Here is your April EYMPD newsletter that I hope finds you well.

As we hear more about encouraging effects of vaccination rollouts throughout the world (article 1, article 2, article 3), the light at the end of the tunnel seems to shine a bit brighter. One cannot help but feel immense gratitude and admiration towards people of science thanks to whom many a life has been saved and will continue to be saved.

This month’s edition is dedicated to the topic of early intervention and support. Professionals in Early Years’ field know how important, and life changing, early intervention can be. Intervention that happens in a child’s first 5 years of life is of paramount importance and yields most effective results.

I hope you enjoy the few resources on early intervention included in this newsletter. Please share any resources on that topic with our Early Years Community if you would like. You can do so by sending the resources to me for distribution. Thank you~

On a personal note, I would like to share with you a recipe for healthy, and in my opinion much tastier than traditional (full of white sugar) jam. This recipe is not only delicious but also extremely easy to make.

Stay in touch,

I am proud to introduce myself as the Program Manager at Muskoka Family Focus and Children’s Place where I work with an amazing group of people I get to call my team. I am graduate from the Early Childhood Education Program at Georgian College; class of 1989. I can’t believe I have been practicing in the field of ECE for almost 32 years!  How can I be that old!! I started my career in Huntsville working with toddlers, then school age children and then a Supervisory position.  Along the way I am proud to let you know I became a wife and mom; my favourite jobs by far. I was lucky to be the successful applicant for the Supervisory position at Bracebridge Children’s Place in the year 2000. I then accepted a new position as the Program Manager here at MFF and moved to the administration office in 2008. I have been a member in good standing with the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators since 2009 when it was established.  I am grateful every day for choosing ECE as my career when I was in high school, I was one of those teenagers who just knew what I wanted to do. Since I was very young, I have had a genuine love for children. I find it very satisfying to witness many children who I have cared for over the years become successful adults and in some cases parents! Even though I am not currently a front line ECE; for too many reasons to list, I believe I have always had the ‘best of both’ worlds so to speak working as an ECE in Muskoka. Most importantly, I have never had to rely on anyone other than professional ECE’s in Muskoka to care for our children during those informative early years while my husband and I worked full time. When my son and daughter were daycare age, I was so blessed to actually be able to take them to work with me!!

I have had the opportunity to support our Supervisors on several occasions to work as part of a team with a child/family centered approach to accept children who have additional needs into our programs. To see the relief on a parents face or hear it in their voice when we let them know we can accommodate their child makes all our efforts worthwhile. At MFF, we are fortunate to have amazing teams at both Community Living Agencies, Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, One Kid’s Place, The District of Muskoka and any other agency who may be involved with a family here in Muskoka who always go above and beyond to support children and provide the guidance, training, etc. for our educators to ensure all children have supports in place for success!

Meeting those children and families (not always in person) who you feel like you just can’t help for one reason or another. Not for lack of trying and putting in our best efforts; sometimes it’s more about the paths they choose, their family history, etc. You just know these children are going to struggle to be healthy, happy, successful people. These kids need a ‘buffer’ and I know that’s exactly what we are to them, sometimes without even knowing it and sometimes just hoping it’s enough. I empathize for children who don’t have the opportunities I had growing up – I don’t mean money or materialistic things, I mean a solid family life with 2 parents and 2 siblings who still to this day continue to ‘live in love’. This means I have always been and continue to be supported, nurtured and loved unconditionally.  My husband and I continue to give these things to our own children and granddaughter. When I know this isn’t happening for a child, it breaks my heart; that is the most challenging part of what I do.