Jasper

The Early Childhood Collaborative Action Team

Kathleen Waxer, director, Jasper Community and Family Services, (left), and Lynda Shore, outreach worker, Community Outreach Services

​​​​Even though Jasper is known worldwide for its hiking, skiing and other outdoor activities, many people who live in this beautiful mountain community are still concerned that children are not getting enough outdoor play and physical activity. The issue was raised during the coalition’s release of its first EDI data in the spring of 2013. Coalition members came away from the event “realizing that children are doing a lot more playing on the computer and a lot less outside play, so we looked at ways to encourage that,” says Kathleen Waxer, chair of the coalition. EDI baseline results also showed that 20 per cent of kindergarten-aged children are experiencing difficulty or great difficulty in physical health and well-being.

Community at a glance

EDI baseline results

Strengths

• Jasper is a relatively small town, which makes it easier to get information out to the community.
• Instead of forming a new coalition, the town chose to work through an existing organization, the Early Childhood Collaborative Action Team. The team is part of the Municipality’s Community Outreach Services and was started more than 20 years ago. Professionals in the group have been collaborating for many years and feel confident of their ability to act as stewards of the data for their community.
• The town has a municipally operated and subsidized, high-quality, licensed and accredited child-care centre for children aged 0 to 5. It is one of the few municipal centres in Alberta.

Challenges

• Jasper is fairly isolated geographically. Edmonton, the closest large city, is located 360 kilometers away. This means that many services for children, especially for those with special needs, are unavailable within the community. Parents have to travel long distances to access certain services.
• Living costs are expensive, including such basics as housing and child care.
• Involving people who don’t have young children themselves, or who don’t work with young children in issues related to early childhood development can be a challenge.

Coalition action

• Jasper coalition poster

  ​​​​In June 2014, the coalition lobbied for the development of a new playground with equipment appropriate for children aged 0-5. The town is dismantling an old playground and was considering installing new equipment for children aged 5-12. The coalition used EDI physical health and well-being results to make its case. The coalition also noted the importance of play in developing other skills, such as social competence, an area in which one in three children are experiencing difficulty or great difficulty. While the town has not made any final decisions yet, officials are now aware of the importance of developmentally appropriate play space for younger children.
• A series of posters were produced to provide community members with basic knowledge about early development. The posters are displayed at the Parent Link Center, local daycares and in the utility newsletter that residents receive monthly.
• A wine and cheese event was organized in the spring of 2013 to release the community’s preliminary EDI results. The goal was to attract a diverse crowd and stimulate a community conversation.  More than 60 people attended, walking through stations that explained the importance of children’s brain development, the EDI and why early child development matters. The relaxed atmosphere encouraged people to discuss the EDI results, and their observations and ideas were summarized on a smart board.

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