One of the key findings of the report was that 25 per cent of children in our area are not ready for school by the time they enter Kindergarten. In a supposedly affluent area like the Central Okanagan, that is just not acceptable.
Immediately after the Central Okanagan Vital Signs Report was unveiled, the Central Okanagan Foundation joined forces with other funders interested in taking on this issue.
This is not the time to be operating in a silo -- this is the time to join with others in the field and work together to bring about positive change. The old saying that together we are greater than the sum of our parts couldn't be truer!
Historically, agencies have planned and worked in isolation, competing for scarce dollars and reacting to problems that already exist. The more rational approach is to focus on prevention and take competition out of the mix. The right thing to ask is “What can we jointly do to make a difference for children?”
Not only do we need non-profits working together, we also need funders working together if we are truly going to be successful in the long-term. From this observation came the birth of the Funding Really Early Development (FRED) Table, a funders table facilitated by Success By 6. It’s an opportunity for funders such as Central Okanagan Foundation, United Way, Okanagan Kids Care Fund, government and private foundations to liaise and talk about how we are meeting the needs of local children.
The Central Okanagan Foundation is delighted to be a founding member of FRED. As funders, we need to move away from “one-off” initiatives. What the FRED table offers is an opportunity to jointly invest in a high-impact project; have it jointly implemented by non-profits; and jointly evaluated by the investment partners.
Through this model, each investor is able to see how their individual money made a difference -- what their role was – as well as how the project as a whole made an impact in the community. Small investments pooled together can grow exponentially, as does the positive impact for the future of children.
Community research clearly points to the need for central places in the community dedicated to meeting the needs of young children and their caregivers. FRED decided this would be the perfect focus for our first funding initiative. Through Success by 6 and CATCH (Community Action Towards Children's Health) we decided to approach local service providers as a group. The result was a joint proposal by our local child-serving organizations to work together and put children's needs above any one particular service provider's mandate.
While the idea of Family Resource Programs is not new, the partnering approach is novel. Sharing staff, volunteers, resources and synergy is what this project is all about. Affectionately dubbed Sandbox Projects, the new approach offers central places throughout the community for parents and children to come together. The programs strengthen parenting, promote social networking, reduce isolation, and promote community cohesion. They are grounded in the belief that consistent, positive parenting practices and secure, healthy parent-child relationships are fundamental factors in all aspects of healthy child development.
With April as the big launch month, FRED has already raised $128,000 of the necessary $168,000 to enhance and expand seven programs in the coming year. We’re confident we will meet our target. Invitations are being prepared for our special “SANDBOX” announcements at seven locations throughout the area. And what do you think we’ll be serving to toast our success? … Milk and cookies, of course!
Leanne Hammond Komori is Executive Director of Central Okanagan Foundation
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