Early Childhood Development on track in Flagstaff Beaver *EXTRA Exclusive*

There are 2,000 days from conception to age five, and early childhood development studies have shown that this is a key time for children to develop critical skills that will not only affect their lives, but which will also contribute to the development of a healthier, more engaged and productive society.

“Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment,” says Cherise Backen, community coordinator for the Flagstaff Beaver Early Childhood Coalition.

The coalition was formed in 2011, to promote the healthy development of children 0-five years of age in Flagstaff and Beaver counties, funded by provincial seed grants which extend to November 2013.

After collecting information from every community in Alberta, as part of the Government of Alberta’s Early Childhood Development Mapping Initiative, and through surveys distributed by the coalition, the group has released the figures for Flagstaff and Beaver, and they look very good.

The information was collected using Early Development Instrument surveys, recognized and used across Canada and Internationally, in the Flagstaff Beaver area, which includes all of Flagstaff County and all of Beaver County with the exception of Tofield.

The surveys looked at five areas of childhood development, being social competence; physical health and well-being; emotional maturity; language and thinking skills; and communication and general knowledge.

Read the rest of this story in the February 12, 2013 Edition of Caribou Publishing’s EXTRA, in The Community Press, The Viking Weekly Review, The Tofield Mercury, and The Lamont Leader, all on newsstands now!