About Us

The Shuswap Children’s Association, originally the Shuswap Exceptional Children’s Association, was formed in 1982 by a group of parents of children with support needs, who found they were unable to access services for their children. They were joined by community professionals, service providers and others who shared the goals of the parents.

The Association’s first program was a block-funded special needs preschool with 18 children with support needs, who were funded by the then the Ministry of Social Services, and 18 non-support needs children in three classes of 12 children each, with children attending either two or three half days per week. The children were supported by three trained staff members and an annual operating budget of under $50,000.

From that beginning, we have grown to an annual operating budget of over $1,000,000.00, ten full time programs and numerous other shorter-term projects, and an annual staff between 60 and 80.

We have become the Shuswap Children’s Association, as more reflective of our current mission, which includes continuing to provide services for children with support needs but also includes supporting early childhood development and childcare.

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