Education
Health and Community Services
August 14, 2013
Parents of infants throughout Newfoundland and Labrador are now receiving early childhood learning resource kits, directly from their local public health clinic, at key points in their baby’s early development.
“After a successful pilot stage, we are now distributing parent resource kits throughout the province when children reach the age of two months, four months and six months old as part of their regularly scheduled public health clinic visits,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education, who was at the MacMorran Community Centre in St. John’s today to help mark the milestone. “Parents are their child’s first teachers, and these resource kits contain items which help children develop the physical, intellectual, and social skills that will give them the very best possible start in life.”
Parent resource kits for ages 12 months and 18 months have also been developed, and are now available in 20 pilot sites around the province. Province-wide distribution of those resources is expected to begin early next year. Kits for ages 24 and 36 months are currently under development.
“These parent resource kits contain valuable information that support a child’s development,” said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services. “Having information readily available through the province’s public health nurses will provide parents with helpful tools that will benefit the child through their formative years and later in life. By supporting a child’s development, we are contributing to healthy communities.”
The parent resource kit initiative is part of the Provincial Government’s early childhood learning strategy, Learning from the Start, and is conducted in partnership with regional health authorities. The kits include a variety of materials to encourage learning at home. By the time children reach Kindergarten, they will have received a range of early learning resources and developmentally-appropriate materials to extend their learning and development through everyday activities. Examples include books, play items and CDs of children’s music. Language and literacy development through play-based learning is a priority focus in all parent resource kits.
For more information on parent resource kits and other early childhood learning initiatives, visit: www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/earlychildhood/initiatives.html.
Photo:
Ella Dickinson was among the babies and parents who joined the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education, at the MacMorran Community Centre in St. John’s to announce the province-wide distribution of parent resource kits for children aged two months, four months and six months old – August 14, 2013.
Media contacts:
| Heather May Director of Communications Department of Education 709-729-0048, 697-5061 heathermay@gov.nl.ca |
Scott Barfoot Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 690-6290 scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca |
2013 08 14 11:55 a.m.