Family Literacy
Update on National Developments...

The Centres of Excellence for Children’s Well-Being is a national initiative of Health Canada , Childhood and Youth Division, Health Promotions and Programs.

The mandate of the Centres of Excellence to ensure that important knowledge about children and their healthy development is distributed broadly among families, community-based organizations, educators, health professionals and government decision-makers. The goal is to improve government’s understanding of children and what they need to develop in healthy ways.

Up to five Centres of Excellence will be created over the next year. Each Centre will operate over a five year period and each Centre will work on one of the following five issues:

• Early child development
• Youth engagement
• Children and adolescents with special needs
• Effective parenting
• Child and youth - centred communities

Live & Learn Together Tips

• Start Early - It’s never too early to read to your children.
  
  
• Make Every day a Learning Day - Ask your kids to help you make a shopping list. Read recipes with them and cook up a storm.
  
  
• No place Like Home - Create a special cozy reading place for your children and their books.
  
  
• Every Place is a Learning Place - For kids and families on the go, create a travel kit of books, newspapers, magazines, pencils, markers and paper for use in the car, bus or subway.
  
  
• Keep Teens Reading - Give your teens books, newspaper articles and magazines about things that interest them.
  
  
• Stay Involved - Go to meet-the-teacher nights at school.
  
  
• The Family that Reads Together LEARNS Together - Write down your children’s stories and talk to them about their ideas.
  
  
• Do First by Example - Enroll in a course like music or crafts and encourage them to do the same.

First Call BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition...

First Call – a coalition of more than 50 B.C. organizations, community groups and individuals who promote legislation, policy and practice on behalf of children, youth and families – has submitted a letter of intent for a Centre of Excellence on Early Childhood Development to be located in B.C. If they are successful in the letter of intent, they will be invited to write a proposal which must be submitted by March 2000.

For more information on the Centres of Excellence and the activities of First Call, contact

First Call BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
Cindy Carson, Coordinator
L408 - 4480 Oak Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3V4
Phone: (604) 875-3629 Fax: (604) 875-3569
Toll free: 1-800-307-1212
E-mail: info@firstcallbc.org
www.firstcallbc.org