Message Froni The Minister: We Want To Know What You Think

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BRITISH ( OLUMBIA

Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security

Spring 2000

Message Froni The Minister:

We Want To Know What You Think

~e British Columbia

l government is com-

Child care must be a shared responsibility. It

mitted to strengthening

is up to all of us -

families and communi-

governments, commu-

ties, and to building a better future for our children. That's why the Ministry for Social Development and Economic Security was created, and why I'm so proud to be a part of it.

nities, business and labour, families and individuals to ensure parents receive the support they need to provide quality care for their children. The paper sets out a

Now, we have a single ministry that embraces

range of possible child care initiatives, and the

key areas of concern to all

costs and benefits

B.C. families, including

associated with each,

skills training, housing,

Ministers Jenny Kwan and Moe Sihota introduce the child care discussion paper, Building a Better Future for British Columbia's Kids.

intended to:

BC Benefits and, of course, child care. Child care can be the key that unlocks our children 's

children early in their lives is absolutely critical to their success in

? ensure that quality child care services meet the developmental

future in this fast-changing and

school and as adults. It also recog-

needs of children;

increasingly diverse world.

On October 21, 1999, our ministry released a discussion paper called Building a Better Future for British Columbia's Kids. This paper recognizes that the quality of care we give our

nizes that parents are the primary caregivers for their children and provide the foundation on which their children build their lives - but they do not bear this responsibility alone.

? strengthen the way society supports parents and caregivers to provide the quality care children need;

(...cont'd on page 2)

.,...,

. .. ~ '

Minister (cont'd from page 1)

? link parents with neighbourhood schools, local child care programs and other services for preschool and school-age children; and

? keep the direct costs of child care for low? and middle-income parents at a level they can afford.

What I want to know now is what you think of these options. I urge you to read this discussion paper, think about it and respond to it, and I ask you to work with us to help create the future we all want and our children deserve.

Moe Sihota Minister ofSocial Development and Economic Security

Building A Better Future For British Columbia's Kids

is available from your local Child Care Resource

and Referral program, the public library, and at all

MIA, Government Agent, Ministry of SDES and Ministry of Women's Equality offices.

It's also posted on the ministry's web site: .bc.ca

?!?Response deadline has been extended to

February 29, 2000?!?

See details page 15

Child Care Branch: Who We Are; What We Look Like Now

T his last summer, the Child Care Branch joined the newly created Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security (SDES), where we now form an integral part

of the programs and services devoted to helping individuals and families get ahead in life and build better futures for their children. Here is what we look like now:

Child Care Branch BradGee Jan Gottfred Lucy Mears Sharon Buchan

Nancie Boyd Karen Aitken Eve Gaudet

Karen Taylor Darlene Pedersen Tom Krol Kristina Hausberg

(250) 356-001 A/Manager NTeam Leader Child Care Grants Program Coordinator NChild Care Resource & Referral Program Coordinator Child Care Subsidy Consultant Child Care Consultant Compensation Contribution Program Grants Coordinator Program Administrator CCP Administrative Support CCP Administrative Support Branch Administrative Support

Child Care Policy Branch (250) 356-5303

Carole James

NDirector

Pieta Van Dyke

Manager

Jan Gottfred

Child Care Policy Analyst

Chris Gay

Child Care Policy Analyst

Peggy Acomba

Child Care Policy Analyst

Hazel Mason

Administrative Support

Benefits Management Branch (250) 356-5191

Deborah Ainsworth Director

Peter Kagis

Manager

Shannon Hodgins

Program Analyst (ERRR and F&E)

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PLEASE NOTE:

Supported Child Care remains the responsibility of the Ministry for Children and Families, Child and Family Section. Staff include:

David MacPherson Manager, Special Needs

Jeanne Faith Supported Child Care Consultant

NOTE: Sandra Griffin has accepted a one year position as Executive Director ofthe Canadian Child Care Federation in Ottawa and we wish her all the best.

Thank You

For the past three years, the members of the Child Care Branch have had the privilege

of working with the regional & central staff of the Ministry

for Children and Families.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank MCF staff for all of their hard work and for their support

of child care programs.

Children across British Columbia have benefited from your dedication. Thank you.

Good Beginnings for Home-Based Child Care: Adaptability is the Key

C hild Care Resource and Referral programs, colleges and continuing education programs alike are finding their own, unique ways to deliver the 30-hour Good Beginnings Family Child Care Training course.

"One of the strengths of Good Beginnings is that it can be adapted to meet the needs of child care providers in different communities," says Karen Norman, supervisor of the Delta and Surrey CCRR and project manager for the Western Canada Family Child Care Association's Good Beginnings series.

In Surrey, for example, where there is a large Punjabi-speaking population, the program has been delivered in Punjabi as well as English. In Richmond and Vancouver, Good Beginnings is offered in Cantonese and English. And in some rural communities, trainers are looking at ways to adapt the course to overcome geographical barriers that make it hard for some child care providers to get to classes regularly.

"CCRR staff in 100 Mile House and Delta have been testing an outreach model where they can have a care provider working on the course materials at home, then the provider

will either telephone or come into the office, one night a week or by appointment, and work with a staff member as their tutor and marker," says Karen.

Students throughout the province who can't attend classes in person also have the option of taking Good Beginnings as a distance education course through Vancouver Community College.

"It's being offered on a continuous intake basis, so people can start anytime in the year and work at their own pace," Karen says. "Sometimes it takes them two months to finish, and sometimes it takes them six. "

No matter what the model, says Karen, "CCRR staff and course facilitators support participants and assist their learning in any way they can. Good Beginnings gives individuals the practical skills they need to care for young children, provide a safe, stimulating learning environment, and operate a homebased child care service."

(...cont'd on page 4)

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GoodBeginnings (cont'dfrompage 3)

Good Beginnings:

The Far North

When early childhood education consultant June Meyer took on the challenge of training child care providers in British Columbia's most northerly community, she knew what she needed: course materials that she could adapt to meet the unique needs of her students. She found them in Good Beginnings.

"The incredible thing about the Good Beginnings course is that you can deliver it on-site in any community," she says. "It comes with materials that are functional, readable, practical, and from which you can extend important course concepts."

June delivered Good Beginnings in conjunction with Northern Lights College as part of a larger Early Childhood training program she developed to train members of the Lower Post First Nation as child care providers. (Lower Post is a Kaska Dene community of approximately 150 people, located close to the Yukon border.)

It was important for June to ensure that the Good Beginnings materials were presented in ways that were respectful and relevant to the community and to the Kaska Dene culture, and sensitive to her students' needs, abilities and learning styles.

"I found Good Beginnings flexible enough that I could pull from here and there," says June. "We were able to use all the health and safety components, and put in extra support material, like a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome workshop which was given by someone locally. When we talked about nutrition, we looked at traditional foods , like moose, fish, and caribou, because that's what is available up in that community."

"The incredible thing about the Good Beginnings course is that you can deliver it on-site in any conununity. It comes with materials that are functional, readable, and from which you can extend important course concepts. "

June and her students also incorporated other elements of the Kaska Dene cultural tradition, such as storytelling and a Gathering Circle, to help participants to connect with each other.

Five students graduated from the course last June with Family Child Care Certificates. "We had a graduation day ceremony with community members there," says June. "I just wish you could have seen those students' faces: they were just glowing. It was so powerful."

Child Care Programs

Transition Update

The process of moving the child care programs from the Ministry for Children and Families to the Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security continues. Until further notice, MCF Regional Child Care Contacts will continue to provide support to communities on child care matters.

MSDES is developing its capability to provide community child care liaison staff with representatives from both the Skills Development Division and the Benefits Management Division;

As part of the ongoing transition process, the transfer of child care program files from the Regions to the Child Care Branch has begun. These files include CCRR, Westcoast, and OSA contracts as well as CCP, ITIG, ERRR and F&E grants.

Formoreinformation, you can contact yourRegionalChildCare Contactorthe Child Care Branch at(250) 356-6001.

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CANADA/BRITISH COLUMBIA

Child Care Strategic Initiative Evaluation Highlights

The Canada/British Columbia Child Care Strategic Initiative (CCSI) began on April 1, 1995 and ended on March 31, 1999. Unique in this country, the CCSI was a one-of-a-kind, four-year, costshared, $32-million agreement between Canada and British Columbia to develop, test and evaluate ways to fund and deliver child care services in B.C.

The final, summative evaluation of the CCSI is now complete. Using a methodology developed jointly by the federal and provincial governments, the evaluation assessed if and how individual projects met the CCSI's three primary objectives:

? to improve the stability and quality of child care facilities and services

? to make child care more affordable for parents, and

Here are some of the evaluation highlights:

OBJECTIVE 1

To improve the stability and quality of facilities and services

? The three new Child Care Resource and Referrals (CCRRs), developed as part of the CCSI in Smithers, Williams Lake and Boundary, helped to create a stable pool of child care providers in each of their communities through on-going recruitment and support activities.

Over two years, the three CCRRs offered a total of 77 child care workshops and courses, attended by 752 providers and parents. They also responded to more than 5,800 calls or visits from local caregivers each year.

? to increase the availability of services and promote parent choice in the selection of the most appropriate child care arrangements for their families.

The results of this initiative will help shape federal and provincial government policies and programs for many years to come.

? The Surrey CCRR's Local Solutions to Local Needs Project provided training in English, Punjabi and Spanish, and extended CCRR services to include group, preschool and out of school care providers in addition to family child care providers - significantly improving access to training, information and other resources for local caregivers.

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CCSI main components:

Four One-Stop Access Centres - to test the effectiveness of providing pa rents and caregivers one central location for child care-related information.

Eight Community Demonstration Projects to investigate a range of ch ild care ideas and options at the commun ity level.

Three Regional Delivery Models - to evaluate the efficiency of providing centralized management and administration services.

Supported Child Care to move British Columbia to an inclusive child care system, where children who need extra support are able to participate in whatever child care setting their parents think is best for them.

Did You Know ... ?

Over one million children in Canada live in conditions that, owing to poverty, poor

health, neglect or abuse, threaten their well-being.

CAPC - the Community Action Program

for Children - is part of a federal government initiative to help local community groups address the priority health and developmental needs of children under the age of six

who are at risk.

New Brain (cont'd from page 11)

The East Kootenay CCRR put together a suggested list of resources that encourage brain development; other CCRRs then ordered from this list, selecting the resources that best suited their specific community needs.

"The more stimulation a child gets and the different interactions they receive, the more likely they 'll have a higher IQ as they grow older and be successful when they enter the school system. "

"By making these resources readily available to child care providers, we

know there will be a beneficial impact on children in their communities," says Betty. "Information about enhancing early brain development will be passed on to parents as well, so I think you're going to see a very positive ripple effect."

Funding To Continue

As a result of both strong evaluations an d deep community su pport, th e inistry of Social D evelopmen and Economic Security has committed to continu ed

fund ing for the fou r O ne-S top Access Centres.

CCSI Wrap Up News

For four years - from April 1, 1995 to March 31, 1999 - B.C. participated with the federal government in Canada's only Child Care Strategic Initiative.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved with the Child Care Strategic Initiative (CCSI) projects for their dedication and commitment," says Jan Gottfred, Child Care Branch.

"Through your hard work, we have made great strides in finding

new and innovative methods for delivering quality child care, in coordinating child care services and sharing finite resources, in encouraging community involvement, and in building a truly inclusive child care system - a system that welcomes and includes all children, regardless of ability or disability."

CCSI Evaluation Now Complete

The final evaluation of the Child Care Strategic Initiative (CCSI) is now complete. Using a methodology

developed jointly by the federal and provincial governments, the evaluation assessed if and how individual projects met the CCSI's three primary objectives:

? to improve the stability and quality of child care facilities and services;

? to make child care more affordable for parents; and,

? to increase the availability of services and promote parent choice in the selection of the most appropriate child care arrangements for their families.

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CCSI Wrap Up News (cont'd from page 12)

A four-page insert with highlights of the evaluation is included with this newsletter. Once the federal govenrment has approved the evaluation for distribution, copies will be made available. Contact the Child Care Branch ifyou have any questions.

CCSIResources

The Child Care Branch is working with the Communications Branch to develop an accessible collection of resources produced through the various CCSI projects. Future Child Care Updates will contain more information.

Guide To Developing Child Care In Housing Projects

The Access Building Association of Burnaby has produced an information/resource binder on how to develop family child care in housing projects. The binder includes a guidebook to both family child care development and housing, a workbook and resource materials. And who better to put it together?

As part of the CCSI, the Access Building Association arranged for two units of the Oak.lands housing co-op to be specially designed and specifically designated for child care.

Two resident family child care providers now offer child care services to the children of Oak.lands residents and neighbourhood families. In a separate project in Prince George, the association arranged for on-site family child care as an integral part of a housing project developed by the Mennonite Central Committee.

The binder is available - free of charge - from both the Access Building Association (604-875-1836) and Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre (604-709-5661). It is also available at

One-Stop Access CentresA Hit!

A wide range of people from across the province - including parents, child care providers, health care workers and simply interested local residents - wrote to the Ministry for Children and Families last winter to express their strong support for the four One-Stop Access Centres developed as part of the CCSI.

Located in Vancouver, Nelson, Courtenay/Comox and Terrace, these centres tested the effectiveness of providing one central community location for parents to find information about the child care subsidy program and child care spaces, and for caregivers to learn about licensing,

training, resources and grants. The centres also offered a range of services for parents and families, including early-intervention therapy, infant development and parent support.

Here are selections from just a few of the many glowing letters:

Comox Valley

"I am a single mom with two children. In the last four years, the One-Stop Access Centre has really helped us out. OSA has connected us with the right people and always made sure we got the answers/ response we needed."

Nelson

"When offered a job in Nelson, I was able to move from Alberta and begin a new life for my daughter Emma and I because Childcare Connections helped me find a dayhome close to our new residence and most importantly, a qualified, safe and caring situation for Emma. I learned quickly to trust Childcare Connections in their referrals and the standard of care which they strive to meet."

"Better to spend money on this type of facility which could alleviate reasons for having to spend money in child interventions and apprehensions. The parents and children of this community deserve and need Childcare Connections."

(. .. cont'd on page 14)

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One-Stop A ccess (cont'd from page 13)

Terrace

"The Family Place is an essential service in Terrace and the surrounding areas. It's our hope the Family Place can continue their important, useful service in our community."

Vancouver

"Prior to the existence of the OSA, I had difficulty submitting daycare subsidy application during the Ministry office hours. I often had to miss one shift of work to apply for the subsidy. Since the working hours of the OSA are flexible to meet the needs of the community, I am now able to make the appointments in the evening and the subsidy authorization comes on time."

CHILD CARE AN URGENT ISSUE SAY BRITISH COLUMBIANS

Almost all of the more than 7,200 British Columbians who have already responded to the government's child-care discussion paper say child care is an urgent issue.

Those are the findings of an interim report released on January 10.

"It's the kind of feedback the

government was hoping for. This input is imp01iant to us," says Social Development and Economic Security Minister Moe Sihota. "We're not only receiving thousands of responses to the paper, but we're also seeing a broad cross-section ofBritish Columbians getting involved in this discussion."

So far, responses have come from more than 170 communities across B.C. Almost all say that child-care issues are a high priority. Many call on the provincial and federal governments to create a publicly funded child-care system that ensures all families have access to good quality, affordable child care.

Those who have responded to the paper include parents, child-care providers, doctors, academics and representatives from social agencies or associations like the B.C.Nukon Society ofTransition Houses, the City of P01t Moody and the B.C. School Superintendents Association.

Says Women's Equality Minister Jenny Kwan: "We've clearly heard that improving accessibility, affordability and quality ofchild care are the issues that are top-of-the-mind for parents in B.C."

The deadline for feedback to the child-care discussion paper has been extended by one month to February 29, 2000 (details p. 15).

Copies of the interim rep01t are available from the Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security Communications Branch. It is also available on the SDES website at .bc.ca

UPDATE

The Child Care Update is

published by the Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security.

We welcome your story ideas and submissions. Write or fax:

Child Care Branch Ministry of Social Development

and Economic Security

Box 9965 Stn Prov Govt Victoria, BC VSW 9R4

Fax: (250) 953-3327

Website: .bc.ca/ PROGRAMS/ childcar.htm

Please feel free to pass on, reprint or photocopy articles with credit to

Child Care Update,

Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security.

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