Early Childhood Health in our Community – Information Sharing March 7 and March 12

The South East Edmonton Early Childhood Coalition (SEEECCC ) is offering:

EDI DATA SHARING SESSIONS – Wed, March 7 at 1pm and Mon, March 12 at 7pm

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Parents, educators, childcare professionals, community members, and anyone interested in the early years are invited to the SE Edmonton EDI Sharing Session on

Wednesday, March 7 from 1–3pm or

Monday, March 12  7 – 9pm

at St. Anthony’s Centre (10425 – 84 Ave).

It is well known that our early childhood experiences influence health, well-being, learning and behavior for the rest of our lives. Although families play a crucial role in the type of experiences young children have, the community also plays an important role in helping families ensure that these experiences support healthy early child development.

What is the EDI? (Information from www.edi.offordcentre.com )

The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a questionnaire completed by kindergarten teachers in Alberta every three years that measures children’s ability to meet age-appropriate developmental expectations in five general domains:

• Physical Health and Well-Being – Sample EDI Question: Would you say that this child is well coordinated (moves without running into things or tripping over things)?
• Social Competence – Sample EDI Question: Would you say that his child is able to follow one-step instructions?
• Emotional Maturity – Sample EDI Question: Would you say that this child comforts a child who is crying or upset?
• Language and Cognitive Development – Sample EDI Question: Would you say that his child is able to read simple words?
• Communication Skills and General Knowledge – Sample EDI Question: How would you rate this child’s ability to tell a story?

Why is the EDI Important?

• Parents, Community, Educators and School Representativesuse EDI results to help identify the strengths and needs of the children within their communities.
• Governmentuses EDI data to plan early childhood investment, inform policy and program development decisions, or evaluate programs.
• Researchers use EDI data to address important questions and create new research programs to help better understand the genetic, biological, and social determinants of children’s health, well-being and development.

What is the EDI Data For SE Edmonton?

The South East Edmonton Early Childhood Coalition (SEEECCC) has received the EDI data from the 2016 province wide collection and overall our children are doing quite well, although 138 of the 552 kindergarten aged children assessed in the SE area are at risk or vulnerable in the domains of social competence and emotional maturity.  These areas will be the SEEECCC’s focus for the upcoming year.  Go to our website www.earlychildhoodedm.ca/southeast to see the specifics of the EDI data.