March 21, 2001
Twenty-two parent-child centre coalitions across Manitoba will share more than $750,000 in developmental or implementation funding from the province this fiscal year, Family Services and Housing Minister Tim Sale and Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson announced today on behalf of the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet.
One of the core commitments of Healthy Child Manitoba, the parent-child centred approach brings resources together in communities across the province to support parenting, improve children’s nutrition and literacy, and build the capacity for helping families in communities.
"Healthy children today are the foundation of a better future for all Manitobans," Sale said. "We know the importance of early childhood development in preparing children for school and lifelong learning. With this funding and new approach, we are moving forward with our government’s goal to encourage the active involvement and support of community organizations that can promote, develop, carry out and sustain healthy child initiatives."
"Communities have reminded us of the importance of gathering together on behalf of our children," Robinson said. "Together, communities know best how to offer services for children and families. Resources will be more effectively co-ordinated by bringing together local organizations, agencies and other community groups to offer services that respect and complement local culture, language and traditions."
Parent-child centres will work through places Manitobans already know and trust, and will partner with government in a new way to achieve a common goal: healthy, safe, secure children who succeed in learning and in the community.
Sale noted that Healthy Child Manitoba is working with regional and community area coalitions to discuss and co-ordinate planning for parent-child centred activities for their areas. These groups include parents, school divisions, health authorities, child and family services, child care and Aboriginal community leaders, representatives for the disabled, and other interested community members.
Developmental funding has been provided to coalitions in nine regional areas: Burntwood, Central, Churchill, Interlake, Marquette, Norman, North Eastman, South Eastman and South Westman. The six Winnipeg community areas receiving developmental funding are Assiniboine South, Inkster, Seven Oaks, St. James-Assiniboia, St. Vital and Transcona. Across Manitoba, developmental funding will be provided to the Fédération Provinciale Des Comités De Parents (FPCP) and the Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres.
Implementation funding has been provided to community coalitions from four regional areas: Brandon, Central, North Eastman and Parkland. To date, implementation funding has been received by four Winnipeg community areas: Downtown, River East, Seven Oaks and St. Boniface. The FPCP will also receive implementation funding.
Through Healthy Child Manitoba, communities are partners with government in the design, development, delivery and evaluation of programs and services for Manitoba’s children. Each parent-child centre’s approach represents a unique aspect of the diversity of communities across Manitoba.
"The early years of childhood set the stage for physical, social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual development," Sale said. "Supporting early childhood development builds safer, healthier and more vibrant communities."
Healthy Child Manitoba is an initiative of the Manitoba government that works across departments to build a community development approach for the well-being of Manitoba’s children, families and communities, with a priority focus on conception through infancy and the preschool years.
It is led by the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet, chaired by the minister of family services and housing, and comprising the ministers of Aboriginal and northern affairs; culture, heritage and tourism; education, training and youth; health; justice; and the minister responsible for the status of women.
The five core commitments of Healthy Child Manitoba are parent-child centres, prenatal and early childhood nutrition programs, nurses in schools, fetal alcohol syndrome/fetal alcohol effect prevention, and adolescent pregnancy prevention.
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Parent-Child Centres Q&As
Q. What is a Parent-Child Centre?
A. Each parent-child centre is unique. Every Parent-Child Centre approach is determined locally. Community partners meet to assess the needs and capacities of families in their area. They examine ways to build on existing community resources and develop proposals to meet identified needs. Parent-child centred activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:
These activities can be delivered through any or all of the four following approaches:
Q. What are the three phases of Parent-Child Centres?
A. There are three phases of development for Parent-Child Centres:
Q. How is funding distributed across the province?
A. To ensure accessibility across Manitoba, Healthy Child Manitoba has followed the geographic boundaries used for health planning in the province: Regional Health Authorities in the rural areas and Community Areas within the City of Winnipeg. There is roughly the same proportion of children within each of these geographic areas. Healthy Child community stakeholders join together as coalitions within these geographic boundaries.
Q. What is a Healthy Child community?
A. Each regional or community coalition should generally consist of representatives/stakeholders from each of the following groups:
Q. How is the amount of funding requested?
A. Regional or community area coalitions request funding after considering their own needs and capacities for Parent-Child Centred activities.
Q. Who makes the decisions for funding?
A. Based on these requests, Healthy Child Manitoba makes recommendations to the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet for approvals on funding for each regional or community coalition.
Q. Who is responsible for managing the funds in each coalition?
A. Any incorporated, non-profit organization identified and supported by the overall regional or community area coalition.
For specific information on the grant to your region, please call Healthy Child Manitoba at 1-888-848-0140.
PARENT CHILD CENTRES APPROVED TO DATE
|
Regions |
% of Population Age 0 - 4 |
Approved Developmental |
Approved Implementation |
REGION TOTALS |
|
Brandon |
6% |
|
$ 75,000 |
$ 75,000 |
|
Burntwood |
12% |
$ 25,000 |
|
$ 25,000 |
|
Central |
8% |
$ 25,000 |
$ 37,500 |
$ 62,500 |
|
Churchill |
10% |
$ 25,000 |
|
$ 25,000 |
|
Interlake |
6% |
$ 25,000 |
|
$ 25,000 |
|
Marquette |
6% |
$ 3,500 |
|
$ 3,500 |
|
Norman |
9% |
$ 25,000 |
|
$ 25,000 |
|
North Eastman |
7% |
$ 25,000 |
$ 24,000 |
$ 49,000 |
|
Parkland |
6% |
|
$ 40,000 |
$ 40,000 |
|
South Eastman |
8% |
$25,000 |
|
$ 25,000 |
|
South Westman |
6% |
$ 6,000 |
|
$ 6,000 |
|
Wpg. St. James Assiniboia |
6% |
$ 25,000 |
|
$ 25,000 |
|
Wpg. Assiniboine South |
5% |
$ 25,000 |
|
$ 25,000 |
|
Wpg. St. Vital |
7% |
$ 3,500 |
|
$ 3,500 |
|
Wpg. St. Boniface |
6% |
$ 40,000 |
$ 40,000 |
|
|
Wpg. Transcona |
7% |
$ 25,000 |
|
$ 25,000 |
|
Wpg. River East |
6% |
|
$ 50,000 |
$ 50,000 |
|
Wpg. Seven Oaks |
6% |
$ 10,000 |
$ 37,500 |
$ 47,500 |
|
Wpg. Inkster |
8% |
$ 1,200 |
|
$ 1,200 |
|
Wpg. Downtown |
7% |
|
$ 75,000 |
$ 75,000 |
|
FPCP / CREE |
$ 25,000 |
$ 37,500 |
$ 62,500 |
|
|
MB. Association of Friendship Centres |
|
$ 65,000 |
|
$ 65,000 |
|
TOTALS |
|
$364,200 |
$416,500 |
$780,700 |
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