Change starts here.
Change starts here.
Imagine for a moment your child doesn’t speak, doesn’t make a sound.
When Tutu first arrived at Richmond Family Place he was distraught, had a vacant look on his face and didn’t play with other children. His mother said the four-year-old boy hadn’t uttered a sound since seeing his father murdered in front of him in the Congo when he was two.
Tutu and his family settled in Richmond as refugees after a nine-month journey that took them through several African nations and across North America. Convincing them to trust the family resource program staff from the Family Place took nine home visits and dozens of phone calls. For Tutu, it took longer.
An incredible journey
Speech and language and mental health therapists all agreed he was suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Early childhood staff provided support and compassion to the family when they began attending a program at the Family Place in January.
Kim Winchell, Executive Director first met Tutu in April when a worker introduced him. Tutu’s full name is very long with lots of syllables. Kim attempted to say it and mispronounced badly. Tutu giggled. Everyone in the room went silent. It was the first time he’d made a sound. “We knew right then we were on the road to supporting him to come out of his darkness,” she said. The next challenge: helping Tutu to be ready for school.
Critical to social change
United Way of the Lower Mainland is committed to helping children like Tutu by significantly increasing the number of school-ready children in Metro Vancouver through Success By 6 early childhood development support. United Way of the Lower Mainland works with many partners including the social service sector and organizations within it called Early Childhood and Middle Childhood Champion Organizations.
Early Childhood and Middle Childhood Champion Organizations such as the BC Association of Family Resource Programs (BCAFRP) work to raise awareness around issues affecting children and families and to increase the capacity of organizations delivering supports and services to children 0-12 and their families. For example, Richmond Family Place, a member of BCAFRP provides services to children and families like Tutu’s. The staff rely on Early and Middle Childhood Champion Organizations to provide information on best practices, training and professional development opportunities and a professional network. Organizations like BCAFRP also serve as a collective voice that advocates provincially for the needs of children and families.
Essential for success
Between 2008 and 2011, 11 Early and Middle Childhood Champion Organizations will receive a total investment of almost $1.6 million. As well as providing funding, United Way works with these organizations to create long-term change.
“For the past 10 years, United Way of the Lower Mainland has been a leader in providing funding and support to regional and provincial Champion Organizations. We believe the ‘behind-the-scenes’ advocacy and capacity-building work these organizations do is critical to the work of social service agencies and ultimately helping children and families,” said Alison Bledsoe, United Way Planner, Strategic Initiatives (Children 0-6).
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