Leduc County children struggling to transition to kindergarten

LEDUC COUNTY -- A new report shows that nearly half of pre-school aged kids in Leduc County struggle when entering the school system.

The report filed by Family & Community Support Services shows that in 2023, 46 per cent of students between 4.5 and 6.5 years of age experienced difficulty transitioning into kindergarten. This is in addition to 18 per cent of kids who experienced significant difficulty.

To combat this, FCSS has a five-year plan to help support kids entering school, with updates to the plan being added last year. This includes new programs to educate parents on developmental milestones required for successful integration into kindergarten.

Other aspects of the plan include enhancing partnerships, funding and coordination with existing community programs, and working to expand opportunities for families to access programs with a focus on developmental core domains and school readiness.

Part of their efforts in 2024 saw the addition of a new resource directory for families with children 0-6 in the domains of Child Development, Parent Education, Childcare and Subsidy.

Family & Community Support Services say they believe that with these new investments, a measurable improvement will be achieved in the readiness of children entering the school system. 

An Early Childhood Resource fair will also be held on April 7th at the Thorsby Rec Centre.