A big part of The Community Action Program for Children in the Algoma District is celebrating children.
As part of National Child Day, the program celebrated its 25th anniversary of supporting children and families in Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma District yesterday.
Brenda Clarke Manager of Community Services and Strategic Initiatives says Algoma Family Services is pleased to celebrate the 25th anniversary as the program sponsor for the District.
Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the program is a community-based children’s program promoting the healthy development of young children from birth to age six.
She adds, since 1993, in Algoma, the plan annually provides programming to more than 1,300 children and their families facing challenging life circumstances.
Several events were held in communities throughout the district including Elliot Lake and Iron Bridge.
In Algoma, The Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) is delivered by Superior Children’s Centre, Prince Township EarlyON, Algoma Public Health, Child Care Algoma, All Star Children’s Services, and North Star Family resource Centre/EarlyON. AFS is the sponsor agency for this de-centralized project model.
Across the district of Algoma in 2017/2018, collaborative partnerships across the district realized 427 volunteer hours and in-kind contributions of $78,907. Although there has been an enhancement for new services in the 25 years of CAPC, there have been no increases of base funding.
The Public Health Agency of Canada funds 415 CAPC projects across Canada serving over 223,000 vulnerable children and parents/caregivers in over 3,000 Canadian communities each year.
Locally, the program impacts 1,107 families across Algoma and of that, 1,354 are children aged birth to six years of age.
The program springs from the awareness that communities are best positioned to recognize the needs of their children and have the capacity to draw together the resources to address those needs.
It encourages early investment in children so that they get a better start in life, are ready to start school, and their chances to participate fully in society as adults are enhanced.
The project offers a wide variety of programs, such as young Parent Resource Rooms, Supper Clubs and outreach to local high schools to support young parents’ continuation in school; Parenting Programs to assist in strengthening parenting skills and the parent-child relationship; Early Learning/Family Literacy Programs to enhance children’s school readiness skills; and other programs tailored to meet the needs in each community.
The program strives to improve outcomes for children (prenatal to age six) living with parents/guardians who are young, have low incomes, are new to Canada and/or socially isolated. We do this by providing supports and services that enhance, or are in addition to, services available to all families with young children.
For more information, call Algoma Family Services at (705) 945-5050.