Who we are

We are the united voice of the Urban Aboriginal Head Start sites in BC.  We are dedicated to the development of Aboriginal children and their families and we work in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada to ensure consistent quality standards.

The AHSABC is a non-profit society representing the off-reserve AHS sites in BC. There are twelve sites in BC, of which 11 of them are members of the AHSA BC.

Each AHS site is represented by their Project Coordinator and their elected Parent Representative, and together the AHSABC works in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada to continue to improve the quality of AHS. We also work in collaboration with the Provincial Government to strengthen the quality of Aboriginal Early Childhood Education in British Columbia.

The Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC (AHSABC) is made up of representatives from each site in BC and was born in the spring of 1998 evolving in December 2001 to an incorporated non-profit society. Today, its membership consists of Coordinators, who make up the Board of Directors, as well as, elected Parent Reps from each site in BC. The Executive Committee is elected by the membership and consists of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the BC Representative to the National Aboriginal Head Start Council (NAHSC).

Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities

Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities is an early intervention preschool program designed for urban and northern (off-reserve) Aboriginal children. Its primary goals are to support the early childhood development of Aboriginal children and to instill pride in their Aboriginal heritage before they enter the mainstream school system. It focuses on 3 - 5 year olds with the intent of bringing them to the school readiness stage to help ensure an easy transition into kindergarten.

Parental involvement is a major factor contributing to the success of the program. Aboriginal Head Start believes that parents are their children's primary teachers endeavouring to involve them at all levels of the program.

Because the Aboriginal Head Start Program is fully funded by the Government of Canada, there is no cost to the participants. The program includes transportation, as well as snacks, and/or appropriate meals, i.e. breakfast or lunch.

Another important aspect is the development of mutually beneficial relationships with related community programs.