The Family Action Network has announced the unveiling of a network of centres providing early childhood development information across the region and two of them are in Rossland.
The Family Action Network of the Lower Columbia (FAN) provides support and access to resources for families in the Lower Columbia region — which includes hosting biannual Ages and Stages events where parents can bring children from birth to age five for an appointment to check their development.
“It provides parents with excellent information about their children’s growth and development. So allowing them to be empowered to know what the milestones are and how to celebrate their children’s successes,” said Christy Anderson, executive director of FAN. “…If through knowing more about early development we uncover little blips in a child’s development early on, knowing about them early can help us to address that little developmental blip, if you will, giving parents information. But also connecting that family to support from the community mitigates that development[al blip] before it becomes a bigger hurdle.”
The Ages and Stages questionnaire is meant for children up to 60 months old and with the introduction of its network of Check Early Check Often Centres, FAN will now be able to provide parents with access to early childhood development screenings throughout the year.
Two of the Check Early Check Often Centres are located in Rossland. One is the Four Winds Childcare Centre and the other is the Rossland StrongStart Program.
Kristen Coull, owner and operator of Four Winds, says that children who already attend the centre can be assessed by Coull and then her assessment will be combined with the assessment the parent does at home.
For children who don’t attend the centre, parents can phone Four Winds at 250-362-5233 to make an appointment. The process typically takes half an hour to complete.
“It’s just an incredible opportunity for parents to be able to see where their children are at and what areas can use a little bit of extra help,” says Coull.
Questionnaires can also be picked up from Rossland StrongStart in Rossland Summit School during regular hours, which are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and Tuesday and Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Parents can also contact Jamie Santano at rosslandstrongstart@sd20.bc.ca to arrange a screening at a different time.