A group of children sitting on the ground.

Empowering Families, Nurturing Futures

The Northern Rockies Child Development Association (NRCDA) has been an integral part of Fort Nelson and the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, providing services and support for children, youth, and families since the early 1990s. We provide services and support to over 900 families annually.

The Child Development Association provides a broad range of support and health-related services to children with developmental needs and works with families to support healthy child development. NRCDA services and programs include-

  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Infant Development
  • Supported Child Development
  • Child & Youth with Support Needs
  • Autism Supports and Services
  • Home / Family Support
  • Early Years Program
  • Community Living BC Community Inclusion
  • Community Living BC Residential Program
  • Early Learning and Care
  • School Age Child Care: Kidz Klub
  • Baby Group
  • Community Drop-In Playgroup
  • Baby Massage
  • Child Care Resource and Referral
  • $10 a Day Childcare

Child. Family. Community Mission

Through family partnerships and community collaboration, we provide inclusive, innovative services and support to create environments that enable children and their families to achieve optimal potential.

A woman and child are smiling for the camera.

Purpose

  • To identify children and families that require support.
  • To build, educate, and create an inclusive community through collaboration, inclusive childcare services, early education, and individual support programs.
  • Empower families through information and education to meet their children’s immediate, transitional, and long-term goals.
  • We take a family-centric approach to supporting individuals and the development of their services.

Vision

An inclusive community where everyone thrives.

  • Services are informed by research, evaluation, and evidence-based practice.
  • Innovation and creativity are encouraged and supported.
  • Continuous learning and sharing of knowledge are supported by the staff team and the community.
  • We continuously assess and improve our services.

Family Centred Approach

  • We are responsive to the unique needs of families.
  • We acknowledge our expertise within families and collaborate with families to build on our strengths.

Inclusion

  • Everyone has the right to be respected, appreciated, and included.
  • Cultural safety is practised by recognizing our beliefs, practices, and histories, as well as structural and interpersonal power imbalances and how these impact Indigenous people and visible minorities.
  • We recognize the importance of connections to community and culture and encourage and facilitate those connections.
  • We advocate for equity in access to services, opportunities, and resources.

Integrity

  • Ongoing performance quality assessment is built into our operations.
  • We hold ourselves accountable for our performance.
  • We are transparent about what we are doing and why we are doing it.
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Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

We would like to gratefully recognize and acknowledge that we live, work, learn, and play on the Traditional Territory of Fort Nelson First Nation, Prophet River First Nation, Kaska Dena Council, and Dene-thah people who are part of the Treaty Eight First Nation.

Statement of Reconciliation Acknowledgement

We would like to gratefully recognize and acknowledge that we live, work, learn and play on the Traditional Territory of Fort Nelson First Nation, Prophet River First Nation, Kaska Dena Council and Dene-thah people whom are part of the Treaty Eight First Nation.

We recognize that Residential Schools and other acts of colonization have resulted in broad inequities for Indigenous people in Canada. These inequities create significant and unique barriers for Indigenous children, families, and communities trying to access services. As an organization advocating for services that are inclusive and accessible to all community members, the Fort Nelson Family Development Society acknowledges that it has a responsibility to work toward reconciliation with the Indigenous community.

Commitments

The Fort Nelson Family Development Society will make land acknowledgements in written emails, at FNFDS meetings, and at hosted events.

We will continue to build positive relationships and partnerships with organizations and associations that focus on Indigenous populations, and work with these relationships to assist the Fort Nelson Family Development Society, staff, and board and society members in working toward reconciliation.

We will provide continuing educational opportunities that focus on cultural safety and reconciliation. We will work with the Indigenous community to develop culturally appropriate programs and services.

We will incorporate a focus on cultural safety and reconciliation into the Society’s Strategic Plan, policies, and practice.

We will continue to build respectful relationships with and learn from our Indigenous colleagues, teachers, and clients.

We will share resources with staff and board members with a focus on reconciliation. (e.g., statement of reconciliation, land acknowledgements, relationships with Indigenous communities.)

CARF Accreditation

CARF is an independent, not-for-profit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centres on enhancing the lives of the persons served.

Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.

In January 2022, the Northern Rockies Child Development Association was awarded its first CARF accreditation. The report recognized the outstanding work of the NRCDA as an organization with dedicated and compassionate staff members.

Reporting
2022 Impact Report