The Early Learning Hub was a lively place on Jan. 25, with more than 35 babies along with their parents and siblings coming in to celebrate. The Baby Welcome Party is an annual event put on by Success By6 & Children First to not only welcome the babies, but also allow the parents to network.
"This is the fourth year we've been doing this and we're not the only ones, Chetwynd does it Tumbler Ridge does it," said South Peace Success By6 & Children First coordinator Heidy Kux-Kardos." It's one of the ways for us to help mothers network and get to know other mums, especially the ones that come here to follow their husbands working in the patch; they don't know anybody here, they're totally foreign to everything. This is one way for them to meet other mums which is very important to have that support."
As well as cake and playtime at the Hub, Success By6 hired a photographer and sent each baby home with a gift. Kux-Kardos said the gift included some important resources for parents. Along with parenting information, the gift package had a brochure of all of the available early childhood development programs in Dawson Creek.
"There are lots and lots and lots," said Kux-Kardos. "I raised my children 40 years ago and there was nothing...we didn't have a Strong Start Centre, we didn't have Mother Goose, we certainly didn't have baby welcome parties or family days or National Child Day, all this is knew because we are really hoping that Canada will establish a family policy."
Kux-Kardos noted that there were big changes coming to early learning in British Columbia, with a provincial office opening in Victoria, as well as local units.
