa-Bird.
“Many times you’ll have very young parents, so it’s good to have the elders there,” agreed Nault. “Parents learn responsibility.”
The program will be some time in coming, though.
Competition closed last week to hire the program’s co-ordinator, but it still will be a few weeks before all 15 applicants have been sorted through and one chosen.
That person will have to develop the program and curriculum as well as find a building that conforms with the Day Nurseries Act.
“One thing the program developer will have to find is a building,” said Jensen. “Our goal is that by the end of next March, we’ll have a building and parent council [set up].
“By April 1, the rest of the staffing will be done and the program will start in September, 2004,” she added.
When it’s up and running, the program will run twice a week with 16 students per program. Children from across Rainy River District will be eligible.
“It’s one of my favourite of all the programs,” Nault said of the Aboriginal Head Start initiative. “One of the most cost-effective programs is to put money into young children.
“We’ll see the benefits in society long after I’m gone,” he concluded.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
