Early Childhood Development Community Mapping Project (EDCCM) a Pilot Project

Project Coordinator: Susan Lynch
Project Partnership Team: Alberta Education, Capital Health Authority, City of Edmonton, Edmonton and Area Child and Family Services - Region 6, Edmonton Catholic Schools, E4C, Edmonton Public Schools, Success by 6, United Way of Edmonton
Funders: Edmonton and Area Child and Family Services - Region 6, Edmonton Community Foundation, Capital Health Authority, United Way of Edmonton, Edmonton Public Schools
Duration: 2006

If community members and service agencies have access to information on early childhood development in their neighbourhoods, do they find the information useful in planning for change and for improved early childhood outcomes?

The Early Childhood Development Community Mapping Project (EDCCM) was designed to answer this question by gathering and mapping information related to the development of young children, and to examine the possible links between the developmental trajectories of preschoolers in the City of Edmonton and the social and cultural features of their neighbourhoods.

The project developed maps showing early childhood development data (gathered using the Early Development Instrument - EDI) for 29 of the 210 neighbourhoods in Edmonton. Also, maps for many of the demographic characteristics of those neighbourhoods were developed.

Of the neighbourhoods that have early childhood development data, several have been identified in having unexpected patterns in the developmental profiles. Summary reports for the 29 neighbourhoods were produce and provided to groups who live in our provide services at those neighbourhoods.