MIDDLE CHILDHOOD MATTERS STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre

13458 107 Ave, Surrey

9:30 – 11:30

Sept 29, 2014

Minutes

CHAIR: DALJIT GILL-BADESHA

PRESENT:
Della Wylie, Centre for Child Development
Helgi Remmelg, The Children’s Foundation
Erol Olcay, Surrey Libraries
Craig Smith, Options
Frank Frigon, Community
Lara Gray, YMCA
Doni Koskela, Alexandra Neighbourhood House
Rhea Hubbard, Alexandra Neighbourhood House
Chinu Das, United Way of Lower Mainland
Daljit Gill-Badesha, Chair / Danielle Jimeno, Surrey Hospital Childcare Society
Jane Sauer, Children’s Partnership
Sharlene Wedel, Options
Corina Carroll, Diversity
Rozlyn Jacques , Boys & Girls Club
Sukh Shergill, Surrey Schools
Alex Gist, YWCA
Sharon MacRae, Public Health
Laura Soon, Children’s Partnership, MCFD
Steve Boyd, CSP Surrey School District
1. Welcome & Introduction / Jane Sauer was introduced as new coordinator of Children’s Partnership and a bit of her background was given. Anne Cooper, retired Superintendent from Revelstoke has also been hired to work with the systems of the public partners. Attendees introduced themselves and their organizations. Each identified which of the five functions of MCM table that they found to be very relevant and beneficial to their organization ( many resonated with building sector capacity and raising awareness of the importance of middle years)
2. Approval of Agenda / Item of recent crime in Surrey added.
3. Approval of May 12, 2014 minutes. / Approved as circulated
3.1. Business Arising / Middle Childhood Development Guide
-Task force will reconvene (Dal, Alex, Sharlene, Rhea, Steve, Helgi).
-Jane will send out doodle poll to arrange a meeting at CP office 10453 Whalley Blvd
Positon Paper Task group
-Dal has informed that the Children’s Partnership is very open to hearing from MCM group in regards to the issues and concerns of the middle years table.
- Similar work is being conducted with community schools focusing on out of school time and research associated in that area. Information could possibly augment the foundation that MCM develops.
-Task group set up is Dal, Rhea, Frank, Sukh.
“Unplug & Connect “ Initiative
-Tri-cities has partnered with Optimist Group to present key message out to the community; Unplug & Connect to people, Unplug & Connect to Nature. Catalyst was from MDI results that showed vulnerability in area of sleep and nutrition.
- Discussion centered on need for attention to framing of the message; it cannot be black and white, but should center on support to parents, social etiquette for devices, cultural component. It was decided that the middle childhood development guide task group look at the message and see how and where it interfaces with the guide. They will report back to the group.
MNMF
Laura updated on My Neighborhood, My Future. It is a place based initiative that is focused on the early years 0-6 taking place in Tri-Cities and Guildford West. Research team from SFU has carried out Phase 1; has had a different approach on addressing the needs in a community. Goal is to take the learnings from this pilot to apply to other neighborhoods as well as beyond the early years.
Coordinator Update
-Jane has been updating the email list and is inviting attendees to notify Jane if there are any names that should be added or deleted off the email list.
-Also have been getting to know organizations and distributing resources. If you need specific resources, please email.
-Nov 13 is when I will go the regional MCM coordinator’s meeting with Dal; will be updated on schools out grant, community schools, MDI , and Lower Mainland out of School Alliance
- printing of the insert of the profile should be completed this week
3.2 New Business Arising / -The recent murder of a young woman in Surrey is alarming given some of the knowledge that we have of the perpetrator. He was known by police, had a record, and as a child had behavioral issues ie attacked his kindergarten teacher
-Difficult to measure prevention programs and the link to crime reduction
-Combination of both parenting support as well as addressing behavior issues, as well as gaps in services. Need for seamless support for families.
- Explore if a contact with RCMP can be fostered, some names given were Nicole Pool or Marty Blais
-Jane will email the candidate meeting to the group so that support can be lent to short presentation that is given.
- either letter to editor or article to newspaper be submitted; timeline would be two weeks before election
X- Sectoral training - suggestions of potential trainers
-Lynn Miller, Gordon Neufeld, Debra Macnamara, Vanessa Lapointe, Colleen Drobot, Tonya Shaw,
4 Member Updates
Chinu
Some departmental changes; Bev Pitman is the Strategic Planner for 0-6 yrs, Kim Winchell is the Director of Social Impact and Research Development , and Mary Ellen _ ------is k ------
Rhea
Erol
-Summer Reading Club participation was down , but still successful.
-Reading buddies- teen volunteers with young readers (Gr 2-4 ) on Wed 3:45-4:45 pm. Six libraries are participating
-Friends of Simon is a tutor and homework help program at Central Library, register online.
Sukh
-In collaboration with Ministry of Aboriginal Culture & Support they are having after school programs with traditional games ; archery, canoeing, lacrosse.
Roslyn
Full day camps, t
Della
-successful summer camps
-space in their program for children who witness abuse
Danielle
-they provided strike care, but it was for kids from other communities. Surrey seemed to have done a good job of filling in.
-Kudos to the Cloverdaleskate park; it is a model that has garnered attention around the region. It is a safe place, has multi-age use, and supportive for individuals that have special needs.
Dalljit
-Kids Conference, Nov 1 & 2, material will be sent out soon
-invited to participate in the planning
Doni
Spring break camps were very successful, shifting focus to summer camps, including adult, children and newcomer camps.
6. Next meeting / November 17, 9:30 – 11:30 am, Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre