Transcript Slide 1

Bridge Communication
Best Start is distinct
from other initiatives in that it:
• Best Start is a major redesign of services in terms of how children and
families are supported from birth through to Grade 1.
• Planning and implementation is being done at the local/community
level.
• Responds to the clear message that Ontario needs more integrated
accessible services for young children and families.
• Strengthen, enhances, build on/integrates existing programs and
services – rather than creating new structures or organizations
• It asks all existing organizations that provide services for children from
the prenatal stage through to Grade 1 to share their expertise, and
plan together.
At the community level
•
Established Best Start Networks responsible for planning and
implementing Best Start in their communities.
•
Childcare expansion in and around Schools in locations that make
sense. By creating more licensed childcare spaces it will assist more
families in need with childcare costs.
•
The establishment or expansion of neighbourhood Best Start Early
Learning and Care Hubs that provide a range of integrated services
and supports for families with young children.
•
Support flexible implementation strategies that make sense for
communities.
Best Start Planning and Implementation
• Best Start is 100% funded and led by the Ministry of
Children and Youth Services.
• Major expansion of child care across the Province.
• Flexibility and eligibility requirements for child care fee
subsidies. This includes changes to the eligible hours policy
and RRSP/RESP Policies.
• Move to a sliding income scale test to determine
eligibility for child care.
Best Start Planning and Implementation
• Establishment of the College of Early Childhood
Educators
• Working Panels on:
• Early Learning
• Quality and Human Resources
• 18 Month Well Baby Check-up
• Enhanced Health Babies Healthy Children
• Restored service for Pre-School Speech and
Language/Infant Hearing
• Measurement for progress and results using the Early
Development Instrument
Who is developing the Best Start plans?
Best Start Networks have developed plans for Best Start
in their communities. (Rainy River District update)
CHILD CARE SERVICES
ADVISORY
CHILDREN SERVICES
ADVISORY
Northwestern
Health Unit
Family and Children Services
Preschool Autism Program
Integrated Services
North West
FAMILY SERVICES
PROVIDERS
Communication link only.
This group will not be part of
Planning for Best Start
But rather will enhance
Best Start by providing a link to
other services and supports our
Families may need
Ontario
Early Years Centres
Rainbow Centre
234 Playgroup Inc.
Fort Frances Children’s Complex
Country View Child Care Centre
Learn, Laugh and Play
Children’s Centre Rainy River
Fort Frances Nursery School
Rainy River Play-School
Best Start
Network
Northwestern Health Unit
Rainy River District School Board
Ministry of Children and
Youth Services
Northwest District Catholic School
Board
Mine Centre School Authority
Atikokan Roman Catholic
School Board
Rainy River District Social Services
Administration Board
Regional French
Language Network
ABORIGINAL SERVICES
ADVISORY
Sunset
Country Métis
Aboriginal Healthy Babies
Healthy Children
United Friendship Centres
Zaagi-Idiwin Aboriginal
Head Start program
Weechi-It-Te-Win
Family Services
BEST START COMMUNITY HUB
COORDINATON COMMITTEE
Atikokan
Fort Frances
Emo
Rainy River
Considerations that went into Planning
Best Start Hub Models
Currently there is a wide range of services and supports for children 0-6
and their families, funded by different ministries and levels of
government.
These services and supports will be integrated and/or coordinated so
that hubs can provide the core functions.
The major funders of these services and supports include:
The Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) - directly and
indirectly (child care/resource centres) through DSSABs
The Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
The Federal Government.
Core Functions of Hubs
•
Assessments: for problems or delays with all aspects
of early child development.
•
Access: to a wide range of early learning and care
services for children and parents.
•
Referral: For children who need more specialized
services. Those services will be linked to the hub.
•
Access to flexible programs for parents available at
times that meet their needs.
Functions of Early Learning and Care Hubs
Children’s
Mental Health
Children’s
Treatment
Children’s Treatment
Child
Welfare
Core Functions
Family
Services
Screening & Assessment:
Communication and
Social/Emotional Issues
Public Health
Nutrition Programs
Parenting Programs
Child Care
Pre-School
JK/SK
Preschool speech
and language
Infant Hearing Program
Recreation Programs
Development
Services
Recreation
Programs
The MCYS children’s system includes a broad
array of core hub and specialized services
3 providers
Children’s
Treatment
Centres
4 Providers
Preschool
Speech &
Language
Nutrition
Programs
Access
Mechanisms
7 providers –
under
development
4 providers
4 providers
Healthy
Babies
Healthy
Children
Other
community
supports
21 Providers
Ontario
Early Years
Centres
MCYS
Ministry of Children
and Youth Services
7 providers
Developmental
Services
24 Providers
Children’s
Mental
Health
Child
Welfare
34 CMH
providers
9 Children’s
Aid Societies
Total MCYS Investment
Children’s Services
North Region:
$212,167,723 –
68 providers (Note: many agencies
deliver multiple programs)
Key Principles of the Hub Model Design
Hubs will:
•
Be community-based, highly visible and easy for families
to access – situated close to where families live.
•
Be welcoming/inviting to all families and nonstigmatizing – universal access.
•
Be culturally and linguistically sensitive to the
communities they serve (e.g. Aboriginal, Francophone).
•
Offer one-stop shopping for families – access to a full
range of services, supports and information.
Hubs will:
Be flexible in terms of:
• when families/children can access services and supports,
• what services they can access and
• how they access them (tell their story once).
• Support “best practices” services, supports and information
for children 0-6 and their families.
• Provide outreach to families at risk.
Hubs will:
• Ensure that services are integrated across systems and
that hubs serve family needs, not organizational needs.
• Have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the
service providers involved in the hub and clearly defined
accountabilities, including feedback loops to the
communities they serve.
Outcome of the Planning Process
Best Start Networks have developed an Integrated
Implementation Plan for Best Start in the Rainy River
District. This plan was submitted to the Ministry of Children
and Youth Services in January, 2006.
Key elements of the Plan:
• Continued Funding
• Transportation
• Communication
Outcome of the Planning Process
• The Best Start Advisory Group will branch off into Best Start
Community Hub Coordination Committees.
• The Hub Committees will look like this:
• Atikokan Model
• Fort Frances
• Emo
• Rainy River
Those partners will begin to identify their specific community issues
and develop plans to address those issues.
Outcome of the Planning Process
• Develop a more comprehensive network that includes
all family service agencies and organizations.
• Develop a communication network with all partners
Where possible:
• Share Contact lists
• Share Newsletters
• Updates to services and supports
• Sharing of information
• Referrals
Strategic Plan for the Rainy River
District Best Start
Current BS Network Activities:
• Review and make changes to the Best Start Terms
of Reference to reflect the Networks evolution
• Strategic Planning Workshop Oct. 18
• Moving Forward with integration