KELOWNA – Today marks National Child Day. It’s been celebrated across Canada since 1993 to honour the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In celebration of this day, people gathered at the Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna to hear presentations on the importance of community collaboration to support children and families.
Joanne Schroeder – Executive Director of the Comox Valley Child Development Association – was the keynote speaker at the event. She says while today is about celebrating children, it’s also important to discuss ways we can better support them.
Schroeder says thirty-three percent of children going into kindergarten are behind in at least one aspect of their development.
“It’s shameful. We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world and we have all of the knowledge of the importance of the early years,” she says.
Schroeder spoke about the importance of working together to support children during early development.
The event was hosted by Catch Coalition – a group that aims to improve early childhood development in the Central Okanagan.
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