Jenny Mckay knows how vital the KidsFirst program can be for families. In the early 2000s, she moved to Yorkton with her family to partake in the then-new program. 15 years later, she’s the community outreach education worker for KidsFirst Yorkton.
“[The program] empowers families,” she said.
Mckay and her co-workers are thrilled with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education’s recent announcement that the province-wide KidsFirst program will receive over $15 million for 2018-19.
KidsFirst focuses on families with children in the range of prenatal to age three. The program offers support for parents, including youth education, general parenting knowledge, and community connections. The program centers on families in vulnerable circumstances, but Linda Spracklin-Cross, manager of Integrated Primary Health Services with Saskatchewan Health Authority, said KidsFirst is there for anyone.
“Vulnerable is so subjective,” she said. “It’s really [for] any family that would benefit from parenting curriculum.”
“The program is for anybody who needs the extra help,” said Ruth Love, a KidsFirst community support worker.
KidsFirst Yorkton plans to use the incoming funds for education programs and for outreach with new Canadians and Aboriginal groups.
“Part of the renewal strategy..for this year [is] really reaching out to all the cultures,” Spracklin-Cross said.
KidsFirst runs programs in Yorkton, Meadow Lake, the Battlefords, Nipawin, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina, and Saskatoon, along with their surrounding rural communities. KidsFirst also serves 12 communities in northern Saskatchewan.
“This isn’t a program in isolation,” Spracklin-Cross said. “It’s about building connections.”
