River East Community Schools Initiative: 2003 Program Evaluation

Abstract

The past several years has seen an increase in the focus on early childhood development and the factors that impede or predict positive child outcomes... Among the key influences in shaping how children develop are the families and the communities in which they live (Ross et al., 1996). In response to this research, there is increased emphasis on the importance of supporting families and creating healthy communities to secure the future well-being of children. In Manitoba, as a consequence of this focus on child development, communities have organized to better support families and promote early child development at the local level. As with any community development response to a need, the actions vary from one community to the next. This paper is an evaluation of the response in the River East community through the River East Community Schools Initiative (RECSI).