RED DEER, ALBERTA, June 26, 2007 — Bob Mills, Member of
Parliament for Red Deer, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of
Human Resources and Social Development, today announced an investment of
$358,660 over three years for the Understanding the Early Years initiative in
Red Deer.
“Canada’s new government is delivering on our commitments on early childhood
development and child care,” said MP Mills. “Understanding the Early Years will
gather information on the developmental needs of children under six in Red Deer
and develop an action plan to respond to those needs.”
The Understanding the Early Years is a national initiative that supports
young children and their families in communities across Canada. The aim is to
create a community action plan to enable communities to address the
developmental needs of their children under six.
Understanding the Early Years Red Deer will focus on children from birth to
six years old. It will gather information of the needs of children from all
backgrounds, including children of recent immigrants and refugees, Aboriginal
children and children in disadvantaged circumstances. The three-year project
will identify resources available for young children in Red Deer as well as
service gaps. Representatives of over 30 child- and family-serving
organizations, parents, teachers and community leaders will work together to
develop an action plan to respond to the needs of children in Red Deer.
Understanding the Early Years is in addition to Canada’s New Government’s
Universal Child Care Plan. Almost 2 million children under the age of six now
benefit from $2.4 billion provided directly each year to families under the new
Universal Child Care Benefit, which was introduced in July 2006. Also, in Budget
2007, the government announced a new Child Tax Credit that will provide more
than 3 million Canadian families with up to $310 of tax relief for each child
under 18.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
Visit the new HRSDC Web site - http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/home.shtml.
For more information (media only):
Pema LhalungpaPress SecretaryOffice of Minister
Solberg819-994-2482
Media Relations OfficeHuman Resources and Social Development
Canada819-994-5559
backgrounder
What is UEY?
The Understanding the Early Years (UEY) Initiative provides communities with
the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canada’s
children.
UEY does this by helping communities use local information and fostering
partnerships among community groups to make decisions about the best policies
and programs for young children to thrive.
Up to 50 communities will be funded by the UEY Initiative. The planned budget
for the initiative is $45.3 million.
What information is collected?
Communities collect information on:
the development of their kindergarten children;
family and community factors that influence their children’s development;
and
local programs and services that help children develop to their full
potential.
What does UEY do for communities?
Information collected through UEY helps communities understand how their
children are doing physically, socially and cognitively, and how families and
the community are supporting these children. Parents, teachers and others can
then learn about what works in their community and together come up with
creative solutions to help their children do even better.
What does UEY involve?
Each selected UEY community is given funding of approximately $350,000,
depending on local needs. The funding is allocated over three years for a
coordinator and a part-time researcher, to collect information, produce research
reports and to develop an action plan. Each site is managed by a non-profit
sponsoring organization and a coalition made up of local organizations and
individuals committed to helping children and families reach their full
potential.
How are communities selected?
Interested communities must submit a proposal through a Call for Proposals
process. There are currently no Calls for Proposals open. Once open, Calls for
Proposals will be posted on the Human Resources and Social Development Canada’s
Web site.
Visit http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/home.shtml
for further information.
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