Community Services

What is the Community Services Department?

“We are the people who strive to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of our community”

The Community Services Department focuses on making Drayton Valley a safe, affordable, healthy, and unique place to live. CSD provides facilities, programs, and events that enrich personal and community development. Many of these services are accomplished through our Family and Community Support Services (FCSS). FCSS has programs, events and funding to help make your goals a reality.

“We want people to realize that we’re not here to tell them what to do or what to think, but to provide them with information so they can make active and informed decisions.”

Early Childhood Development Centre

The Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) promotes excellence in childcare.

What does that mean?

Your child becomes part of a class as each day he/she learns what it means to be a “friend” and about the wonders of the world. The programming is designed to incorporate your child’s interest, because your child is a superhero.

Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders

ECDC has been hailed as a “gem in the province”

When reading the words “Early Childhood Development Centre” your first reaction might not be that this is a childcare centre. The ECDC is a daycare but it is also much more. Upon entering you will immediately know that there are little people learning in this building and having a lot of fun doing it. From the front entryway to the playground you will see children’s artwork, photos and murals all with a purpose to showcase what is happening in this busy building.

The child care centre came about through the Town of Drayton Valley’s vision to offer childcare to working parents to support the growing workforce in the community. The centre nestled in the Rotary Park and next to Park Valley Pool was just the right fit for families wanting a safe, caring place for their children. There are children as young as 12 months and stretching all the way up to 9 years. It’s a lively program with staff having been recognized through the Alberta Accreditation process.

More than childcare:

Aside from childcare, ECDC offers great resources for parents. Topics such as: dealing with grief, single parenting, bullying, and networking with other childcare agencies are all offered at the Early Childhood Development Centre. Our goal is to be a comfortable and supportive place for all members of the family.

If you would like more information contact the program manager at the Centre, Bernice Taylor at 780.514.2248

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Day Home Agency

The Family Day Home Program is a function of the Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC). Our Agency provides a full circle of quality child care in a private residence. The Family Day Home Agency provides parents with the opportunity to place their child in a regulated day home. That means that each Day Home Provider provides quality care above and beyond the Alberta government standard regulations as we are an accredited agency has for childcare. Day Homes provide a “home” environment for children to thrive in; they offer greater flexibility in scheduling, smaller group size, and a more familiar environment. This benefits children who have difficulty fitting into a “facility” environment and parents who require more flexible hours of care. Regulated day homes are the only private care that is subsidized and are monitored and inspected to meet safety requirements.

Day Home Providers

The Family Day Home Agency provides children with a happy and healthy environment; this environment is made possible because of our Family Day Home Providers. They are the heart and soul of the organization and make it possible to offer childcare services to parents. Day Home Providers are able to pursue a career in early childhood development while having the opportunity to stay at home with their children; in addition, they are provided with specialized support, resources and education. The Family Day Home Agency ensures that Day Home Providers are educated in everything from policies to peer support to first aid. When you become a Day Home Provider, you are presented with the opportunity to shape a child’s future. Children are the future of our society and they in turn will shape the generations to come. With one step at a time, Day Home Providers are building a better community.

Urban Housing

With the support of grant funding from the Province of Alberta, the Town of Drayton Valley is able to provide affordable housing units for 26 families/individuals. As one of the top priorities in its Social Development Plan, housing is essential to our community’s economic growth. The Town is able to support the working families and individuals within the community by providing sustainable housing units that meet their financial demands.

The Town of Drayton Valley is providing working families and individuals and full-time students with a “hand-up” by offering housing where rental rates are well below the market rate. The Town has contracted the services of the Brazeau Seniors Foundation to manage the housing units. Eligibility guidelines apply, therefore interested individuals and families are requested to contact the Brazeau Seniors Foundation at 780-542-2712 to inquire.

What makes the Town of Drayton Valley’s Urban Housing program unique is the extra assistance provided to the tenants to help them in their efforts to improve their quality of life and financial freedom. Through Family and Community Support Services the Town offers tenants the Making Financial Cents program. This program is a series of 7 to 8 workshops on topics including: household organization, credit and identity theft, financial planning and insurance, rental guidelines, and home ownership.

Rotary Branch Children’s Library

As the name suggest, a branch of the public library has been built down by the Omniplex. It is attached to the new Holy Trinity Academy. Our hope is that by having it positioned in the hub of youth and adult activities it will increase the traffic and interest in the library among our youngest residents.

MacKenzie Conference Centre

The MacKenzie Conference Centre will is linked to the Omniplex and able to provide space for 416 people in a dining setting and 522 people in a lecture setting. Once it is opened to the Curling Rink Lounge it will have a maximum capacity of 624 in a dining setup and 842 in a lecture setup. It has the ability to be divided into two sections in case you want to separate your functions, allowing for two different activities to occur simultaneously. Each section will have access to the kitchen, and portable bars creating a more flexible floor plan for your event. Finally, the Makenzie Conference Centre will also have modern audio and visual technology.

Eleanor Pickup Centre for the Performing Arts

The old Cardium Theatre has been revamped becoming the Eleanor Pickup Centre for the Performing Arts. It is being managed by the Eleanor Pickup Centre for the Performing Society and hosts several events such as, plays, performances by local bands, and FCSS’s Halloween Haunted House.

For more information about the centre call Marty Prentice at 780.542.5740; for bookings call Vi Koehmstedt at 780.542.4050.

Canada Day

Nothing says “Community pride” more than attending Drayton Valley’s annual Canada Day Celebration. Each year our Organizing Team puts together a collaboration of local entertainment, enticing games, local food, and a grand finale of fireworks! It’s fun for the whole family, young and old. There is something for all ages and it never disappoints. Rain or shine let the celebrations begin.

“My family and I were really impressed at the variety of activities you had at the park. Honestly, I don’t think you could have found anything better happening in Edmonton!” – Laurel Hawkswell

“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our organization!” 

Grantsmanship

Every organization knows the difficulty of finding available funding. The Town is here to help you and your organization find those resources and get things moving. Call the Community Services Department to find out what type of funding is available at 780-514-2200.

Community Sustainability Plan

Drayton Valley offers its citizens a quality of life that is second to none. But that’s no reason to be complacent. To ensure that we stay on course for the bright future we all want to see, it’s necessary to step back and take a look at the hurdles and opportunities on the road ahead. The Community Sustainability Plan is a result of that process.

Building a sustainable community is the greatest gift we can give our children. By so doing we are making sure that they can enjoy the same lifestyle that we enjoy today. The key to sustainability is to maintain our quality of life while leaving behind the environment and resources to allow future generations to enjoy a similar standard of living. Ultimately it’s about not being selfish. It’s about considering the needs of tomorrow as we go about our lives today.

The Sustainability Plan began life as a document intended to remain in the Town office. But as it started to evolve it became obvious that something more was needed. To be truly successful the plan had to consider the needs and wants of everyone in our community. Once we asked the public for input, the response, both to the process and to the plan itself, was fabulous. It became clear that we all had ideas about where our community should be heading and what we should be doing in order to get there.

After much discussion the five pillars of sustainability were identified as:

• Health and social services
• Arts, culture, and heritage
• Governance and partnerships
• Economic development
• The natural and man-made environment

It’s our belief that the plan lays out a road map that will guide our community toward a prosperous and sustainable future. The Community Sustainability Plan is a living document. It has been designed to remain flexible over the years to accommodate the changing needs and wants of our residents.

The Plan is now complete, but that is only the first step. Our Sustainability Plan is the work of the entire community and likewise, the work of implementing it will be shared by all of us. We have our roadmap. Now we must begin the journey.

To see the finished plan click here.

Social Development Plan

A Social Development Plan is a comprehensive plan that focuses on enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of a community and helps provide a direction for future decisions in the key areas identifies by its community members. It is built through a collaboration of citizens, organizations, and government, and creates a balance between the social, health and economic needs of that community.

The strength of a Social Development Plan lies in its ability to engage citizens, mobilize the community, and to reinforce and build upon the work already being done.

Drayton Valley’s Social Development plan will help all of us strive for the following:

• A caring, and inclusive community for children, seniors, and families
• A distinct, livable community
• An innovative community where prosperity is shared
• A healthy and active community
• A responsible and responsive community
• A creative community rich in heritage, unique in identity

Block Party Resources

A block party is a large, informal celebration in which many members of a single neighbourhood congregate. Block parties are not only a fun and easy way to get to know the people in your community, but they are also a great way to build and reinforce neighbourhood and community security.

The Community Services Department is pleased to provide residents with a resource kit that will help you plan your own block party. FCSS has stepped in to make it even easier to through a Block Party by contributing $150.00 for food. If you have any further questions, contact Community Services at 780.514.2223.

Drayton Valley Block Party Resource Kit

DARE

The community of Drayton Valley and the RCMP support the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. DARE is a drug abuse prevention and education program designed to educate elementary, middle and high school children about the consequences of abuse. It also teaches them skills for resisting peer pressure. DARE involves schools, police and parents. For more information call 514.2200.

Mentor Connector Response Team

The Town of Drayton Valley, through its Social Development Plan, is working with collaborating partners to develop the framework to create a “Mentor Connector” Response Team for the community. The RCMP Detachment and Family and Community Support Services have joined on as Strategic Partners in this effort and several local agencies are providing their input and assistance to generate the parameters of the program.

The proposed “Mentor Connector” Response Team is a Community-Police Partnership Project that will specifically target youth-at-risk in our community. The main objectives of the initiative are two-fold:

1. The initiative will put in place a qualified individual to serve in the capacity as a “Mentor Connector”, where youth-at-risk are connected with the resources (whether that be a person, a group, a business, a program or otherwise) that will motivate them to follow a productive path in life.
2. The Strategic Partners will work with a Collaborating group of local agencies to assess, implement, monitor, and evaluate the “Mentor Connector” Response Team. The Collaborating group will use the research techniques available to guide the initiative to achieve maximum results and positive outcomes. This group will promote a comprehensive approach to crime reduction within the targeted youth-at-risk group.