Ta na wa Ch’áwat ta Sx̱wéx̱wel
Squamish Valley Operations

Case Management Division

The goal of the Case Management team is to provide cultural and community-centered services that respect the best interests and rights of the children, in an environment that provides them with safety and security, and that enables them to ultimately achieve their full potential as healthy, competent, well-adjusted people with pride in their identity as Members of their Nation. These goals are achieved within a strong and supportive family and community.

Child & Youth Support Division

The work of the Youth Team supports the children and families of the Nation through group and individual activities. The emphasis is on cultural training, behavioral management and building self-esteem. The general practice and philosophy is to actively reach out to community youth to support the physical, emotional, nutritional and spiritual well-being of the youth, to encourage life skills development and provide cultural teachings.

Prevention & Community Awareness Division

This team develops special projects to deliver information on child & family services to the community. The main objective of this division is to make sure there is enough support in the community for families to survive crises without having to put children into care, and for the entire family to eventually lead healthy, productive lives. This involves leading an outreach team, developing educational programs as well as personally educating the community on awareness and warning signs, as well as advising members of support systems available and where to turn in times of crisis.

Family Programs Division

The Family Centers provide proactive prevention and education strategies to all Squamish families. In the Squamish Valley, Ayas Lam have regularly scheduled programs with a team of specialists (speech and language, infant development, supported child development, health nurse, ECE) and staff to assist parents with family issues, providing one-on-one support, workshops and other activities. 

The team coordinates and sends flyers out for a year-round schedule of programs designed to help parents and children learn about life skills, family dynamics and to receive training in the Squamish language, cultural, social and family tradition.

“Head Start” takes a holistic approach. The program is built around the whole child and is responsive to the community environment within which the child is growing up. The program is built around 6 essential components for enhancing early childhood development:

1. Culture & Language – bring in a Squamish language teacher, songs, etc.
2. Education – continual provides information to parents.
3. Health Promotion – teach families healthy eating, healthy cooking (Cooking with Carmen)
4. Nutrition – healthy living, healthy lifestyle (Garden growing and preparing for families)
5. Parent & Family Involvement – parent participation encouraged at Program House
6. Social Support – provide external supports, when needed.

• Aboriginal Supported Child Development/Aboriginal Infant Development to identify and support Indigenous children who are at risk for a developmental delay or who have been diagnosed with a developmental disability

• Aboriginal Infant Development Program/HIPPY coordinator to support early intervention for children and families at risk, and our HIPPY (Reading) program for parents, in their own home
• Speech & language support
• Pre- and post-natal education and programs, immunizations, sex education, SAFE clinic
• Dental Hygienist focused on the prevention of dental disease and promotion of good oral health practices in children.