The Early Years Refugee Program designed to help refugee families with young children will receive approximately $5.75 million as part of an agreement between the United Way of the Lower Mainland, the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour, and the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Under the agreement, the BC government is contributing up to $3.9 million and the United Way is contributing up to $1.75 million. This will fund the program through the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The program is part of WelcomeBC, the provincial immigrant settlement program, which co-ordinates and supports programs in communities throughout the province to help immigrants settle successfully in BC. The Early Years Refugee Program has locations spread across the Lower Mainland. Funding for WelcomeBC is made possible through the federal and provincial governments.

The Early Years Refugee Program is designed for refugee families with young children. These vulnerable families are given extra support in a place where they can get help finding settlement resources, receive education and access health services that are invaluable to making sure they have a good chance at building a strong future in British Columbia.

Some of the services the Early Years Refugee Program provides are:

• Parenting-related settlement support
• Early child development and learning activities for children from birth to six years of age
• Early childhood development-focused parenting education and information
• Referrals to supportive services, including settlement integration and vulnerable population programs
• Child development and health assessments, as well as orientation

Visit the WelcomeBC website.