Leeds Grenville Best Start Window of Focus

Leeds Grenville Best Start Window of Focus

Best Start Work plan 2011/12 (Revised March, 2012)

Introduction

Through ongoing planning, implementation and review processes both at the workgroup and BSN planning table, Leeds-Grenville Best Start Network Members identified Support for healthy development; support for the implementation of full day early learning; planning for child and family centres; support for Aboriginal families; data driven community planning and providing joint professional development activities for service providers as key themes of focus for the network. The network continues to focus on strategies/activities to support moving along the service integration continuum.

Current Status of Work plan Strategies/ Activities

1) Service Integration – The committee continues to identify strategies for collaborative efforts to support the development of children ages 0 to 6 and to support the development of a common language and set of skills for service providers

The Service Integration Committee adapted Service Coordination Guidelines which were initially developed through the KFLA children’s planning table and shared at the Autism Workgroup of Every Kid in our Communities. The guidelines, which have changed names from Service Integration to Service Coordination, have undergone an ongoing review process between the Service Integration Working Group of the Best Start Network and the Lead Table of EKIOC, until adopted in their present form in Spring 2011.

· At the same time that we had completed the process of agreement of the guidelines, the Best Start Network participated in a day focused on integrated service system planning facilitated by the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association and the United Counties of Leeds & Grenville, with a focus on Best Start Child and Family Centres (June 2011.) As a community, we identified parent/family engagement; alignment/time; common language; and local flexibility as the four elements that need particular focus for moving forward.

· Summer 2011 – a call for proposals was issued by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Community Action Research, Innovation Fund. One of the areas of focus was for effective inservice training and mentoring. The community identified the operationalization of the service coordination guidelines as an appropriate and relevant project to apply for funds. We were successful in receiving the grant and are currently in the process of working with a consultant to develop training modules and planning a training day for community agency partners.

Lunch and Learn sessions have been expanded to 4 communities (Kemptville, Brockville, Gananoque, and Prescott) with a lead identified in each community. The leads met for a planning meeting in August to share best practices, identify possible topics for meetings, and standardize meeting times and messaging.

A brochure identifying services/resources available for the prenatal to 6 population and their families is being developed in order to support coordination of information.

The Service Integration Committee completed its goals around developmental screening clinics… In 2010, 13 children attended the Portland Clinic, 3 Gananoque, 4 Brockville and 6 Prescott. In Year 2 the decision was made to distribute Nipissings at “ready made” events – Spencerville Fair, Dandelion Festival (Kemptville), Ribfest Brockville. 105 NDS forms were distributed. A logic model was developed to guide plans to support NDDS screening in Leeds-Grenville. (detailed in plan below)

The “Read to Every Kid” Project engaged schools, libraries, and community agencies in supporting families in reading to their children. Over 1300 families voted for their favorite book.

While the Service Integration Committee focuses on deliberate strategies to support an integrated network of services for families, all the work of Best Start focuses around this vision.

2) Implementation of Early Learning Program – The coordinator and co-chairs continue to participate in regularly scheduled ELP implementation meetings of the boards, CMSMs, and representatives of MCYS and Ministry of Education where there is an opportunity to have questions answered and provide feedback related to implementation. The BSN continues to communicate relevant legislation to community partners and provides a forum for sending questions/concerns back to school board and ministry officials.

A tri county special needs reference group which reports to Best Start Networks continues to meet regularly to determine issues and support school boards in terms of integrating students with special needs into full day programs, including Ready2/to Learn.

The “Gananoque Pilot” which was funded through SSLI, supported community partnership around Transition to Kindergarten in three schools (2 ELP) in the Gananoque area.

Representatives from BSN are working with Best Start Networks in Lanark, SDG and Prescott Russell and the English school Boards to identify common criteria for Transition to Kindergarten programs, with a goal of forming ongoing partnerships in the offering of these programs.

3) Support for Development of Children from Birth to Age 6 – Goal: All Children in Leeds & Grenville will be screened using the NDDS at regular intervals from 0 to 6 years of age.

 18 Month Strategy – A Referral Pathways Chart was developed and distributed. The 18 month workgroup has expanded to a tricounty steering committee. A Health Professional’s newsletter (related to 18 month fee code and MacHealth.ca) has been written and published in conjunction with MOH. Surveys have been distributed to doctors and nurse practitioners.

 Developmental Screening Clinics (see SI section and body of plan)

 Use of Universal Screening Tool – The Nipissing Developmental Screening is currently mailed to all 18 month and 3 year olds by the Health Unit. The tool will be used at screening clinics and distributed at “ready made” events. (see logic model attached)

4) Sharing of Data to Inform Planning and Programming

 The UCLG DAC gave a series of presentations on EDI subdomans to the BSN

 Jim Grieve presented to 67 community agency and school board partners on the importance of EDI in planning.

 An EDI workgroup has been formed to set the direction for community planning using EDI

 Sharing of Data – a presentations were made to Counties Council and municipal councils of Front of Yonge, Leeds and Thousand Islands and Merrickville-Wolford regarding the Community Profiles Document

 A logic model has been developed to describe a 2 year plan for use of EDI as a tool. The plan includes both awareness and neighbourhood planning.

5) Support for Parents/Parent Engagement

 In addition to the initiatives outlined above the Triple P workgroup has identified support for parents of children entering ELP classes as a priority for the upcoming year. Childcare will also be approached to participate in TripleP training. Early years partners have engaged in a focused effort to promote TripleP to families. A universal media strategy involving print and radio is ongoing.

Strategies for Moving Forward

The strategies described in the attached work plan for 2011/12 integrate collaborative approaches to increase support for families/parent engagement, data-driven community planning, developmental screening and education, implementation of ELP, and joint professional development opportunities. Each strategy includes an evaluation component. Every Kid in our Communities has completed an evaluation with the Centre of Excellence to develop evaluation tools to assist with evaluation of projects and our collaborative efforts. The Service Integration Index will be used regularly as a tool for measuring our progress.

Support for the implementation of Pascal’s Report as it relates to Child and Family Centres will be a key focus with strategies developed as we receive more information about the government’s plans. Support for the childcare centres as they adapt to ELP will be ongoing. Strategies to support francophone and aboriginal populations need to be deliberate and focused.

• Strategy for distribution of NDDS and Rourke

• Communication strategy
• Engagement of agencies, families, physicians
• Promotion of screening tool

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