Rural families surveyed

Even though they live in the country, rural families have identified programs focusing on the out-of-doors as their #1 request for new services.

The five elementary schools in South Frontenac Township were recently surveyed by the Staff at Rural VISIONS Centre to determine programming needs for each unique community. Lance Gibson, Chairperson of its Board of Directors, stated “we recognize that each community should receive the services it identifies as being needed rather than the most convenient to provide. A cookie-cutter approach has never been our way of serving our community.”

The survey was developed and distributed as a result of the adoption of the Annual Plan for 2006-07. Each year Central Frontenac Community Services Corporation, also known as Rural VISIONS Centre, develops objectives to address organizational, youth and family, long term care, and community needs throughout the Greater South Frontenac Area. Children’s programming was one of three objectives for youth and family services.

CFCSC will now begin approaching potential partners, with Scouts Canada being the first contact. “There are groups running in Perth Road, Verona and Sydenham currently and the price and time frame fit what parents were requesting: maybe its just a matter of families being educated about what scouting has to offer and the fact that it has been open to boys and girls for years” said CFCSC Executive Director Beth Freeland.

 The other top-five requested programs were “How-To Series”, “Music and Movement”, “Pre-teen Self-Esteem”, and Weekly Recreation activities.