Growing Years
(Selkirk)

Growing Years is located in Selkirk. It is an incorporated organization and serves as its own CAPC funding sponsor.

Growing Years focuses on services to at-risk families with children age 0-6 in the Selkirk area. It was established in 1995 by the Selkirk Friendship Centre as an initiative intended to address the need for parenting support among at-risk families in the community. The project began with a focus on school readiness activities for pre-schoolers. Over the years, new programs have been established to expand and enhance its programming focus.

Growing Years does not operate under a specific service model. Rather, it focuses on building a variety of high quality programs to provide the broadest range of options possible to serve the needs of participating families. Capacity-building within the community and among the parents themselves is a fundamental principle of Growing Years programming. The network of Growing Years' programs provides family-focused supports and resources that help parents to provide healthier, stronger family life for their children. The project seeks to support the capacity of parents, particularly young parents, low-income parents and single mothers, to grow in their roles as primary caregivers.

Growing Years programming is also based on the premise that parents (especially young parents) need to be supported, not penalized. The project also believes that networks and resources need to be developed in the community to ensure that support can be focused on community members helping each other.

"The Centre - its staff and families - have helped me and my child get
through a very rough time. Thank you and I will never forget all of you".