What's Best for 'Our Kids'

Across the Boundary, people are strongly committed to the well-being of 'Our Kids'. Our Child & Youth Committee (CYC) is one of the longest running in BC. We have church-based child and youth groups, parent-supported service and sports clubs, service provider facilitated programs and services, school district and municipal facilities, child care providers and resources, volunteer-coordinated events and activities, children's music, arts, and recreation, "issues-minded" media, and much more.

Our provincially-renowned Boundary Integrated Services Model has resulted in Boundary Family Centres at each of our elementary schools and collaborative work that has enabled us to maintain and improve services to children, youth, and their families.

We want to talk more about how to support all children from their earliest years. A Government of Canada grant, in partnership with Grand Forks Credit Union and Success By 6®, is supporting us to do just that. 'Our Kids' has, at its core, the age old saying - "it takes a community to raise a child". Our intent is to provide a series of tools and gatherings that ultimately bring us closer together in our families, neighbourhoods, and communities.

'What's best for our kids' refers to the research and stories of others who have discovered that the more assets each one of our children has in their lives, the more likely they are to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible. Assets represent everyday wisdom about positive experiences and opportunities for children and youth.

Everyone is an asset builder. It's not just the responsibility of families, schools, social service agencies, or other institutions-though they all have important roles. Whether you are a grandparent, a neighbour, a community leader, a business owner, or a bus driver, you can build assets today with the children and youth who live in our communities.

'The Power of Five' is an asset referring to at least 5 adults a child believes care about her and the choices she makes. And for each additional adult on her list, this child's ability to thrive increases! Almost one quarter of our Boundary citizens are children and youth. They are part of our collective responsibility and opportunity. When we improve the life of one child, we improve the lives of all of our children and our citizens.

Think about the themes on each of the pages listed below and how you can make a difference in the life of a child. After all, they are all 'Our Kids'.

What's Best for Our Kids
For more information on the assets that help children grow and thrive, please click on any of the links below.

• Believing they belong
• Understanding that helping others gives each of use a deep sense of self-worth
• Knowing how to think through their choices
• Having time and space to learn to do things well
• Believing at least 5 adults care about them
• Investing in them as a valuable resource
• Learning what is "in bounds" and "out of bounds"
• Accessing positive activities and programs
• Being in motivating, safe learning environments
• Receiving our support for strong morals and values
• Developing skills to deal well with others
• Gaining a strong sense of power, purpose, worth & promise

'Our Kids' is proudly supported by:

	Boundary Family Centre Core Partners: Boundary Family & Individual Services Society School District 51 Public Health Nursing Ministry of Children and Family Development
This project is funded by the Government of Canada's Social Development Partnerships Program. "The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada."
Government of British Columbia Grand Forks Credit Union Phoenix Foundation of the Boundary Communities