Squamish is one of the 14 communities in the province that will soon benefit from new BC Early Years Centres, which provide one-stop early learning, health and family services to B.C. families with young children. The new centre will be administered through Sea to Sky Community Services. These centre allows parents with children ages 0-6 to connect with a number of services tailored to meet the needs of the local community, including:
- Parent and child drop-in playgroup programs.
- StrongStart BC programs.
- Public health clinics.
- Advice and referrals from early-years professionals.
- Parent education workshops.
- Licensed child care for families.
- Child-care resources and referral information
- A mobile bus to provide outreach to families in rural communities.
The sites were chosen by a cross-ministry selection panel that included representatives from the ministries of Children and Family Development, Education and Health, and are located in a diverse mix of urban, rural and Aboriginal communities. Each centre will receive $52,000 from the Provincial Office for the Early Years for this fiscal year as part of a $5.5-million investment over three years.
