Starland County, in conjunction with the villages of Morrin, Munson and Delia are looking at a new way to deliver Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) programs.
The county receives provincial funding to deliver programming, and in previous years they have used it to fund programs through the Prairie Land Regional School Division.
“Ever since we got into FCSS, we have given all of our funding allocation to Prairie Land for operating the community resource worker program,” said Starland CAO Ross Rawlusyk. “They run a fairly large regional program with resource workers in Hanna and Consort for example, and there is no consistency on who pays in to it.”
“We began to look at FCSS programs, and the villages in our area. FCSS will fund some of the school based programming, but it is money that can be spent in other areas like seniors programming and preschool programs.”
He says they are not delivering such programs because the county wrapped its whole funding allocation into PLRD’s school based programs.
“We decided we would kind of reinvent the program,” Rawlusyk said.
The county has contracted Morrin resident Diana Meller to help develop the programs. Former Community Services director for the Town of Drumheller, Meller brings experience working in this capacity.
“We are delighted to have this opportunity. She is working on the design of our program with a regionally established board to see what kind of programs we can develop with the funding,” said Rawlusyk. “I am quite excited about the reinvention of the program.”
“We definitely benefit from having somebody with Diana’s great experience in program design and delivery.”
Meller is excited to take on the project, and says there has been a number of new initiatives that have come along since she was last involved in programming and delivery, that will bring opportunity.
Rawlusyk said the PLRD program ends in August, and the new board being formed has a goal to have programs up and running by then. The partners in the county are close to coming up with an agreement moving forward.
“At the end of the day control will be back locally with the municipalities,” said Rawlusyk.
