The Building Connections for Valley Families project is being completely funded through spring 2023 after a $100,000 grant was approved by the Comox Valley Community Foundation.
The project is focused on improving kid’s health.
The initiative is working to have less than 25 per cent of children in the Comox Valley be considered vulnerable on the early development instrument scale by 2025.
The project is in its fourth year and 40 per cent were considered vulnerable when it launched.
The early development instrument scale evaluates the developmental health of kids in kindergarten.
“The need for supports and connections for families is more critical now than ever,” explains
Joanne Schroeder, a member of the Building Connections steering committee.
“Families have been isolated and struggling through the pandemic and offering safe and welcoming spaces for families to gather, connect, and access supports is immensely valuable. Many parents have expressed concern over their child’s/children’s lack of social
contact during COVID-19. Often, attending the drop-in groups have been one of the first social
encounters for children whose beginning years have been overlapped with the pandemic.”
The grant is being delivered thanks to Vancouver Foundation’s Robert and Florence Filberg Fund for Medical (Health) Research.
“The Comox Valley Community Foundation is very pleased to continue its funding of this
important project,” said Christine Helpard, president of this Comox Valley Community Foundation. “Community connection is central to children’s healthy development and
creates a necessary web of resources and supports that families can easily rely on. When families are supported, children thrive and become the foundation of stronger communities in the long term.”
