Child Development Centre of Prince George celebrates frontline heroes at community barbecue

The barbecue, organizers said, was about recognizing the people making those numbers possible.

“We’re giving back to our staff and volunteers,” said board member Candis Johnson. “The fact that we have these fantastic staff, that put their hearts and soul into all the children within Prince George and district — we want to be able to give back to them.”

Johnson noted that the event was made possible through collaboration between the board and management, as well as support from local donors. In addition to a catered lunch, attendees received branded shirts as a token of appreciation.

“It’s an opportunity for them to just take care of themselves,” she said. “So often they are focused on caring for others. Today is about recognizing their dedication and giving them some time to recharge.”

That dedication, leaders say, is what sustains the organization as demand for services continues to rise year after year.

Executive Director Darrell Roze said the centre has never seen a decline in referrals.

“We’ve never had a year where we haven’t had a record number of children being referred,” he said. “Every year we’re seeing more and more needs, but our funding is fairly stagnant. So it’s becoming a substantial challenge.”

Roze emphasized that while funding has remained relatively flat, the complexity and volume of cases has steadily increased. The centre supports children with a wide range of developmental needs, including physical, cognitive, and communication challenges — services that can be life-changing for families navigating early childhood development concerns.

Despite financial pressures, Roze said CDC staff have continually adapted.

“We have really amazing staff, and they’ve proven tremendously able to meet the demands of seeing a lot of children,” he said. “But it is challenging — not just for us as an organization, but for every family that needs support.”

The Child Development Centre is primarily funded by the Province of British Columbia. However, to sustain its full scope of programming, it relies heavily on community contributions and fundraising efforts, raising more than $225,000 annually to bridge funding gaps.

Those funds go directly toward programs, equipment, and services that are often not fully covered through government support.

“We know that we’re not going to have enough funding to support children as well as we would like,” Roze said. “So we’ve put substantial focus on getting as much specialized equipment as possible to make our staff as effective as they can be.”

This strategic approach, he explained, allows therapists and specialists to maximize the impact of every session, ensuring children receive high-quality care even in a system facing resource constraints.

Still, leadership acknowledges that efficiency alone cannot fully address the growing demand.

Johnson said the organization has a clear vision for the future — one that hinges on expanding financial support.

“Our ultimate goal is we could double our funding,” she said. “If we were able to do that, we could finally meet the service needs of the community.”

That goal is ambitious, particularly during a period of economic uncertainty, where both organizations and families are feeling increased financial strain.

“Of course it’s hard to do in these economic times,” Johnson added. “But what we’re also seeing is that as much as we’re struggling, families are struggling even more.”

For many families accessing CDC services, early intervention is critical. Support delivered in a child’s formative years can significantly influence long-term outcomes, from school readiness to social and emotional development.

Community advocates say that makes the centre’s work not just important, but essential.

Events like Wednesday’s barbecue, while celebratory, also underscore a deeper reality: the growing gap between service demand and available resources.

Yet for those gathered in Strathcona Park, the focus remained firmly on gratitude.

Volunteers chatted with therapists, board members mingled with frontline staff, and laughter carried across picnic tables — a brief but meaningful respite from the day-to-day pressures of delivering care.

For Roze, it was a reminder of the human element behind the statistics.

“When you step back and look at what this team does every day, it’s pretty incredible,” he said. “This event is about recognizing that — and saying thank you.”

As the afternoon wound down, attendees began packing up, returning to their roles across the region. But the impact of the gathering lingered — a renewed sense of connection and recognition among those working to support some of the community’s most vulnerable children.

And while the challenges ahead remain significant, so too does the commitment of the people behind the Child Development Centre.

For Johnson, that commitment is what makes events like this worthwhile.

“They give so much,” she said. “This is just one small way we can give something back.”

by Nick Dube

Child Development Centre of Prince George celebrates frontline heroes at community barbecue

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