Kindergarten Transitions II: A Scan of Existing Supportive Programs for Aboriginal Children and Families in British Columbia

The research methodology included a survey of existing transition programs in the province of BC.  The survey was carried out through telephone interviews with fourteen programs across the province.  This undertaking required three initial steps to identifying the programs.  First, programs were identified that support Aboriginal children and their families as they transition to kindergarten.  To do this a Google search of BC programs was conducted using the following search terms:  kindergarten transition, Aboriginal kindergarten transition, supported kindergarten transition, transitional kindergarten, transition to kindergarten program.   A quick scan of each webpage was made, looking for programs that fit the particular criteria including programs that:

• Focus on supporting children as they transition from childcare or home settings into kindergarten.
• Serve Aboriginal children and their families; and
• Are located Urban/off-reserve.

• Nanaimo’s Urban Aboriginal Identity Population (2011, NHS)

  6.8% (6,505) of Nanaimo’s population identifies as Aboriginal, 8.1% (7,775) report having Aboriginal ancestry.
• 64.3% are First Nation, 31.9% are Metis, 1.1% are Inuit and 2.7% report having multiple or other Aboriginal identities.

• Latest Related News

• Webinar: Aboriginal Early Childhood Transitions

  Tuesday March 31st, 2015