About Us
The BC Aboriginal Child Care Society
was established in 1995 to administer the $12 million BC share
of the federal government's First Nations/Inuit Child Care
Initiative. We incorporated as a non-profit society in 1998
and obtained charitable tax status in 2000. One federal evaluation
described the ACCS as a model for other First Nations organizations
in Canada.
The ACCS exists to:
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Help
Aboriginal communities develop high quality, integrated,
community child care services that are based in the children’s
culture, language and history. These services will promote
healthy growth and development among our children. |
|
Build an Aboriginal
child care network by undertaking research, development,
advocacy and supporting communities to develop their own
resources. |
We Believe that:
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Child
care is an essential building block for the social fabric
of our communities and strengthens Aboriginal children,
families and communities; |
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Our children
have a right to high quality child care services that
are culturally appropriate, affordable and comprehensive; |
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Our child care
services must be community owned and directed, involve
parents, Elders, leaders and community members and reaffirm
their perspectives and teachings; |
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Our child care
services must be responsible and accountable; |
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Child care providers
require teaching and learning materials that reflect the
children’s culture, history and traditions, and
education and training that prepare them for their responsibilities
in Aboriginal communities; and |
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Aboriginal people
should have jurisdiction over their own child care system
to ensure that it best reflects community needs, hopes
and dreams. |
ACCS board members and staff participate
in a number of federal, provincial and regional early childhood
working groups, committees and councils, including: First
Nations Summit Child Welfare Committee, Aboriginal Child Care
Strategy Working Group, BC First Nations Head Start Regional
Committee, BC Aboriginal Head Start Regional Committee, Provincial
Child Care Council, Joint Stakeholders Regulation Working
Group, First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition –
Early Childhood Roundtable, and the Child Tax Benefit Working
Group, Vancouver Aboriginal Council, Aboriginal Head Start
Circle (Lower Mainland).
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