Comox Valley

At the Comox Valley Child Development Association (CVCDA), our mission is to help children, youth and adults with diverse abilities in the Comox Valley to reach their highest potential. Through a wide range of services, we help local children (from Mud Bay to Oyster River), who have developmental delays or simply just need a little bit of extra support. We work not only directly with children and their families but also with their care professionals and teachers, either at our Centre or out in the community

The Aboriginal Supported Child Development (ASCD) Program
ASCD helps each child involved in the program to successfully participate in the childcare setting of their family’s choice while ensuring cultural safety and cultural sensitivity for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children and families.

The Autism Program (TAP)
TAP provides individualized services for children and youth with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Services include one-to-one support, social groups, and a summer camp for teens. Services are guided by individual behavioural plans. The program is funded by individualized Autism Funds.

The CYSN Family Support Program
This program provides individualized support to families that have children or youth with diverse abilities. The Family Support Worker meets with families in their homes and in the community and provides assistance in the form of information, advocacy, planning, guidance, and problem-solving. Referrals must be made by a CYSN social worker.

Community Integration Program
This program is for children and teens with a developmental delay or disability. CIP offers support to children through celebrating their strengths. Some of the activities may include music, movie nights, drama, dance, crafts, computer games. Plus, there are various outings and field trips like bowling, swimming and Teen Club. MCFD referral required.

Early Years Community Outreach
The goal of our Early Years Community Outreach program is to make it easier for Comox Valley families with young children (0-6yrs) to access information, resources and supports. This is being done in a number of ways including providing outreach for families and service providers, the all-in-one online resource for everything ‘Early Years’ in the Comox Valley.

Early Years Wellness Program
Aims to help families encourage good mental health and wellness in their children. We support parent-child relationships while providing positive parenting tools. Funding for our services are covered through the A Pathway to Hope initiative.

Early Intervention Therapy (EIT) Program: Early intervention therapies work with children from birth to five (Kindergarten eligibility). Therapies includes:
• Occupational Therapy (OT)
• Physiotherapy (PT)
• Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)
• Aboriginal Speech-Language Pathology (ASLP)

Occupational Therapy (OT): Occupational Therapists are healthcare professionals trained to help children engage in everyday living, including play, self-help and family and childcare routines. These activities can include independence in self-care tasks such as eating, dressing and bathing, taking part in play across environments, and learning. Areas they may focus on include fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-regulation, and picky eating.

Physiotherapy (PT): Physiotherapists work with families to help their children develop functional mobility. Within a play-based approach, they provided support to promote motor, balance and coordination skills. This process often includes checking strength, joint range, muscle tone and equal use of limbs. Physiotherapists also provide positioning strategies to address flattening of the head and help secure specialized equipment (e.g., walking aids, standing frames, wheelchairs, orthotics, etc.).

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP): Speech-Language Pathologists work with families to help their children become the best communicators they can be. They provide support to promote increased understanding of language, use of language and connecting with others socially and in play. They also provide strategies to help improve oral motor functioning which helps improve speech and feeding. SLPs will also help your child speak more smoothly (i.e. decrease stuttering) and will explore alternative ways to communicate (e.g. sign language, electronic talkers).

Infant Development Programs: The Infant Development Program (IDP) is a home-visiting program supporting families with children from birth to three years of age who are at risk for developmental problems or who have a diagnosed disability.

The Aboriginal Infant Development Program (AIDP), offered in partnership with UIWONA supports families and young children with Indigenous ancestry from birth up to age six years who are at risk of or have identified delays in one or more areas of development. AIDP offers in-person visits, information sharing, strengths-based activity planning, and developmental/family needs screenings in culturally sensitive and meaningful ways. AIDP can also help families in accessing other health, social and community services.

Interested individuals can self-refer; additionally, Public Health Nurses, Family Physicians, Paediatricians, Child Care Providers and other service providers at the CVCDA can also refer.

Supported Child Development Program (SCDP): SCDP helps each child involved in the program to successfully participate in their Early Learning setting, supporting the staff with resources, suggestions and strategies. The heart of both SCDP and ASCD are the philosophies of “inclusion” and “family centred practice”.

Behaviour Consultation Program: The Behaviour Consultant works in partnership with families to assess behaviour and develop individualized Positive Behaviour Support plans to address the family’s goals. The goals may include decreasing challenging behaviour and teaching the child new skills related to communication, social interaction, self-help, and independence. Referrals must be made by a CYSN social worker.

CVCDA Childcare Resource and Referral Program: The CCRR assists families, child care workforce and child care providers can get the support needed to raise happy and healthy children. We offer child care referrals, resources, information and the support

JumpStart Preschool: Jump Start is a licensed, community based program located in Courtenay Elementary in partnership with School District 71. The program offers enriched learning through play for ages 3 through 5 years old.

Project Inclusion: Project Inclusion is made up of young adults living with diverse abilities who work on setting individual goals for life skills, job readiness, socializing and being active members in our community. Must be eligible for CLBC services.

Friendship Project: The Friendship Project works in partnership with the Comox Valley community to support young adults with diverse abilities. The goal of the program is to increase these adults’ confidence and competence and to assist the participants to lead fulfilling connected lives. Must be eligible for CLBC services.

Join Our Community Support Groups

For Parent Support:Circle of Security Parenting Series, Infant Massage Group, Infant Playgroup, Preemie Support Group, Touchpoints Parenting Program, Touchpoints Parenting Program with an Indigenous Focus, Valleychild

For Early Years: Infant Massage Group and Infant Playgroup