LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Efforts to streamline early childhood programming to Fort Simpson and the surrounding area have culminated in the Early Childhood Working Group.

A group of women in Fort Simpson are collaborating to better deliver early childhood programming to the community and surrounding area. From left are Healthy Family Program co-ordinator Megan Okrainec, Open Doors co-ordinator Cora Fudge, respite worker Vanessa Villeneuve, respite co-ordinator Amy Stipdonk, daycare manager Melinda Brown, standing behind her is prenatal co-ordinator Leona Kraus, early childhood intervention co-ordinator Rhea Michalak, Liidlii Kue First Nation executive director Liza McPherson and librarian Diane McIntosh. Missing from the photo is Tracy Waugh-Antoine, early childhood education consultant. - April Hudson/NNSL photo

The group formed a little more than a year ago in September 2015 and involves key participants in the Healthy Family program, Open Doors, the John Tsetso Memorial Library, respite, daycare, prenatal, Liidlii Kue First Nation and early childhood workers.

Meeting three times per year in January, May and October, the working group aims to enhance and promote early childhood education, according to early childhood intervention co-ordinator Rhea Michalak.

"We formed on our own," said Michalak.

Part of the impetus behind the group was to provide a support network between the individual programs in the community.

"It's necessary for us to network among ourselves," she said. "We decided we needed to get together and work together."

In the past year, the group has already seen better co-ordination of their programming. They will be working together to plan events as well, such as a planned preschool Halloween party.

"Our goal for the year is working together," Michalak said.

The group includes respite workers whose goals are to provide support and supervision to a child or adult with a disability, so the primary caregiver of that person can have a break. That's a service offered in Fort Simpson and Fort Providence by the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority. The group also includes Megan Okrainec, the healthy family program co-ordinator.

The Healthy Family Program is a free home visitation program for new parents, which involves a program representative visiting once per week to help parents learn about how children grow and develop, how families work together and what resources are available to them. Michalak said her program, the Early Childhood Intervention Program, is a pilot project for Fort Simpson. The program aims to serve children up to the age of six by providing support for parents, children and families.

That includes facilitating play-based sessions to support development of a child, as well as helping families navigate the health system.

Michalak said the working group has so far seen success.

"In the last year, we've had better co-ordination of our programming and working together," she said.

Cora Fudge, co-ordinator for the Open Doors Society, attended the group's latest meeting on Oct. 6 on behalf of the society.

The society's programming, she said, is on the verge of starting for the year. That includes playgroup for babies and toddlers, a toy-lending library, Busy Bees for three-year-olds who will be going into Junior Kindergarten the following year, and Active After School.

Fudge held an open house at the Busy Bees classroom in Bompas Elementary School on Oct. 11 for parents and children to drop by.

"We want to make the town aware that even though we haven't started up yet, they can come in and feel welcome into the program, and they can bring their kids to see (our space)," she said.

"It's also for any new kids in town who have not yet enrolled (in Busy Bees) - it gives them a chance to come and pick up an application form."

So far, the society has eight children registered for the program which will run from Monday to Thursday from 1 to 3:15 p.m.

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