First six years critical to life-long success

Imagine Kamloops in 2025. When you think of the emerging business leaders of the day, what do you see? Do these new recruits have the social, emotional and intellectual skills to lead positive change in your business and community?

To predict the competence of future business leaders, scientists are saying, you may want to look less at what’s happening in our business schools and more at what’s happening in our preschools.

Researchers have uncovered compelling evidence showing that what happens in our early years - from conception to age six – has the most influence on our brain development of any time in our life. In fact, it sets the stage for learning, behaviour and health over our lifetime.

“It’s in the first six years that the brain creates the connections between the billions of brain cells we’re born with,” explains Valerie Janz, Implementation Manager for Make Children First. “It’s these permanent connections, or pathways, that create the brain’s foundation that support us for life.”

So how do we ensure good connections for healthy brain development?

“Making sure children have good nutrition, lots of positive stimulation, love and responsive care are some good examples,” says Janz. “The first six years are critical. Children who don’t receive what they need for healthy development during this time may have great difficulty overcoming deficits later on. Considering our children are our economic, social and political future, that should be a concern for everyone in our society.”

To help our community better support early childhood development, the Ministry of Children and Families is funding Make Children First (MCF). It’s one of 14 community-based learning initiatives of its kind set-up throughout the province.

“Make Children First is provincially funded, but we’re community-run,” says Janz. “Our implementation committee, made up of community members, decides how the funds can best be spent to benefit children and families in Kamloops. The goal is to build a model for early intervention, increased community involvement and greater integration of services to support young children.

To better identify how Kamloops children are developing, MCF is working with the University of British Columbia’s Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) to assess kindergarten children’s readiness to participate in, and benefit from, school activities. Outcomes reflect early development and can predict performance later in life. Growing Up In Kamloops, a project in partnership with the University College of the Cariboo’s Early Childhood Development faculty, is surveying parents and caregivers to identify their needs and what barriers they experience in trying to access services. Results will be mapped according to city zones to better understand where support is most needed.

“And we’re working on linking community services so there is a more cohesive and coordinated approach to referrals and awareness of what’s available to support children and families. The earlier we identify problems and get support for the child, the more positive the outcome will be.”

Perhaps the greatest impact MCF will have though, says Janz, is in helping parents understand the importance of the first six years. “Families are the first and best support a child can have. We’ve developed some engaging posters, brochures and advertisements that are meant to raise awareness and suggest practical ways to support young children.”

Make Children First welcomes your involvement. If you want to know more about their initiatives, order posters or brochures, or join the implementation committee, call Valerie Janz, Implementation Manager at 554-3134.