MOTION
No. 28
Working Together to Improve the Services and Supports Available for Children and
Youth in Prince Edward Island
Honourable Doug Currie gives notice that tomorrow he will move, seconded by Robert
Mitchell, the following Motion:

WHEREAS children and youth are the foundation of our One Island Community and our
One Island Future, and as such, they must be loved, protected, and offered every
opportunity to succeed;
AND WHEREAS some of our children and youth are challenged to overcome addictions,
mental health issues, conflicts with the law, and other concerns;
AND WHEREAS government and community organizations offer a range of services
and supports to young people in our province, these efforts could be better collaborated
and integrated to maximize their benefits;
AND WHEREAS youth, their parents and caregivers often find the available resources
difficult to learn about and access, and challenging to navigate;
AND WHEREAS all current and future generations of Islanders will benefit if we can get
children off to the right start today;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that all levels of government and community
organizations work together to provide a seamless continuum of services and supports
for children and youth, that are appropriate, timely, respectful, and informed by best
practices;
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that residential services, including the new
residential youth centre, be designed and staffed to provide excellent, evidence-based
supports to these youth;
AND THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all Members of this Assembly
and all members of our community take an interest in and support future collaborative
efforts to develop caring, dignified and beneficial programs, services and supports for
the young people of Prince Edward Island.

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Ideally, the new full-day kindergarten will be the centrepiece of significant partnerships with other community agencies that serve young families. This would better support families by preparing children for school success in a rich, play-based learning environment, simultaneously providing a high-quality care program at no cost to parents.

The debate about the school system's readiness and the timing of a costly decision during a fragile economy is understandable, but needs to be put aside.

Instead, the system must focus a spotlight on the heart of the matter — its preschoolers. Each year the decision is delayed, another 40,000 children enter kindergarten. According to the UBC study, more than 10,000 of them will require extra time and attention to prepare for school success.

via www2.canada.com