Better Beginnings

A Helping Hand Toward The Future

History

The Better Beginnings Program is a Swan Valley Initiative in support of the health and learning development of prenatal to age 5 children and their families. Recent studies have shown the years from birth to five years old are the most important in a child's growth. A child's activities, during this crucial period, can determine how the child's brain is wired. This wiring then lays the groundwork for how the child will get along and learn later on in life.

Better Beginnings is a partnership of service organizations aimed at addressing these issues. Our goal is to create a positive and nurturing environment in the mobile Family Resource Centre settings that allows a child to develop to their fullest potential.

The Program is funded through the Province of Manitoba - Healthy Child Initiative in conjunction with the Swan Valley School Division.

Currently, we have over 130 active families participating in our Program throughout the Valley. Total parent/child contact attendance in each community since September 2002 is as follows:

Benito- 144 parent contacts/220 child contacts 21 registered families.

Bowsman- 110 parent contacts/156 child contacts 14 registered families.

Birch River- 126 parent contacts/209 child contacts 14 registered families.

Mafeking- 41 parent contacts/50 child contacts 8 registered families.

Minitonas- 136 parent contacts/259 child contacts 17 registered families.

Swan River- 134 parent contacts/230 child contacts 59 registered families.

In total 178, group sessions were held with 691 parent and 1124 child contacts.

Families with children five and under are welcome to the program at any time.

Better Beginnings Committee/Community Partners

Better Beginnings is a partnership of community service organizations aimed at providing an effective networking and referral systems. Our partners include the following agencies:

• Public Health/Baby First Program
• Swan Valley School Division
• Swan River Daycare
• School Trustee Representative
• Swan River Friendship Centre Headstart Program
• Swan Valley Recreation Program
• Parent Council Representative
• Swan Valley Crisis Centre
• Department of Family Services
• SUCCEED Program

• To provide mobile family resource programming for families in the Swan River Valley. Topic areas will include nutrition, literacy, early childhood development and parenting tips of the prenatal to age 5 population through a focus on researched brain-based learning opportunities.
• To provide effective school readiness programming easing the transition to Kindergarten successfully.
• To provide information support of families, communities and agencies ensuring awareness of current community resources. Provide networking opportunities to enhance community-capacity building to more effectively serve the needs of the families with children five years and younger.

• Stay n' Play Drop - In which includes a parenting and literacy component. In addition, there are themes on basic school readiness skills and monthly cooking with parents and kids.
• Parenting information workshops (topics such as: Stress Management, Budgeting, Behavior, etc.)
• Resource Information and Referrals to agencies (awareness on a variety of topics and community resources)
• Special Events (celebrating "National Family Week", "I Love to Read" month, etc.)
• Home Visits (introductory visits to provide more information on the program)