Childhood Education

Early Childhood Care and Education is an important subject as it involves the health and minds of the youngest and most impressionable portion of a population. Making sure culturally appropriate programs are available across Canada has become an important issue in this field. Different cultures have different ways of learning and different skills which they believe are important to impart to their youths.

Here are some resources, both government and private, which are attempting to provide a variety of materials and methods of learning, for all children to benefit from.

1. An overview of the Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) government program that provides organizations for Indigenous preschool children and their families living off-reserve in urban centers and northern communities.
   
   https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/childhood-adolescence/programs-initiatives/aboriginal-head-start-urban-northern-communities-ahsunc.html
   
   https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/childhood-adolescence/publications/aboriginal-head-start-urban-northern-initiative.html


2. An impact report of the AHSUNC program on children's readiness for entering schools in their area.
   
   https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/aboriginal-head-start-school-readiness.html


3. Unikkaangualaurtaa: Let's Tell a Story is a collection of stories, songs, and activities for young children. The main objective of the manual is to provide information about how to make and use developmentally appropriate, Inuit-specific materials in a childcare setting. Please contact us for a copy of the PDF version.


4. The Moving Child Care Forward project is designed to broaden understanding of early childhood education and child care policy issues. This brief explicates contextual factors that are important to quality Aboriginal early childhood education.
   
   https://movingchildcareforward.ca/images/policybriefs/MCCF_aboriginal_childcare_canada.pdf


5. This site is for a publishing house and bookstore for authentic indigenous content. It also provides current and relevant learning strategies that support ALL learners.
   
   https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_type.php?it=3


6. This is a Youtube video of keynote speech by Keith McCrady at the 2017 Summer Institute on Early Childhood Development. His speech focuses on Truth and Reconciliation and the duty of early childhood education and care to provide culturally appropriate programs, and the importance of working with indigenous families and communities to provide for children.
   
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIwiPd5kwaI&feature=youtu.be