NunatuKavut Proud to Support Children and Families
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR, June 27, 2017 – The NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) is proud to announce funding for two long-standing, community-based organizations in the Upper Lake Melville area. The contributions will provide much-needed assistance to enhance the care and well-being of children and their families.
A $10,000 contribution was made to the Aboriginal Family Centre to support an Inuit-focussed program that includes drum dancing sessions, Inuit Family Nights, cultural cooking sessions and an Inuttitut course for parents and caregivers. The program will run during the upcoming school year as part of the Aboriginal Family Centre’s regular programming for Indigenous children from infancy to six years of age.
The Early Childhood Development Association (EDCA) was provided with $10,000 toward the construction of a new childcare facility in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. This will help provide additional childcare spaces and ensure long-term sustainability for programs currently being delivered at the Pumpkin House Childcare Centre and Pumped Kidz After School Club. Construction is set to start this coming fall with an anticipated completion date of July 2018.
The Aboriginal Family Centre and the ECDA both deliver high quality programs and services to many Southern Inuit children and families living in Lake Melville.
Quick Facts
- The Aboriginal Family Centre is operated through the Labrador Friendship Centre. Its mission is to promote social, cultural, education, physical, emotional and nutritional growth of Indigenous children (infancy to six years) and their parents/caregivers.
- The EDCA is a non-profit registered charity responsible for operation of two childcare centres in the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay: Pumpkin House Childcare Centre and Pumped Kidz After School Club. It has secured the majority of its funding from various community partners and the provincial government for the new 7,100 square foot childcare facility.
- NCC is the representative governing body for approximately 6,000 Inuit of south and central Labrador, collectively known as the Southern Inuit of NunatuKavut. NunatuKavut means “Our Ancient Land” in Inuttitut and is the traditional territory of the Southern Inuit.
Quotes
“NCC is so pleased to be able to give to two extremely vital organizations in Happy Valley-Goose Bay that help support and care for our children and families. The Aboriginal Family Centre is a warm and nurturing place that helps foster identity and pride in being an Indigenous person. It works very hard to ensure that Indigenous culture and traditions are preserved and remembered as children enter the school system. The Early Childhood Development Association is a child care provider that is committed to providing affordable, high quality and responsive child care for children and families. It provides a meaningful start to a child’s journey of education and social development.”
- Todd Russell, President of NCC
“The Aboriginal Family Centre provides programming to all three cultures in our community. We are extremely grateful for the financial donation we recently received from Nunatukavut. Our Inuit cultural worker position can be retained because of this donation while furthering the cultural enhancement of our children’s program. Our centre is proud to partner with such a great organization as Nunatukavut.”
- Anna Goudie, Program Manager, Aboriginal Family Centre
“On behalf of ECDA’s board and parents, I would like to express our appreciation to the NCC for their support of our regional child-care facility. The need for child-care in our community is real and immediate; ECDA’s child-care programs are currently at full capacity with an extensive waitlist. Given the age and layout of ECDA’s current building, the contribution by NCC will support our efforts to construct a new community child-care centre. With construction planned to start in late 2017, the new centre will assist in addressing our highest need areas for working aged parents seeking child-care services, while creating an inclusive and inviting atmosphere to assist program delivery by our staff.”
- Colin O’Brien, VP-ECDA
Associated Links
- For information on the programming provided through the Aboriginal Family Centre and the Labrador Friendship Centre, please visit lfchvgb.ca.
- For further information on NCC, please visit nunatukavut.ca. Please also join in the conversation at Facebook.com/nunatukavut and Twitter @nunatukavut.
Contact
Kelly Broomfield
Director of Communications
709-280-5965
NT5
