head start

Aboriginal Head Start

Mother Earth & Me AHS-Edmonton
Ben Calf Robe AHS-Calgary

Mission Statement
The Aboriginal Head Start Programs will strengthen and prepare the Aboriginal child with the cultural knowledge and emergent literacy skills needed to excel in school and life. This will take place with the support, guidance and active participation of parents and Elders. These key players will ensure that programming provides the child with positive experiences through a culturally enriched curriculum.

Vision
To provide an environment where the Aboriginal pre-school child has the opportunity to learn and practice their culture as part of the curriculum. Head Start provides each child exposure to the required emergent literacy skills that prepare them to enter school on an equal basis with all other children. Parents are encouraged to take an active role in the education of their child through a variety of program involvement opportunities.

Aboriginal Head Start Urban & Northern Communities (AHSUNC)

In 1995, the Government of Canada established Aboriginal Head Start Urban & Northern to help enhance child development and school readiness for First Nation, Métis and Inuit children living in urban centres and large northern communities. Health Canada currently funds 131 early childhood development programs for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their families across Canada. The primary goal of the initiative is to demonstrate that locally controlled and designed early intervention strategies provide Aboriginal children with a positive self-identity, a desire for learning, and opportunities to develop fully as successful young people. The program is aimed at serving preschool children ages three and four.

AHSUNC focuses on six program components:

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

The Public Health Agency of Canada provides the primary funding for the Mother Earth & Me Aboriginal Head Start program. Their overall mission is to help the people of Canada maintain and improve their overall health outcomes for all people. The mandate focuses on three broad areas: