Enhancing Aboriginal child wellness [electronic resource] : the potential of early learning programs / Jane P. Preston.

This article reflects a survey of a number of federally sponsored Aboriginal early learning programs in place throughout Canada in 2008. Information regarding policy and curriculum, governance structure, assessment standards, and challenges associated with specific programs are explicated. This survey of programs revealed that,
in order to be effective, Aboriginal early learning programs must meet a number of criteria, including the encouragement of parental and community participation and the incorporation of a culturally-appropriate, holistic perspective of learning. Presently, Aboriginal early learning programs face a number of formidable challenges
including the inaccessibility of programs for parents living in remote or rural areas, infrastructural limitations, funding issues, and lack of cooperation among federal and provincial/territorial departments.