Nzen'man' Child and Family Development Centre Society
(250) 455-2661 Contact Us
A Nation where all children are cared for in a good way and families have the support to raise happy and healthy children who have a strong foundation and connections to our nkshAytkn (relations), our tmix (land), and our ways of being as Nlaka’pamux.
We honour a shared obligation to the children of today and the children of tomorrow by providing and advocating for community-driven, Nlaka’pamux-centred child and family development programs and services.
Our principles and values underpin all our work to support our Nation’s children and families and ensure that our programs reflect who we are as Nlaka’pamux people.
Learn more About Us
Child Care
Early Years / AIDP Home Visiting
The Family Place
Pre and Post Natal Home Visiting
Aboriginal Supported Child Development (ASCD)
Dear Families, Friends, and Community Leaders
We are deeply grateful for the continued support and patience from our community as we move forward in our recovery journey. Since the devastating Lytton Creek Wildfire on June 30, 2021, which destroyed homes, buildings, and several reserves of the Lytton First Nation, Nzen’man’ has made tremendous progress in re-establishing vital child care and family support services.
To date we successfully re-established 54 child care spaces—a milestone made possible thanks to the dedication of our staff and the generosity of Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux School and School District #74 for sharing their spaces with us. This enabled us to continue providing care for our littlest shchEma-mee.tkt (children) during challenging times.
We are excited to announce the launch of two new Nzen’man’ Head Start sites—T’eqt’aqtn’mux Head Start (The Crossing Place @ Kanaka) and NzeekzAkhnn Head Start (The West Side). These sites provide culturally grounded, Nlaka’pamux-led early learning opportunities for children aged 1 to 12, including dedicated spaces for toddlers aged 1 to 3. Although smaller in size, these Head Start programs are rich in connection, culture, and tailored experiences designed to meet the unique needs of our families. These new sites mirror the care and high-quality standards of our licensed Multi-Age Programs and reflect our ongoing commitment to expanding community-based early learning options.
Our Early Years and Aboriginal Supported Child Development teams, operating in both Lytton and Merritt areas, continue to deliver essential home visiting programs—including pre and post-natal support—ensuring families get the help they need, when they need it most.
We are also proud to be collaborating with Bands and organizations across the Nation to organize drop-in and family events that foster community connection and wellbeing.
The past few years have presented many challenges to our Nlaka’pamux Nation—the pandemic, multiple wildfires including the Nohomin, Kookipi, Ponderosa, and Stein Mountain Fires in 2023, the Shetland Fire in 2024, as well as regional floods. Despite these hardships, our resilience shines through as we have recently broken ground on our exciting [Nzen’man’ Birds Nest Project](insert hyperlink here). This new facility will house all of Nzen’man’s programs and more, creating safe, nurturing spaces that honour our children as the heart of our communities and the future of our Nation.
We want you to know that Nzen’man’ remains unwavering in its commitment to rebuild while continuing to provide essential services during this time.
Please watch for our monthly newsletters and Facebook posts for updates and ways to stay connected.
If you need assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Your ongoing support means the world to us. Together, we will continue to navigate these challenges and emerge stronger as a community.
kukstemc,
Nzen’man’ Board and Staff