Each October, Sunshine Coast Community Services Society's Child Care Resource and Referral Program (CCRR) hosts Exploration and Discovery, a one-day event for childcare providers, parents, early childhood education professionals and community members.
The conference offers a keynote address, lunch and workshops on topics such as early childhood development, best practices in childcare centres and ideas for children's activities.
This year's conference is on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chatelech Secondary School in Sechelt.
The keynote address, entitled Disconnect to Reconnect, will be presented from 9 to 10:15 a.m. One in three children enter school developmentally delayed and one in six have a diagnosed mental illness; toddlers are spending over two hours per day on TV and video games. Cris Rowan, a pediatric occupational therapist and child development specialist, will present research profiling the detrimental impact of a sedentary "techno" lifestyle on children's physical, emotional, social and academic performance.
The CCRR program works to promote, educate and increase community awareness of child development issues and to establish networking, professional development and child care advocacy opportunities on the Sunshine Coast.
For information, contact CCRR at 604-885-5657 or see www.coastccrr.ca.
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