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Make Children First’s CareFairs are going out with a bang

Folllowing changes to funding, upcoming CareFairs in the region will be the last ones ever held
15608437_web1_190219-ACC-M-Carefair-poster
CareFairs are coming to Ashcroft, Cache Creek, and Clinton for the last time. Photo: Make Children First.

A series of CareFairs from Make Children First are coming to Clinton, Cache Creek, and Ashcroft, and Deanna Horsting—a Make Children First coordinator in the area for eight years—says these will be the last ones ever held.

Make Children First is a provincially-funded group, and the local branch serves Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Clinton, Spences Bridge, and the surrounding area. However, the government recently announced that they were changing the funding for Make Children First as of March 31, 2019, and restructuring the local branches so they will be fewer and bigger.

“They’re going in a different direction,” says Horsting. Funds will now be provided directly to established programs such as Head Start, and will not go for things like CareFairs. The current coordinators have been laid off as of March 31, and although they are able to bid on the new positions, Horsting is uncertain as to whether or not she will do that.

“It was poorly rolled out,” she says. “I heard about it on the radio, because some of the smaller communities fell through the cracks. In addition to the existing communities, this branch will also cover Merritt, Lillooet, and Lytton.”

In the meantime, she decided to go out with a bang. “We’ve been holding CareFairs for 15 years, and usually we just hold one a year and rotate around the different communities.” This year there will be a CareFair at David Stoddart School in Clinton on Thursday, Feb. 21; one at Cache Creek Elementary School on Thursday, Feb. 28; and one at Desert Sands Community School in Ashcroft on Thursday, March 7. All the fairs run from noon to 2 p.m.

“They’re free, fun, drop-in events focused on children aged zero to six, as well as their parents and caregivers,” explains Horsting. “We try to bring together all the people providing services locally for these groups, such as a speech therapist, the public health nurse, a doula, a mental health specialist, people from the Elizabeth Fry Society and the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the RCMP, people to talk about dental health, and more.” Representatives from the local pre-schools (Ashcroft Early Learning, the Cache Creek preschool, and Cariboo Kids in Clinton) will also be at the fair in their community.

Horsting notes that while no assessments are done at the CareFairs, participants are welcome to talk to the people who are there, get more information, and set up appointments if necessary. There will also be a bouncy castle at each CareFair, along with fun, games, crafts, and refreshments.

“I hope lots of families can come out,” says Horsting. “It’s a chance for a meet-and-greet, to learn about different services provided, and spend time with the local service providers.”



editorial@accjournal.ca

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