Who Is Involved?
Steering Committee
The purpose of the inter-sectoral Steering Committee is to:
- Improve access to early childhood services
- Improve the effectiveness of these services through the development of collaborative partnerships among service providers
- Promote positive relationships, partnerships and supports within the community and local government
- Promote an integrated and comprehensive system of Early Child Development
| Membership |
| MCFD | Dave Phillips | Ministry for Children and Family Development |
| Parks, Recreation & Culture | Elizabeth Ayers | Parks, Recreation & Culture, City of Richmond |
| Social Planning | Lesley Sherlock | Urban Planning, City of Richmond |
| Community & Family Health | Diane Bissenden | Richmond Public Health, Vancouver Coastal Health |
| Special Needs | Sue Graf | Richmond Society for Community Living |
| Child Care | Marcia MacKenzie | Richmond Child Care Resource and Referral Centre |
| Settlement | Parm Grewal | Richmond Multicultural Concerns Society |
| Library | Virginia McCreedy | Richmond Public Library |
| Education | Kathy Champion | Richmond School District |
| Family Support | Judy Valsonis | Touchstone Family Association |
| Family Support | Kim Winchell | Richmond Family Place (Host Agency) |
Action Teams
Richmond Children First Action Teams make things happen. Action Teams respond to the priorities in the Richmond Children First Strategic Plan.
Community Mapping Action Team
The Community Mapping Action Team is responsible for mapping community assets and demographics, data analysis and Early Development Instrument (EDI) interpretation. This research supports the work of the other action teams and the Richmond community.
Current Projects
- Early Development Instrument data analysis
- Neighbourhood demographic profiles
- Community mapping projects
| Membership |
| Belinda Boyd | Richmond Public Health, Vancouver Coastal Health |
| Alan Hill | Parks, Recreation & Culture, City of Richmond |
| Rob Inrig | Richmond School District |
| Marcy Adler-Bock | Speech and Language, Vancouver Coastal Health |
| Alexis Alblas | Cambie Community Centre |
| John Foster | Social Planning, City of Richmond |
| Kim Winchell | Richmond Family Place |
| Dave Phillips | Ministry for Children and Family Development |
| Chris Salgado | Richmond Public Health, Vancouver Coastal Health |
| Dr. James Lu | Medical Health Officer, Richmond Public Health, Vancouver Coastal Health |
Helping Kids Succeed Richmond-Style Action Team (NEW)
Helping Kids Succeed Richmond-Style is a community project that builds on asset development to create a personal village for all children. The Action Team is supporting this project in 5 Richmond school communities - Grauer, Anderson, Mitchell, Hamilton and the Az-Zahraa Islamic Academy.
| Membership |
| Rob Inrig | Richmond School District |
| Christa Mullaly | Richmond Addiction Services |
| Dave Phillips | Ministry for Children and Family Development |
| Judy Valsonis | Touchstone Family Association |
| Louise Walker | Richmond School District |
| Kim Winchell | Richmond Family Place |
Children's Charter Action Team (NEW)
One of the strategic directions of Richmond Children First is to develop an inclusive community vision for children. This Action Team is exploring how we can develop a children's charter, through children's voices, to ensure that Richmond is the best place in Canada to raise a family.
| Membership |
| Elizabeth Ayers | City of Richmond |
| Jeff Calbick | United Way of the Lower Mainland |
| Sue Graff | Richmond Society for Community Living |
| Dr. James Lu | Medical Health Officer, Richmond Public Health, Vancouver Coastal Health |
| Marcia McKenzie | Richmond Child Care Resource and Referral Centre |
| Dave Phillips | Ministry for Children and Family Development |
| Chris Salgado | Richmond Public Health, Vancouver Coastal Health |
| John Thornburn | Richmond/Delta Boys and Girls Club |
| Judy Valsonis | Touchstone Family Association |
| Kim Winchell | Richmond Family Place |
Richmond Family Place: Host Agency
As a community initiative, Richmond Children First must have a host agency that provides financial accountability, administrative support and a strong link to the community. At a community forum in 2003, Richmond Family Place was selected as the host agency for the initiative.
Richmond Family Place is a community based family resource agency that has worked with children, families and caregivers in Richmond for over 30 years to enhance strengths, build capacities and promote healthy child development. Richmond Family Place delivers a range of services guided by principles that focus on building supportive relationships, facilitating growth, respecting diversity and furthering community development.
Helen Davidson: Implementation Manager
Helen Davidson is the Implementation Manager of Richmond Children First. Reporting to the Steering Committee, her responsibilities are to:
- Facilitate the planning, implementation and evaluation of the project
- Build individual capacity and community commitment to support early child development
- Manage the Richmond Children First community initiative
Helen has worked for many years in the field of early childhood and community development. She has an educational background in non-profit administration and has worked in the Richmond community for over 15 years. She lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a Steveston housing cooperative.
