COVID-19 Safe Schools – The provincial K to 12 Education Steering Committee has worked with the Ministry of Education and the BC Centre for Disease Control to finalize updated guidelines for this school year. Read more.
Childcare for Kids with Complex Needs, BC today with Michelle Eliot – Karla Verschoor, executive director of Inclusion BC, discusses the difficulties of finding child care for kids with complex needs. Listen to the CBC July 12, 2021 interview now.
Parent involvement can help extend teaching outside of the classroom, creates a more positive experience for children and helps children perform better when they are in school. Learn how you can increase involvement now.
Inclusive Child Care: Professional Learning Needs Survey – Get Involved! Inclusive child care is a key component of a Universal Child Care system in British Columbia. Complete the (anonymous) survey now.
The BC Council for Families invites you to nominate a professional or an organization that has done an outstanding job improving the lives of families in B.C. for the Carol Matusicky Distinguished Service to Families Award. Learn more about the Family Service Award now.
Port Coquitlam aims to boost the number of child care spots in the city with a new policy and zoning changes – Read more.
Keeping children active and engaged can be a challenge. Active for Life is a Canadian not-for-profit social initiative founded by B2ten and encourages activity at every age. Visit activeforlife.com for ideas and activities to help keep your children physically active. With physical activities and back to school just around the corner, Active for Life has compiled 30 easy, on-the-go snacks for your busy kids! Read more about healthy snacks now.
How to Create a Lesson Plan for Toddlers – There are many lesson plans for preschool-aged children, this HiMama article is to help develop lesson plans for the toddlers in your care. Read more.
The August issue of Westcoast Parent Buzz includes some helpful back-to-school tips, including snack ideas, teaching good study habits, managing your morning and more. Read more.
Technology in the Early Education Space – Watch a webinar recording with Ron Spreeuwenbrg, CEO of HiMama, as he discusses the role technology plays in a classroom and how educators can become advocates for their field and how child care will change in the next 10 years. Watch now.
Children are getting ready to go back to school and some may be eager to show their independence and want to try riding their bikes to school. When is your child ready to ride their bike independently? A mom shares her experiences of helping her kids learn to ride. Read more.
Rental Supplement Programs – Did you know that BC Housing has two rental supplement programs for low-income tenants living in the private rental sector? The Rental Assistance Program provides eligible low-income working families with monthly assistance with their rents. Learn more.
First Call, have received funding from the Law Foundation to investigate and assess how the law can better protect BC children’s right to housing, particularly for low-income and other vulnerable child populations, in order to influence legislative and policy reforms.
First Call have developed two surveys to help understand the main barriers that families with children in British Columbia experience with accessing housing.
Take the First Call parent survey now!
Coquitlam Public Library – Lendable laptops have arrived! Borrow a laptop from the City Centre branch and use it anywhere inside the Library. Learn more now.
B.C. to mark September 30 as day of commemoration – Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and Selina Robinson, Minister of Finance, have released the following statement on marking the federal Truth and Reconciliation Day. Read more.
The University of Alberta offers Indigenous courses, for free. Learn more now.
Support services for residential school survivors in BC:
- Indian Residential School Survivors Society at 1-800-721-0066 or 604-985-4464
- 24-Hour National Crisis Line for residential school survivors and others affected at 1-866-925-4419