cefa™ Abbotsford Opening, September 2011

As the Fraser Valley’s child vulnerability rate increases past the provincial average, one of the nation’s leading early childhood education facilities has opened the first junior kindergarten in Abbotsford. 

“We are excited to finally be providing this much needed service in Abbotsford ” said Natacha V. Beim, founder of Core Education & Fine Arts.™, “We’re elated to see local leaders coming out to support early education and this great new asset to the community.”

The latest Early Development Instrument study, released by UBC's Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) shows parts of the Fraser Valley, including Chilliwack and Langley, have the largest trends of developmentally vulnerable children when they enter kindergarten. The provincial average is 30 per cent.

“The brain’s most formative years happen before the age of six so these years are critical for education,” said Beim. “There are windows of opportunity that are optimal for learning when a child’s brain is developing. Junior kindergarten helps maximize a child’s development in an encouraging and playful learning environment.”

The B.C. government has set a goal of reducing EDI vulnerability to 15 per cent by 2015. Beim remains optimistic that a junior kindergarten like cefa’s can be adopted and offered in childcare facilities across the province. Until then she will continue to offer it privately one school at a time. The Abbotsford school is now accepting applications. For more information visit: www.cefa.ca