Premier Robert Ghiz visited the CHANCES Family Centre today to meet with Best Start workers and families.
The provincial government recently announced new funding of $219,000 for the Best Start program which is an intensive screening, assessment and in-home visiting program for children and parents who face challenges.
Premier Ghiz says the new funding will allow families to receive Best Start services until their child is aged two. Previously, the service was only available until the child became 18 months old.
“Government is very pleased to expand this early intervention program because it is proven to increase a child’s opportunity for success in childhood and later life,” said the Premier. “Through the commitment and cooperation of public health nurses, we are able to screen every newborn infant on the Island within two weeks of their birth. Then, highly skilled Best Start workers are able to follow the child and the family for a two-year period, a time that is critical to the child’s development and the parents’ ability to develop parenting skills.”
The program is offered by six family resource centres across the Island. It serves approximately 400 families each year.
BACKGROUNDER
BEST START PROGRAM EXPANSION
Best Start is a voluntary in-home visiting program that identifies and provides service to families who face challenges and who can benefit from additional support.
The program has two components: Public health nurses screen all infants at birth and their families. Best Start workers offer weekly in-home visiting support to families. It is a voluntary program that is offered province-wide.
Families participating in the Best Start Program may be experiencing a variety of social, health, economic and educational challenges.
Parents receive help in such areas as physical care of the child, nutrition, infant stimulation, breast feeding, child development and parent-child activities.
Early screening and support can identify and address risk factors, and increase a child’s success throughout life. Best Start can reduce the negative impact of abuse and neglect and improve outcomes such as self esteem and readiness to learn.
Best Start helps parents to deal with stress, to interact positively with their children, and to improve their personal development. It increases their knowledge of child development and their understanding of their child’s temperament. Parents also receive information and support with school, training and employment opportunities.
Best Start workers meet regularly with families in their own environment. This enables the worker to learn first-hand about the life conditions of the parents and to respond appropriately to the family.
Best Start has been operating for five years as a province-wide program with provincial government funding. It is offered by CHANCES Family Centre in partnership with the other six Family Resource Centres in PEI which include: the Coalition actions pour enfants, Wellington; Mi’Kmaq Family Resource Centre, Charlottetown; KidsWest, Alberton; Family Place, Summerside; Families First, Montague; and Main Street Family Resource Centre, Souris.
In PEI, 382 children benefitted from the program in 2005-2006, as well as 179 other children, most often siblings of the Best Start child.
In 2005-2006, there were 1175 screens completed, 387 positive screens, 193 assessments, 188 referrals to BestStart and 4194 home visits.