Healthy Children

Working with community members (children, parents, elders), service providers, and other stakeholders, we are learning about what community assets are in place to support the healthy development of children, and where there are gaps in programs/services/supports that enable children to be healthy and thrive.

Objective #2: Healthy Children

The resilience of children and youth in the Strathcona Region was identified as a core goal at the Community Forums (June and November, 2015). The BC Poverty Report Card (2016) states that 163,260 (19.8%) children in BC are living below the poverty line. It also reports that 24.1% of children in the Strathcona Regional District are living in poverty.

While the Strathcona region has benefited from a long history of strong early years advocates with strong, cross-sectoral tables, there were some gaps identified where the Network could add value:

In 2016, Early Years Development Instrument (EDI) data was released that showed childhood vulnerability in School District 84 is the highest in BC; a collaborative project between School District 84, Island Health, Success by Six, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, and the Strathcona Community Health Network was initiated in December 2016 and received funding for a collective impact project in March 2017.
At the November 2015 Forum a potential role for the Network in supporting Child and Youth initiatives around Mental Health and Substance Use was identified. In 2016, funding for the Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Local Action Team ceased and the Health Network was approached to collaborate on trauma-informed practice projects. Partners include SD72, the CR Division of Family Practice, and Island Health.

Data sources: Strathcona Community Health Network Forum Report (June 2015), Strathcona Community Health Network Forum Report (November 2015), Early Years Development Instrument, McCreary Report, Island Health LHA Report 84 (2016), Island Health LHA Report 72 (2016), BC Poverty Report Card (2016).