Getting to Know Us

Since 1982, The Fraser Valley Child Development Centre (FVCDC) has provided services to enhance the quality of life for children with developmental needs. FVCDC is operated by the non-profit Fraser Valley Child Development (1982) Society and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

The Executive Director and staff are paid professionals. The majority of funding is provided by the provincial government. The FVCDC Foundation also accepts private donations and raises funds through community events. Most services to clients are provided free of charge.

The goal of the FVCDC is to give all children the opportunity to be the best they can be. It provides a wide range of services to children whose development is delayed or who are at risk. The child may be experiencing difficulty with physical movement, reasoning or problem solving tasks, or emotional issues. Although many children do not have a formal diagnosis when they contact FVCDC, most children have either specific or global developmental delays or disabilities.

A team of more than 105 professionals provide therapy, education and support to 2200 children, their families and communities at any given time. Services are provided at facilities in Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, and Hope, at schools, in client homes, and in the community, serving families in those centres, as well as Boston Bar, Agassiz, and Harrison.

FVCDC services include:

• assessment and individualized goal setting and planning
• family education and support
• education and consultation with other professionals and care givers
• physical therapy
• assistance with wheelchairs, walkers, and lifts
• adaptive devices to support independence like pencil grips
• speech and language therapy
• therapy to develop skills for daily living including self-care and social skills (occupational therapy)
• social and emotional coaching
• parenting skills training
• supported recreational opportunities
  

FVCDC:

gives children with developmental issues the skills to excel; helps families better understand and support their child's health and development; and, creates communities that embrace and include everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Board of Directors

We are proud to introduce to you our Board of Directors.

Brian Siborne, Chair (2009/11)
Vernie Greenhalgh, Vice-Chair (2009/11)
Trevor Bennington, Treasurer (2009/11)
Maria Mach, Secretary (2008/10)
Fiona Harris, Director (2008/10)
Brian Gaudet, Director (2009/11)
Dianne Livesey, Director (2009/11)

Constitution & ByLaws

• Download the Constitution and Bylaws in Word Doc Format

 

Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics applies to and forms the basis of acceptable conduct for all members of the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre.

The Fraser Valley Child Development Centre and its service providers respect the dignity and worth of the individual, value the crucial role of the family as the main tool of development for their child and promote the rights and welfare of all those who receive service from the Centre.

The ethical guidelines presented are a set of standards of conduct which the service providers of the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre consider in ethical and professional decision making.  Children and families who receive service from the Centre can expect providers to adhere to their own professional code of ethics and for providers to accept the following responsibilities:

Value the right of individuals to be treated with respect:

• Treat children and their families with respect, acceptance and dignity.

 

Value the right of individuals to have their religious and cultural identity respected:

• Respect the rights of children and their families to maintain their own personal, cultural and religious beliefs.
• Provide services that support the cultural and language needs of children and their families.

 

Value the right of individuals to self-determination:

• Recognize the right of children and their families to receive or refuse services.
• Recognize children and their families as experts regarding their experience and respect their right to choose the nature of service they desire.
• Recognize the right of families to pursue a Complaints Resolution Process.

 

Value the right to appropriate standards of service to meet individual needs:

• Negotiate with children and their families the purpose, goals and natures of the service provided and inform them prior to service of the limitations of the proposed service.
• Provide service that recognizes and build on strengths of children and their families.
• Provide service inline with current best practices and within area of expertise, qualifications and authority.
• Maintain professionalism in providing service to children and their families and avoid situations where there is a loss of objectivity, effectiveness or conflict of interest.
• Work collaboratively with co-workers and other community professionals to achieve the best outcomes for children and their families.
• Take advantage of opportunities provided for ongoing education and training.
• Observe safe work practices that will minimize risk of injury to children and their families as well as self and others.
• Respect the setting where service is being provided.

 

Value the right to privacy and confidentiality:

• Provide service that respects the privacy and confidentiality of children and their families.
• Protect the integrity, safety and security of client records.
• Follow all agency guidelines regarding informed consent.

 

Value the recognition that children and their families are social and belong to a larger community:

• Provide service that respects and seeks to understand the interaction between children, their families, the communities in which they live and society.
• Provide service that is aware of local, provincial and federal laws.
• Provide the larger community with information that demonstrates the effectiveness of service provided to children and their families.
• Provide service that recognizes multiculturalism in society and respects individuals and groups, their cultures and beliefs.

 

The FVCDC recognizes that ethical decision making is the responsibility of our organization as a whole.  We have developed various mechanisms that attempt to provide and support service providers as they face ethical issues.  They include:

• Peer Review:  Peer review takes place when service providers discuss ethical dilemmas within their department and with other support team members.  This gives the service providers an opportunity to check ethical decision making against that of other colleagues.
  
  
• Appeals Procedure:  This system is in place in the form of a Complaints Resolution Process that allows families to pursue a course of action if they question the ethics involved in decision making related to the services they receive.  Refer to the Complaints Resolution policy.
  
  
• In-Service Training and Consultation:  Our organization is committed to educating service providers on the intricacies of ethical aspects of decision making and in general, to strength the ethical level of practice.