Family friendly celebration recognizes National Child Day
he Southwest Early Childhood Action Coalition hosted a special family event to celebrate National Child Day on November 20.
A Rights of the Child Day was hosted at the Bright Beginnings Family Centre, providing parents and their children a chance to have fun at a series of interactive stations which reflected the universal rights of children.
Jenise Tisdale from the Southwest Early Childhood Action Coalition said this first ever event in Swift Current was an ideal follow up to last year's launch of the Children's Charter of Rights.
"We thought this was another way to bring that to the attention of the community and an opportunity
Tto families to learn more about it in a fun, educational atmosphere," Tisdale said.
The Children's Charter recognizes the following universal rights of children from across the Southwest during their early years: - Right to Basic Needs; - Right to Be Safe; - Right to Overall WellBeing; - Right to Play and Learn; - Right to Belong; - Right to Be You; - Right to Be and Feel Loved.
The morning and evening sessions offered were also a chance for families to learn more about the coalition's members: Early Childhood Intervention Program (ECIP), Family Advocacy Program, Family Resource Centre, Parent Mentoring Program, Bright Beginnings, Cypress Health Region, Holy Trinity and Chinook School Divisions, the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre, Natural Wonders Early Learning Centre, and the Milestone Early Learning Centre.
"It's another opportunity to keep what momentum we had started a year ago, and to let everybody in the Southwest know that these member agencies and organizations are the driv- ing force of early learning. And you'd be amazed how many people in the Southwest don't know, still, what services are available in the community," explained Wayne Cormier, Executive Director of the Swift Current ECIP.
Swift Current hosted the launch event of the Rights of the Child Day, with the family play day being rolled out to nine additional Southwest communities over the coming weeks.