The program components, as listed below, have been the foundation of programming for
AHSUNC, and have remained consistent since the start of the program in 1996.
- Culture and language - to provide children with a positive sense of themselves as
Aboriginal children and to build on the knowledge of their own languages, if possible.
- Education and school readiness - to support and encourage each child to enjoy life-long
learning through an early childhood program that includes physical well-being, social-
emotional skills, language and cognitive skills, and general well-being.
- Health promotion - to provide an early childhood program that emphasizes healthy living
and to empower parents and guardians and those involved with AHSUNC to increase
control over and improve their health.
- Nutrition - to provide food that will help children meet their nutritional needs and to
educate staff and parents of the link between nutrition and a child’s ability to learn and
develop physically and mentally.
- Social support - to ensure that the AHSUNC families have access to resources and
community services to assist with the quality of their lives.
- Parental and family involvement - to support and encourage parents’/guardians’ and
families’ role as children’s primary teachers and not making a child’s registration and
participation dependent on one or both parents’ participation.