44 - Sunday, April 4, 1999 — North Shore News Family dre p-in centres will close | we n May range trom: one vear old to Three new ey —s : centres will replace old Sarah Woodend Contributing Writer EVERY Monday morning Maggie Millard takes her son and a little girl she looks after, both under a year old, to the family drop-in cen- tre called North Star Annex. Each week a group of about 15 parents and twice as many children, gather with two professional caregivers to play with the chldren, do a craft and hv. . “eirele time” where they “i - Jongs with actions. Then they have a snack followed by a short play time. The centre costs $5 per visit and is one of four oper- ating in community centres and churches on the North Shore that will be closing at the end of May. Millard says these play groups are invaluable for nwo reasons: they give children a chance to interact with cach other and they allow parents to share experiences while providing a break from day to day routine. Family Services of the North Shore (FSNS) run the drop-ins, focusing on brain development and the impor- tance of exposure to a stimu- jating and supportive envi- ronment. The combination of inter- action with other children and participation in activities which stimulate the senses help with a child’s develop- ment. Millard says this is all part of kindergarten readiness. Without play group children don’t get used to sharing and having others encroach on their space. Isolation is dangeress to a child’s social skills. “The children’s socialization prob- lems will only get worse without these play groups,” she says. Not only is isolation unhealthy for children, but also for parents. Marilyn Romanow has been using the North Star Annex drop-in with her chil- dren for three years, during which time she has made friends with many other par- ents and caregivers. These connections have provided her with other opportunities and a great deal of support. She and other participants in the play group have planned visits to the beach and Maplewood Park which would not have been possible without their connection through play group. The sits Fave made her 13-month old son Noah very social. “He comes through the door and goes straight for the kids and toys.” Romanow met Sandra McDougall, who also uses the Highlands United Church drop-in, at the North Scar Annex. She is a childcare provider who has been using the cen- tres for five years. She says their closing will be devastat- ing. She usually has two chil- dren with her, one of whom es SS. NEWS photo Mike Wakefield JANET Gosney holds five-week-old Anna at North Star Annex drop-in playgroup, one of four run by Family Services of the North Shore. Parents and caregivers bring children from birth to age five to socialize at these playgroups scheduled to close at the end of May. has been attending for four years. She says through the drop-in Jeremy has gained confidence and made triends. “There is nothing else like the play group,” she says. “The alternatives just don’t work out.” She says the large space and mellow atmosphere pro- vide a good learning environ- ment. Mimi Hudson, drop-in coordinator of Family Services (FSNS), under- stands parents’ concerns but says the program has been replaced by one which she feels will be an improvement. Three new privately fund- ed locations, the Westcoast Energy Children’s Centre which is already open, Kinder House and Park Gate Community Centre, will be free and permanent and will run all day. The Westcoast Energy Children’s Centre, located at Lonsdale Elementary School is operating with the same services as the drop-in cen- tres. Parents, caregivers, grandparents, and children under the age of five are all welcome to attend. The sessions are led by staff who are all trained in childcare. The centre also offers programs in breast-feeding, family support, pregnancy support, child-minding and art therapy. She says the problem that parents are having with the drop-ins closing is thar they “are used to accessing some- thing close to home.” But parents and childcare givers also worry about the centres being privately owned, saying the facilities will not be as appropriate. Millard enjoys taking the children to drop-ins because they are not too crowded. She fears that the new pri- vately run centres will be in smaller buildings leading to overcrowding after the four drop-in centres close. If this “TOGETHER AGRIN”™ A Concert Celebrating 5 Years of Uncle Randy Productions ions, Selections From Jesus Christ Superstar * Evita into The Woods © Closer Than Ever ¢ South Pacific Godspell ¢ The All Night Strut ¢ Flower Drum Song Little Shop of Horrors ¢ The Wizard of Oz Friday April 9th, 8pm Centennial Theatre - North Vancouver Tickets 984-4484 happens she will stop attend- ing. McDougall, who has visited the new facility, says it is one quarter of the size of the North Star Annex space and is geared to a limited group. She ‘says the toys and activities focus on kinder- gacten ceadiness for children aged three to five, but the children she looks after four vears old, Large muscle building, using things like the swing, is required by the litde ones and might be neglected. Parents Sali and Gordon More regularly use the Highlands United Chureh drop-in as well as the North Star Annes. When they heard that the drop-ins were shutting down they were so upset thar they created a Web site to inform community members of the closing and petition for sup- port. They teel the drop-ias are worth holding on to even though they haven’ made up the $50,000 2 year cost tor the last three vears due to lack of participation. They chink it is possible to keep the play groups open through community sup- port, “With the play group’s tradition of 20 years and the community of the North Shore being so tight, there’s no reason why there should- n't be fundraising,” Gordon More says. Sali More, who works as a substitute ar her two drop- ins, says the idea of having a permanent location is great, but it needs to replace the one closing down. “[e’s important. ta have locations in individual com- munities so pre-school kids can mect some of their peers and parents can arrange play-dates,” she says. The web — site at updates develop- ments with the drop-ins as well as providing 2 bulletin board with comments by users of the drop-ins and space to add concerns. We’re Closed for Easter Good Friday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday Open Sat. April 3 ' North Vancouver Ci 121 West 14th St., No Library | Van. 980-0581 The North Vancouver Chapter of Canadian Parents for French invites you to attend our annual French Immersion Kindergarten / Grade 1 Information Meeting Meeting Date: Wednesday April 7,1999 Time: 7:00 pm Location: Larson School 2605 Larson North Vancouver