Indigenous communities know what’s best for their children. They know that home is the ideal place to boost cultural identity and well-being in the long run. Recognizing that solutions are not cookie-cutter, the Early Years’ process focuses on flexible infrastructure, trustful relationships and collaborative efforts that can sustain change.
Building Relationships
The Early Years team works in collaboration with community leaders, elders, parents/caregivers and service providers to co-develop and adapt programming to best meet the needs of families and their community.
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From there a program model which is informed by the community’s needs is implemented, creating career pathways for women and employing community members.
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Keeping it Going
Once implemented, the model continues to evolve and be adapted as impact is measured. Consistent and meaningful data collection that is driven by relationships ensures that community leadership can tell the stories of their programming and participants.
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See how the Early Years makes an impact
Growing up happy,
healthy, and supported
A child’s brain develops faster during the first five years of life than at any other time — and their environment and interactions shape their growth even before birth. Starting prenatally, the Early Years supports Indigenous families with adaptable programming that blends scientific research, practitioner experience, common sense, and traditional knowledge and wisdom. Key objectives include:
Early Years Visitors and staff build authentic relationships through regular visits and consistent contact with expectant moms and families. Whether it’s a non-judgemental ear, a supply of nutritious groceries or a lift to a healthcare appointment, they help with prenatal and postpartum planning, to ease stress and to provide positive parenting strategies.
Consistent, responsive, and culturally relevant caregiving helps children feel confident and secure in their environment. By offering routine at-home activities and group gatherings grounded in traditional knowledge, Early Years’ community-based staff help enhance nurturing relationships and attachment between kids and caregivers.
By encouraging communication between babies and parents, Early Years staff support children’s emerging language skills and ability to express themselves. With culturally specific books and materials, and through verbally stimulating activities, children are exposed to their Indigenous language while becoming better prepared to learn in a school environment.
Early Years Visitors help parents and kids learn from each other and find meaningful moments through play. They supply toys and equipment for fun and exploration, and facilitate group gatherings as a platform for diverse interactions. By actively nurturing their child’s development and by introducing them to cultural activities that are meaningful to the family, parents affirm their role as their child’s best teachers.
Early Years’ community-based staff compassionately strengthen parents’ life skills and coping abilities, supporting them in setting goals for education, employment, and family planning. The Early Years program also helps parents—including male caregivers—take their place in a social network working to help ensure positive childhood experiences. Early Years staff know their communities, and are able to connect families to local resources they may need.