About

Who we are

Childhood Connections supports children and the people who care for them.

Research shows that 90% of brain development happens in the first six years of a child’s life. The preschool years are the most active period of brain development. Early experiences impact the development of; speech and language, fine and gross motor skills, cognitive, social and emotional wellbeing. We want every child in the Central Okanagan to get a healthy start in life, physically, mentally, and socially.

Our purpose is to ensure that all children in the Central Okanagan get a healthy start in life.

Caring for our community’s children benefits us all. We help support children by caring for educators, parents, caregivers and families. In doing this, we improve every other aspect of life in the Central Okanagan.

Our vision

We see a future where every child in the Central Okanagan receives the care, education, and love they need to become confident, compassionate, thriving adults.

Our values

Our values drive every decision we make and action we take. We live by the same values and recommendations that we give to our children, knowing that they are at the heart of everything we do.

Connection gives us meaning.

We cannot be supportive and fulfill our mission without connection. Strong relationships are the foundation of our work, and we will strive to ensure that others feel heard, seen, and valued.

Do it with enthusiasm!

Whatever you do, do it with enthusiasm. Be excited about the life you live, the work you do, and the people you get to work with and support.

Collaboration is great for kids and good for the world.

Working with others is how we succeed. Collaboration brings together new ideas, opportunities, and improvements to the work that we’re already doing.

Do what’s right, even when it’s hard

We are committed to living and operating by our values. Integrity is a choice. We will choose to do what is right over what is convenient or comfortable.

Be brave and lead by example.

We will be brave and break new ground. We will be humble, honest, optimistic, and supportive. We will lead by example and
strive to inspire others while remaining focused on our mission.

Be kind.

Be kind, both to yourself and others. Practice compassion, be a friend and be generous with what you have. Your kindness improves the lives of others, which improves your own life too.

Take responsibility.

Accountability means that we take responsibility for our work and ourselves. We will rely on science, data, and our wealth of experience and knowledge to achieve our goals. We can’t guarantee that we’ll always get it right, but we can promise that we will be accountable.

What we do

We connect families with the people and resources they need to help children thrive, including childcare providers, community partners, agencies, high-quality programming, services and support. We connect childcare providers with training and educational opportunities that help them improve childhood development outcomes.

Childhood Connections Okanagan Family & Childcare Society exists to:

  • Increase the social, cognitive and emotional development of children;
  • Improve the effectiveness of parents and caregivers to provide positive, stable, and nurturing relationships with children, and;
  • Enhance the effectiveness of communities to help children live, learn, thrive and play.

Our Mandate

To promote affordable, quality & inclusive child care within the community by working cooperatively with all local child care organizations, community partners and services. We support parents by providing child care referrals, child care information, and support to access child care subsidies, in addition to providing a wide range of childcare &  family resource services and information.