Chilliwack is hosting an education expo that's intended to be a one-stop shop for early learning resources.
The Fraser Valley Early Childhood Expo is being held on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Landing Sports Centre from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m..
The event, which is targeting families with children five years and younger, will feature interactive activities, products, community resources and information workshops to inform families on how to best prepare their children for school readiness.
Areas of focus will include speech, physical, intellectual, and social development, as well as proper nutrition, dental, hearing, and more.
"It's a one-stop shop for our parents," said Charlotte DeBruyn, principal of Cultus Lake elementary and Early Years coordinator for the school district.
"It's basically just advertising all the community agencies out there for our families."
In Chilliwack, school readiness has been problematic for years.
"When you look at our EDI (Early Development Instrument) statistics, we're not sitting that pretty," said DeBruyn.
"Why is our EDI low? Is it because parents don't know what's out there, or is it because our children are more needy? I think it's a combination of both.
"We want to give our families a head start in education. We want to inform them on what's out there, and how to access it. We want to help our children successfully transition from preschool to kindergarten."
The event will have representation from the school district, Sto:lo community, Fraser Health, and the Chilliwack community at large.
There is no charge.
For more information, call 604-961-3620.
kbartel@theprogress.com
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