'08 Family Activities Calendar
Learn about our research findings! Interested in finding out how Understanding the Early Years can contribute to a healthier community for us all? We would be happy to present our research findings to your organization, community group or school/public meeting. Our brief and informative presentations will inform and educate you about how well young children in our community are doing and what we can do to better support their early development. Learn more! Contact Michelle today at 902-864-8744.
Is your child heading to school this fall? Next fall? Then check out our new brochure! "On My Way to School" is a helpful tool as you parent your child this summer, providing lots of tips, ideas and practical suggestions to help you nurture healthy development in the early years, from birth to age 6. Click here to view or print this helpful brochure or contact Michelle by phone at 902-864-8744 to receive a copy by mail.
ABOUT OUR PROJECT
Understanding the Early Years Halifax will help our community better meet the needs of young children and their families. In November 2005, the Sackville Bedford Early Intervention Society signed a Contribution Agreement with the Government of Canada agreeing to act as the sponsor agency for Understanding the Early Years (UEY Halifax). The project is part of a national research initiative funded by the Government of Canada through the Understanding the Early Years Initiative.
UEY Halifax is community-based research aimed at providing communities with information on:
- the “readiness to learn” of their children
- family and community factors that influence children’s development
- the availability of local programs and services for families and their children.
Information provided through this research initiative, gathered in partnership with the Halifax Regional School Board, can be used by communities to design and implement policies, programs, and investment focused on providing children with the best possible start in the early years.
The Understanding the Early Years Initiative is funded by Human Resources and Social Development Canada. For more information, visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca.
PARENTS: IT'S NOT A FAIRY TALE.
It’s a fact. Healthy development in the early years, from birth to age 6, provides the foundation for a healthy adulthood. Simple activities such as reading to your child, playing stacking and sorting games, encouraging active outdoor play, eating well, and talking to your child about the world around you all contribute to your child's healthy early development.
A growing body of evidence has shown that a child's first six years are the most significant ones in his or her life. Experiences in these early years contribute to how well a child enjoys life and whether or not he or she will thrive now and in the future. Interactions with family members and adults in the community directly impact development and contribute to a child's overall health and well-being.
THE EARLY YEARS ARE A TIME OF HEIGHTENED OPPORTUNITIES AND INCREASED RISK.
"The quality and capacity of our future population depends on what we do now to support early child development."
- Dr. Fraser Mustard, Founder and Chair Emeritus, Council for Early Child DevelopmentEarly years research has shown:
- Early experiences shape brain development.
- Brain development strongly influences learning behaviour and health throughout life.
- Families and communities matter.
- Early child development programs can make a significant difference for children.
- The effects of early environment on children are long lasting.
- The environment affects the number of brain cells and the way they are wired.
Learn more about early years research and the importance of your child's first six years of life. Click here...