Why it sparks inspiration
How can the child care sector meet the specific needs of Francophones in Alberta? This brief, submitted by the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta (ACFA) and the Fédération des parents francophones de l'Alberta (FPFA), outlines the unique challenges facing Francophone minority communities and proposes concrete solutions.
It discusses the status of French in Alberta, current issues in the Francophone early childhood sector, and makes detailed recommendations for improving the affordability, accessibility, inclusion and quality of Francophone child care services.
Use this document to better understand how to support the linguistic and cultural development of young Francophones while strengthening the vitality of Francophone communities in Alberta.
“Francophone daycare services in Francophone minority communities have a dual mission. Consequently, the staff working in these French-language daycare services also have a dual mandate in their day-to-day responsibilities, namely child development as well as identity building.”
How it can inspire your practice
The brief supports the ‘dual mission’ of French-language childcare services – educational role and transmission of the French language and culture.
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Educators can consciously integrate Francophone cultural elements into their daily activities.
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Educators and program leaders can develop programs and activities that strengthen the Francophone cultural identity of children, particularly those from interlinguistic families.
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Educators and program leaders can promote the acquisition of educational resources that are specifically adapted to the francophone culture, and not just English-language resources translated into French.
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Program leaders can set up specific training that address the issues related to education in a minority French-speaking environment.