Wednesday, March 22nd from 12:30pm-2:00pm
Location: Weird Church (2688 Penrith Ave, Cumberland)
Childminding available on site (limited space- please indicate in your RSVP)
Please RSVP to Jessie, at earlyyearscollaborative@gmail.com
*If you cannot attend, but would like to remain on our communications list, please let Jessie know.

Hello wonderful Cumberland community members, stakeholders, and parents/caregivers of young children and families,

On behalf of the Comox Valley Early Years Collaborative, we’re pleased to invite you to community meeting focused specifically on improving connectedness, support, and accessibility for Cumberland’s early years families. The Early Years Collaborative is a network of over 50 individuals and organizations with a shared mission to: collectively engage, educate, and inform our communities to enhance early years supports and services for children (conception to age 8), their families, and the Comox Valley.

Under our network umbrella, we have been working on a research project called the “Building Connections for Valley Families” project.

Over the last 3 years, we have been engaging with early years parents/families, service providers, and community members in various neighbourhoods of the Comox Valley.  Through conversation, surveys, working sessions, and meetings, we have collected valuable data about the early years experience of children and families living in Cumberland. This information, along with the Early Development Instrument (EDI) data from Cumberland, has helped us begin to understand the specific neighbourhood level contexts in which young children grow and develop.

In September 2022, we held a “Working Session to Support Cumberland Early Years Families” at the Fallen Alders Hall. Some of you may have been in attendance. At this session, we discussed innovative ideas that came directly from parents/caregivers of young children (those with lived experience). These ideas were focused around some tangible ways we could better support families. To view the Cumberland summary report, go HERE!

Cumberland Parent Visioning/ Desired Outcomes:

• Parents have supports and deeper connections to manage stress and improve well-being.

• Families are accessing services, supports and resources to understand and meet their child’s needs.

• The welcoming and vibrant characteristics of Cumberland expand to all families in an inclusive and engaging way.

• Children are socially comfortable and confident with tools to manage anxiety and healthy child development

The logical first step that emerged from the September Working Session was that we need more time together, in community, to build relationships, discuss possible activities, and increase community awareness of the importance of the early years (0-8) within Cumberland.

We’re ready to bring as many of you together to carry on this important conversation. 

We’re calling the first official Cumberland Early Years Collaborative meeting on Wednesday, March 22nd from 12:30pm-2:00pm. This will be in person, and we welcome you to forward this information to others who may be interested.

Meeting participants, please note:

• Light refreshments will be served.

• On site childminding will be available for up to 7 children with a fabulous SD71 Teacher On Call and fellow early years parent, Jessie Sheridan-Busch.

• Please RSVP to Jessie, at earlyyearscollaborative@gmail.com