“Early Years” Celebrates it’s fifth anniversary in Maskwacis

Early Years fifth year anniversary at Maskwacis (Photo Credits - Daniel Barker-Tremblay

On May 19, Maskwacis community members gathered to celebrate the Early Years Program’s fifth anniversary.

The program’s first 30 families that participated in this program were honoured during the event. The program was initially piloted on Ermineskin Cree Nation in cooperation with the MFI and MHS, and due to interest and demand was soon embraced by all four Nations of Maskwacis.

MFI now supports the development of programming in communities across the country. Early Years works with communities to co-create programs that honour parents as their children’s first and most important teachers.

Windspeaker Radio Network spoke with Charlene Rattlesnake, Family and Cultural Coordinator at Early Years.   She said it’s unbelievable how much the program has grown.

Charlene Rattlesnake, Family and Cultural Coordinator at Early Years (Photo Credits – Daniel Barker-Tremblay)

Rattlesnake speaks on the impact that Early Years has had positively on families that are involved within the program, along with the importance of parenthood teachings and early childhood development.

Little one getting his gift from Early Years Staff (Photo Credits – Daniel Barker-Tremblay)

Vice President of the Martin Family Initiative Chloe Ferguson says that the Early Years program staff members are mostly from the Maskwacis area, along with speaking on the expansion towards six Indigenous communities from across the country attending the event and getting taught methods of teaching to bring back to their communities.

Vice President Chloe Ferguson (left) and Charlene Rattlesnake (right) at the Early Years Fifth anniversary event (Photo Credits – Daniel Barker-Tremblay)