Centre for Family Literacy, Edmonton, Alberta
Now we’re going to take a brief journey outside of Ontario to visit the Centre for Family Literacy located in Edmonton, Alberta. This organization offers many innovative and exciting programs – you can find out about them by visiting their website at www.famlit.ca. Thanks to Maureen Sanders from the Centre for providing us with the following information about ongoing partnerships.
By Maureen Sanders
All programs offered by The Centre For Family Literacy (CFL) are firmly rooted in community. We run both a wide range and a large number of programs in Edmonton every year and also provide services provincially, including training. Local programs include:
- Books for Babies
- Books Offer Our Kids Success
- Help Your Child to Read and Write
- Learning Together
- Lending Boxes
- Literacy Classroom on Wheels (the COW bus)
- Rhymes that Bind
- Storysacks
Family literacy programs are offered at a broad range of locations across the community - health clinics, schools, libraries, community centers, etc. Such site-based offerings allow participants to access programs without overwhelming transportation difficulties. Transportation is an important factor, particularly in the cold weather when parents may have to bundle up several children to come to a program site. Under those circumstances when transportation is provided, the service is much appreciated. About 30% of participants noted that transportation was a concern for them.
Family literacy programs are offered at the request of community agencies. In 2003, 81 partner agencies collaborated in offering programs. In addition, over 41 agencies were involved through the Community Outreach Information Sessions and Inter-provincial Training efforts provided by the Centre.
CFL staff, prior to program initiation, visit all agencies. Such visits ensure that both the agency and CFL are aware of the responsibilities of each other with respect to program offerings and help identify how agency goals and those of CFL programs blend to assist families. Needless, to say, such collaboration takes time and effort, not only at the initiation stage, but also to maintain that partnership over the course of program delivery. CFL staff are continually in touch with agency personnel to sustain these positive relationships. In fact, many agency reports indicated that the presence of the CFL program coordinator is one of the strengths of program delivery. Furthermore, when staff members from CFL are not the primary facilitators of a program, the support provided by the CFL program coordinator is particularly appreciated.
The number of agencies who reported that they would offer a program again is 96%. The number of agencies who rate a program as excellent or very good is 98%. In addition, the number of agencies who recognize the need for language/literacy programs is 90%. These high percentages have been maintained for years. In other words, CFL programs continue to meet the needs and expectations of the community.