More than 230 representatives from the fields of health and social services, education, community organizations, and early childhood education gathered in Orford on Monday to launch “Thinking big for our children,” a regional charter focused on the promotion and support of children 0-5 years old in the Eastern Townships. The charter is an initiative of the Collectif estrien 0-5 ans and the Projet Partenaires pour la réussite éducative en Estrie (Project PRÉE), both of whom are organizations focused on improving the lives of the littlest locals. “We invite partners to rally around four focus areas,” said Josiane Bergeron, Coordinator of Project PRÉE, listing the priorities as supporting the role of parents as the most important factor in a child’s development, promoting early intervention, encouraging best practices, and having partner organizations act in harmony towards common goals. Marie-Andrée Roy, Coordinator of the Collectif estrien 0-5 ans, pointed out that the overall goal of this document is to get those groups most involved in the lives of young children in the region to commit to helping decrease the percentage of children entering the school system with vulnerabilities identified in one or more key development areas. See full story in the Wednesday, Nov. 20 edition of The Record.
