City of Brantford and County of Brant Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centre Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan

September 2017

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction ...... 4 2.0 Developing Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) ...... 5 Role of the City of Brantford as CMSM ...... 7 3.0 Community Profile ...... 8 Best Start Network ...... 10 4.0 Engagement Process/Strategy ...... 11 Parent/Caregiver Engagement ...... 11 Engagement of Children ...... 12 Service Provider Engagement ...... 13 Indigenous Service Provider Engagement ...... 14 Current OEYC, PFLC and CCRC Service Providers Engagement ...... 14 School Board Engagement ...... 15 Engagement with County of Brant ...... 15 Ward Councillor Engagement ...... 15 Engagement with Providers/CMSMs in other Jurisdictions ...... 15 Data Collection and Profiles ...... 15 Document Review ...... 16 5.0 Summary of Community Needs Assessment ...... 17 Summary of What Families Said ...... 17 The Voices of Children ...... 22 What Service Providers Said ...... 26 Our Families and What they Need ...... 29 6.0 Initial Plan ...... 52 Planning Principles ...... 52 System Management ...... 52 Planning ...... 52 Contracts and Funding ...... 53 System Management and Support ...... 53 OEYCFC Service Model ...... 54

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 2 Services to be Provided ...... 56 Indigenous Programs and Services ...... 59 French Language Programs and Services ...... 60 Service Delivery Mechanisms ...... 60 Locations of OEYCFCs ...... 61 Online Services and Resources...... 64 Local Phone Lines ...... 64 OEYCFC Service Providers ...... 64 Transition Plans ...... 65 Communication Strategy ...... 67 7.0 Moving Forward! ...... 68

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 3 1.0 Introduction

In February 2016, the Ministry of Education announced its intention to transform Ministry- funded child and family programs into an increasingly integrated, cohesive system of services and supports for children ages 0 to 6 and their parents/caregivers known as Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs). On January 1, 2018, the City of Brantford will become responsible for the local management of OEYCFCs in Brantford-Brant as part of its responsibility for the service system management of child care and other human services. As part of this process, the City is required to submit a community needs assessment and initial plan to the Province.

Currently, the Ministry of Education funds four child and family programs, including Ontario Early Years Centres (OEYCs), Parenting and Family Literacy Centres (PFLCs), Child Care Resource Centres (CCRCs), and Better Beginnings Better Futures programs. Three of these programs (OEYCs, PFLCs and CCRCs) operate in Brantford-Brant. In addition to this, the Province provides funding for a part-time local Early Literacy Specialist.

Embedded as a key goal of the Graduate Brantford initiative, early learning is a priority for the City of Brantford. This goal focuses on enhancing access to early learning supports, supporting families in preparing children for school success, and integrating early learning into the entire spectrum of service delivery.

The City of Brantford, as the Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM) for Brantford and the County of Brant, has a long history of working collaboratively with its community partners to plan for an increasingly integrated system of services for families and children. The Best Start Network, as the local planning table, has been instrumental in this process. The development of a community needs assessment and initial plan for OEYCFCs in Brantford-Brant has been a continuation of this valuable work.

This document provides a summary of the community needs assessment that was undertaken to inform the development of the OEYCFC initial plan. This needs assessment involved the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders, including parents/caregivers, children, service providers, school boards, current child and family program providers, and other community partners. The needs assessment resulted in a clear identification of need and created a blueprint for the development of the OEYCFC initial plan.

As a community we are excited to move this plan to implementation and to continue to create a seamless service experience for families and children that is responsive to their needs.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 4 2.0 Developing Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs)

The Ministry has provided CMSMs with a number of key documents to assist with the planning for and implementation of OEYCFCs in their local communities. These documents include:

 Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (2018), Business Practices and Funding Guidelines for Service System Managers  Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres, Planning Guidelines for Service System Managers  Ontario’s Renewed Early Years and Child Care Policy Framework  How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years  Child Care and Early Years Act

These documents outline the key expectations and planning guidelines for the programs and services delivered in OEYCFCs, along with foundational concepts and philosophies to guide the delivery of programs and services.

OEYCFCs are one of the key pillars in supporting the realization of Ontario’s vision for the early years. This vision states,

“Ontario’s children and families are well supported by a system of responsive, high quality, accessible and increasingly integrated early years programs and services that contribute to healthy child development today and a stronger future tomorrow.”

To support the achievement of this vision, the following Provincial guiding principles will be used for developing, delivering and evaluation OEYCFC programs and services:

 Child and Family Centred  Welcoming - Based on Pedagogy  High Quality- Based on Evidence/Research  Inclusive  Integrated  Community Led

The pedagogical framework detailed in How Does Learning Happen? will guide the programs, services and environments created by OEYCFCs, with OEYCFCs viewing the children, parents, caregivers, and educators as competent, capable, curious, and rich in potential and experience. The OEYCFC environment will also view parents and caregivers are co-learners and leaders in influencing positive child, family and community experiences and outcomes.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 5

OEYCFC programs and services will be designed and delivered to meet the following goals and objectives:

 Parents and caregivers have access to high quality services that support them in their role as children’s first teachers, enhance their well-being, and enrich their knowledge about early learning and development

 Children have access to play and inquiry-based learning opportunities and experience positive developmental health and well-being

 Parents and caregivers have opportunities to strengthen their relationships with their children

 Francophone children and families have access to French language programs and gain enhanced knowledge about language and identity acquisition (mandatory only for communities designated as French language)

 Indigenous children and families have access to culturally responsive programming

 Parents and caregivers are provided with timely, relevant and up to date information about community and specialized services

 Local service providers collaborate and integrate services to meet community needs in an efficient and accessible way

To achieve the goals and objectives, the Ministry of Education has identified three mandatory core services for all OEYCFCs that must be provided at no fee to the participants. These include:

Engaging Parents and  Discussions and information sharing about child Caregivers development, parenting, nutrition, play and inquiry-based learning, and other topics that support their role  Pre- and post-natal support programs to enhance parent and caregiver well-being and to support them in their role(s)  Targeted outreach activities directed at parents and caregivers that could benefit from OEYCFC programs and services but are not currently accessing services for a variety of reasons Supporting Early Learning  Drop-in programs and other programs and services that Development build responsive adult-child relationships and encourage children’s exploration, play and inquiry, supported by How

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 6 Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years Making Connections for  Responding to a parent/caregiver concern about their Families child’s development through conversation and observation supported by validated tools and resources  Information sharing about and facilitating connections with specialized community services, coordinated service planning, public health, education, child care, and child welfare, as appropriate  Information sharing about programs and services available for the whole family beyond the early years

Role of the City of Brantford as CMSM As outlined in the Child Care and Early Years Act, service system managers must:

 Establish, administer, operate and fund early years programs, including providing assistance to operators and evaluating and assessing the impact of public funding  Deliver and administer local policies respecting the operation of early years programs and services  Coordinate the planning and operation of early years programs and consult with school boards and other prescribed persons or entities in accordance with legislation  Assess the economic viability of early years programs and facilitate changes to make programs more viable

With respect to OEYCFCs, CMSMs must:

 Conduct local needs assessments and facilitate meaningful engagement with key community partners, parents, and caregivers to integrate OEYCFCs into local service system plans for early years programs and services  Enhance, relocate and/or reconfigure OEYCFC programs and services to meet community needs, as required  Manage provincial funds and any third party contracts associated with the delivery of OEYCFC programs and services  Manage provincial funds related to early years community planning groups

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 7 3.0 Community Profile

The City of Brantford is the CMSM for Brantford and the County of Brant. Brantford is the largest city in Brant County. Other communities in the area include: Paris, Burford, Scotland, Oakland, Mount Pleasant, and St. George. The City of Brantford and the County of Brant has a mix of big city, small communities, and rural living.

The County of Brant is comprised of four communities: West Brant County (Scotland, Burford), West South Dumfries (Paris), East South Dumfries (St. George) and South Brant County (Mt. Pleasant, Oakland, and Onondaga) (see the map).

Brantford is comprised of 12 neighbourhoods: Eagle Place, Holmedale-William, Core, East Ward, Terrace Hill, Shellard Lane, Fairview-Greenbrier, Banbury, Mayfair, West Brant, Brier Park, and Henderson (see the map below).

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 8 The City of Brantford and the County of Brant is a growing at population. It experienced a 5.6% increase in its overall population from 2011 to 2016. As of 2016, 134,201 individuals live in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant. Brantford is the most populated area in Brant County, with 97,494 individuals. As a city, Brantford is growing at a faster pace than the overall county. It realized a 6.0% increase since 2011.

Over the same time period, the child population (0 to 6 years) in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant increased. In 2016, 10,759 children aged 0 to 6 years lived in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant. This is an increase of 3.3% from 2011. This population comprises 8.0% of the overall population.

In terms of its cultural-linguistic context, the City of Brantford and the County of Brant is home to many Indigenous children and families, and a number of immigrant groups.

The City of Brantford and the County of Brant is home to 15,000 immigrants (11.8% of the population), with 0.8% of the City of Brantford and the County of Brant’s total population being recent immigrants (2011). According to the 2016 Statistics Canada census data, almost 4% of the population (5,305 people) speak a non-official language as their language spoken most often at home.

According to the 2016 Statistics Canada census, overall in Brantford, 4.9% of the population (4,730) speak a non-official language as the language spoken most often at home. The primary non-official languages spoken most often at home include: Punjabi (945), Polish (585), and Vietnamese (470). In the County of Brant, 1.6% of the population (575) speak a non-official language as the language spoken most often at home. The primary non-official languages spoken most often at home include: Polish (80), and Portuguese (65).

With its proximity to two First Nations (Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation), the City of Brantford and the County of Brant is home to a number of Indigenous persons. The 2011 Statistics Canada census reports that 5,010 persons of Indigenous identity reside in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant.

The City of Brantford and the County of Brant’s overall scores on the Early Development Instrument (a tool administered to Kindergarten children which measures their ability to meet age appropriate developmental expectations) are higher than the provincial averages. 35.3% of children in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant are vulnerable on one or more domain (EDI, 2015). Brantford has a higher percent of children (37.7%) vulnerable on one or more domain than the County of Brant (29.1%). The provincial average is 29.4%.

Further and more detailed information about the City of Brantford and the County of Brant is presented in the Needs Assessment section of this report.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 9 Best Start Network The Best Start Network (BSN) is a planning table that plans for and leads a collaborative process to implement early learning strategies that support families and children with a primary focus on those aged prenatal to 12 years, in Brantford/Brant. The Brantford/Brant Best Start Network was instrumental in reviewing and validating the data collected through the community needs assessment, and in providing input into the OEYCFC model.

The BSN uses the following guiding principles in their planning. The planning will:

 Be based on identified community needs  Ensure services are available, affordable and accessible for all  Be child and parent oriented  Respect diverse cultural, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds  Include supports re: participation for children with physical, developmental, language, learning or behavioral difficulties  Work in partnership with families  Consider the needs of parents at home, work or in school  Protect the best interests of children  Ensure that a broad range of input affecting children is incorporated  Include cross Ministerial input and collaboration  Ensure quality services

This group is dedicated to supporting and planning for a comprehensive, integrated system of services that supports children and their families. Membership is comprised of 21 organizations that span a number of sectors and is representative of the wider service provider system that supports children and families across Brantford and Brant. Membership on the Best Start Network includes representatives from the following agencies:

 City of Brantford  Kids Can Fly  County of Brant  Contact Brant  Parent Representative  Ministry of Education  Brant County Health Unit  Brantford Public Library  Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District  Family Counselling Centre of Brant School Board  Le Ballon Rouge  Grand Erie District School Board  Wee Watch Brantford  Ontario Early Years Centre  Brant Family and Children’s Services  Boys and Girls Club  YMCA  Woodview  Mohawk College  Conseil scolaire de district catholique  Lansdowne Children’s Centre Centre-Sud  Brantford Native Housing

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 10 4.0 Engagement Process/Strategy

The City of Brantford, as the CMSM for Brantford and the County of Brant, undertook a comprehensive and inclusive engagement process to better understand and articulate the needs of children and families living in its neighbourhoods and communities. Existing data and research about the communities were utilized, where available, and further data and information were gathered. The groups that were involved in the engagement process include:

 Parents/caregivers  Children  Service providers  Indigenous service providers  Current OEYC, PFLC, and CCRC service providers  School boards  County of Brant staff  Ward Councillors  Providers/CMSMs in other jurisdictions

Engagement throughout the City of Brantford and the County of Brant occurred in the form of surveys, Children’s Activity Sheets and “Graffiti Walls”, focus groups, engagement sessions, and individual interviews.

The sections below provide further details about the engagement process with each of the groups.

Parent/Caregiver Engagement As part of the community needs assessment for the OEYCFCs, parents/caregivers were approached directly to provide input into the development and design of the new centres. Information was collected from parents/caregivers through a survey that was launched the week of November 14, 2016 and ran through the early part of 2017. This survey was available online and in hard copy. A total of 434 surveys were completed. Based on the total population with children at home in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant, the confidence interval of the sample is 4.66 at a 95% confidence level.

The parent/caregiver survey was advertised in a number of ways, including:

 Distribution of a “postcard” through schools, libraries, recreation centres, and early learning service providers (more than 12,000 postcards were distributed)  Insert in the Ontario Works cheques  Distribution of a “postcard” at the Brantford Santa Claus parade  Link to the survey on City of Brantford Social Services kiosks  Advertised through City of Brantford and the County of Brant social media

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 11  A link to the survey was emailed to Best Start Network membership (requested to share with families, post to their websites/Facebook)

The validity of the parent/caregiver responses was further confirmed by the profile of people who responded to the survey. Of note:

 Parent responses were received from Brantford and the County of Brant, with responses from all areas except Glen Morris  A cross section of parents with children of different ages responded to the survey  Parents responding to the survey had a range of one to four children, with the average number of children per parent being 1.6

In order to have a better understanding of the needs of parents/caregivers living in Brantford’s core, a focus group was held at Central Public School. These parents were recruited by the school. Nine parents/caregivers participated in the focus group.

Parents/caregivers that responded to the survey were asked to self-identify if they are Indigenous. 39 (9.0%) of the parents/caregivers that completed the survey self-identified as Indigenous. These responses were filtered to create a report capturing the Indigenous parents’/caregivers’ experiences.

Engagement of Children

The voice of the child is key to the development of Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres. In order to capture this voice, children completed “Children’s Activity Sheets” telling us what they like to do. 108 of these sheets were completed by children aged 0 to 12 years.

Children also provided their thoughts through the use of “graffiti walls.” Pieces of paper were displayed at services provider and community locations and children were asked to draw/write about their favourite activity. Seven “graffiti walls” were completed.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 12 Service Provider Engagement Service providers provided input into the community needs assessment and development of the OEYCFC service delivery model in a number of ways. The Best Start Network (BSN) played a pivotal role in this regard. As noted, earlier in this report, the BSN is a committee consisting of a broad range of community partners involved in children’s services for the City of Brantford and the County of Brant. The BSN participated in five engagement sessions about the OEYCFCs. The following table details the dates and purpose of each of the sessions.

BSN Engagement Sessions Purpose November 17, 2016  Introduce the project  Review the approach to the community needs assessment and gather feedback  Identify how members can help with the process January 26, 2017  Review the data to be collected for the neighbourhood/ community profiles  Discussion about factors and weighting to use to prioritize neighbourhoods/communities for OEYCFC locations March 2, 2017  Presentation and discussion of results of the factors and weighting analysis  Identification of further contextual information about each neighbourhood/community  Presentation and discussion of the results from the parent/caregiver survey  Discussion about common services/functions to be provided in all OEYCFCs (mandatory core services)  Identification of potential locations for OEYCFCs April 3, 2017  Design of the the City of Brantford and the County of Brant OEYCFC model  Review of and feedback on list of potential locations for OEYCFCs  Discussion about optional service delivery methods for OEYCFCs – virtual services, local phone line  Discussion about ideas about how to create a common experience for children and families, regardless of the OEYCFC they choose to attend June 1, 2017  Review of the the City of Brantford and the County of Brant OEYCFC model

In addition to the above, a service provider online survey was conducted specific to OEYCFCs. 42 service providers completed this online survey.

To supplement the service provider information, four key informant interviews were held with:

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 13

 Cindy Bratt, Paris Community Health Hub  Raghadi Mazzawi, Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services  Zeta Phillipo, County of Brant Library  Arliss Skye, Social Service Director, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory

Indigenous Service Provider Engagement As part of The Journey Together, Brantford Native Housing has been working with families and service providers in Brantford and Brant to develop a plan to increase access to culturally responsive early years programs and services for Indigenous children and families. The Journey Together project has worked with organizations that provide services to Indigenous families. There has also been feedback regarding early years services from Indigenous children, families, and community members. This information has been used to create a community focused plan that will be submitted to the Ministry of Education in September of 2017.

Current OEYC, PFLC and CCRC Service Providers Engagement The current child and family service providers were engaged in the OEYCFC process in a number of ways. Each of the operators provided documentation about programs and services offered, including:

 A listing of site locations of programs, with programs and services offered at each site, the hours of operation at the site, and the number of FTEs and positions at the site  Service data for the last five years  Information about where parents/children live who are using the programs and services (by site)  Results from surveys conducted with parents/caregivers and/or results of evaluations  Staffing information  Financial information for the last five years  Partnerships (agencies that provide programs/services by site, with a listing of what is provided and how often)  Capital assets (buildings, vehicles, etc.)  Description of the physical space at each site (number of square feet, number of rooms, other amenities, etc.)

A tour of each of the current program sites was also conducted, and a number of meetings were held with the current OEYC, PFLC, and CCRC service providers to discuss current programs and services offered, service system planning, and transition plans.

Staff from the OEYC, PFLCs, and CCRC participated in the OEYCFC planning discussions and engagement sessions held with the Best Start Network.

In addition to the above, key informant interviews were held with:

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 14

 Sarah Robertson, Brant FACS  Barb Mitchell, PFLC  Barb Vanry, OEYC

School Board Engagement The City of Brantford, as the CMSM, understands the important role that schools play in the OEYCFC initiative. With the Schools First policy, local school boards have been a key player in the OEYCFC engagement process. The City of Brantford has participated in five meetings with the local school boards (Grand Erie District School Board, Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board). The focus of these meetings has been space in schools, Schools First policy, existing and potential space in schools, and other opportunities.

In addition to the above meetings, the Early Years Leads from the two school boards participated in many of the OEYCFC planning discussions and engagement sessions held with the Best Start Network.

Engagement with County of Brant As the municipality of the County of Brant is part of the CMSM’s catchment area, a meeting was held with staff to discuss the OEYCFC model and potential locations in the county. In addition to this meeting, a County of Brant staff member participated in many of the OEYCFC planning discussions and engagement sessions held with the Best Start Network.

Ward Councillor Engagement Council members in Brantford and the County of Brant have a unique, on the ground perspective of their wards. In order to capture contextual information about the wards in the city and county, meetings were held with Ward Councillors. Five Councillors participated in these meetings.

Engagement with Providers/CMSMs in other Jurisdictions Key informant interviews were held with staff from the City of London and Little Lions Child Care in Thunder Bay to learn more about potential models and practices for the City of Brantford and the County of Brant’s OEYCFC model.

Data Collection and Profiles To supplement the data and information gathered from stakeholder groups, existing data were used to create neighbourhood and community profiles. Other sources of data used in the community needs assessment include:

 Statistics Canada  EDI  School boards (Kindergarten Parent Survey, enrolment projections)

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 15  Social Risk Index  Brant Health Atlas  OEYC, PFLCs  Municipal data about community/neighbourhood infrastructure

Using the collected data, data profiles were developed for each of the communities/ neighbourhoods in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant. These profiles contain the following data:

 Population/Number of Children  Family Structure  Language Spoken Most Often at Home  Immigrants  Social Risk Index  Indigenous Identify Labour Force and  Early Development Indicator (EDI) Results Income Indicators  Health Indicators  Neighbourhood Services  Attendance at Child and Family Programs  Elementary School Enrolment Projections

Document Review Document review is another mechanism that was used to assess community need. Some of the documents reviewed include:

 Brant County Best Start Aboriginal Needs Assessment, March 2007  Healthy Kids Community Challenge Community Needs Assessment, June 2016  Brantford Public Library Community Needs Assessment, October 2016  2011 Brantford-Brant Community Profile  Health and Wellness Study, 2014  Hunger Reality, The 2011 Brantford Food Survey  Community Profile: Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk, Served by the Community Legal Clinic, 2015  Vital Communities, Vital Support: How well do Canada’s communities support parents of young children. Phase 2 Report: What Parents Tell Us, 2011  Children Health Atlas, Access to Recreational Opportunities, 2014

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 16 5.0 Summary of Community Needs Assessment

The City of Brantford and the County of Brant community needs assessment utilized a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, supplemented with family, child, and service provider experience. The Statistics Canada data utilized for the community needs assessment is 2011 data. Profiles will be updated once 2016 data are fully released.

The needs assessment was conducted, where possible, at the neighbourhood level in Brantford (16 neighbourhoods) and at the community level in the County of Brant (four main communities).

Summary of What Families Said The voice of families, including their needs and experiences, are a critical aspect of developing the OEYCFCs. In order to capture the input provided by families through the engagement process, the four pillars of the early years and child care system have been used.

Ontario’s Renewed Early Years and Child Care Policy Framework (2017) is the Province’s plan to transform Ontario’s early years and child care system. This framework identifies four pillars of the early years and child care system:

Affordability Access Quality Responsiveness

Ensuring that early Increasing access to Enabling safe and Providing a range of years programs and early years programs reliable programs early years and child services, including to give families more built on positive, care programs that licensed child care, opportunity to responsive are inclusive and are within affordable benefit from high- relationships, culturally reach for families quality early engaging appropriate, located childhood programs environments, and in schools, and services meaningful communities, experiences for workplaces and children and families, home settings so that delivered by parents – including educated and well- parents who work supported staff irregular hours – can choose the options that work best for their family

Some of the common themes which emerged over the course of the engagement with families are presented in each of the four pillars.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 17 Affordability Ensuring that early years programs and services, including licensed child care, are within affordable reach for families  For some parents/caregivers programs and services must be free or low cost for them to be able to access them  Many parents would try new programs if they are free  Having more available financial support for children activities is important

In their own words… “No cost programs for kids.”

“I would use if majority of programs are free or for a nominal cost.”

“Most sports, dance, gymnastics and music lessons are too expensive.”

Access Increasing access to early years programs to give families more opportunity to benefit from high-quality early childhood programs and services  Parents/caregivers would try programs if they were located in their community/ neighbourhood. Some parents reported that programs are too far for them to get to and some mentioned parking as an issue  The number one place parents/caregivers would like to go to access programs and services for their child(ren) is a school. Other top locations include recreation/community centres and the library  Some geographic areas were identified by parents/caregivers as requiring more child and family programs. These include: Burford, Mount Pleasant, and the Mayfair neighbourhood  Parents/caregivers are not always aware of the programs and services available to them and their children, and don’t know where to look to find this information  Parents/caregivers like to hear about programs and services from community agencies, family/friends, their child care provider, and the internet/ websites  Parents/caregivers would like the provision of multi-age children’s programming at the same time and location (i.e. programming needs to be organized so that whole families with children of various ages can attend programming together)  Transportation is a challenge for some families  More than 50.0% of parents do not currently use the OEYCs, PFLCs, and CCRCs in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 18 In their own words… “Just would like physical programs to get children out of the house interacting with peers, but not necessarily too regimented. Free play with other children without a lot of parent intervention. I.e. Basketball Tuesdays, soccer Thursdays, etc. In Mount Pleasant we only have t-ball put on by the Optimist Club in the spring for a couple of weeks.”

“Don't know if they are available in Burford and also if they would benefit my older kids (ages 5 and 8) feel like they are for babies and toddlers.”

“There is not a lot offered in my neighbourhood.” “No programs within walking distance.”

“Depends on how far from my home the locations are, I use public transportation.”

“Age restrictions.”

“I do not use them as much as I used to when I lived in Brantford. Now in xxx; it seems more difficult to transport kids in van across town or even across the county, find parking and then push stroller around to back of wherever and leave it parked unattended for an hour in any weather...then climb or descend stairs...or keep track of which day what is open or closed (I do understand 'why'). I find, too, that I lose track in the summer and 'forget' about the programs in the fall.”

“Without a community centre many local programs are just not available or require travel out of the immediate community.”

Quality Enabling safe and reliable programs built on positive, responsive relationships, engaging environments, and meaningful experiences for children and families, delivered by educated and well-supported staff  Parents/caregivers want a quality program experience for themselves and their children, including the provision of a variety of programs, toys, and activities  Parents/caregivers like a welcoming, friendly environment that creates a sense of community and safety, and supports their experience. Staff are key to creating this environment  The program experience is a key aspect that determines if parents/caregivers try and continue to use programs and services. Some parents do not like busy programs or a lack of consistency in program quality, and others noted they do not feel welcomed

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 19 In their own words… “Bad first experience.”

“All staff welcome the playgroup children.”

“I love the staff people - they are welcoming, knowledgeable, and helpful.”

“I don’t feel welcomed because of the perception of living in the core.”

Responsiveness Providing a range of early years and child care programs that are inclusive and culturally appropriate, located in schools, communities, workplaces and home settings so that parents – including parents who work irregular hours – can choose the options that work best for their family  Parents/caregivers want programs and services to be provided during the day, on weekday evenings, weekends, holidays, and PA Days to better support their schedules and their children’s schedules. The hours of operation need to be aligned with children’s routines, and parents’ schedules  Parents with children in the younger age groups (prenatal to six years) would like to see the following programs offered in their town/neighbourhood free of charge: parent and child playgroups, programs to support development, parenting workshops and programs, information and tips for parents on children’s development, behaviour, safety, and nutrition, story time programs, book lending library, and pregnancy and new baby support  Parents with children 7 to 12 years would like to see programs to stimulate development, tutoring or homework help, and a book lending library offered in their town/neighbourhood free of charge  Many parents/caregivers are likely to use services offered periodically in parks and other non-traditional spaces  Many parents/caregivers are likely to use virtual services and resources  Parents/caregivers are interested in attending Indigenous programs or sites

In their own words… “Evening play groups for preschoolers.”

“Timing can be a problem- conflicts with nap time, for example, or is only offered in morning or only in afternoon, closed during lunch.”

“I don’t attend due to working full time. I would attend on days off for programs in the North end.”

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 20 Programming In addition to the four pillars above, throughout the engagement strategies parents/caregivers also talked about the types of programs they would like for their children. From this information it is clear that parents/ caregivers place a high priority on physical activities, including free play and sports. Arts, crafts, dance and music programs were also mentioned frequently. Parents/caregivers would also like to see more after school activities for their children.

Other programming mentioned by parents/caregivers includes:

 Play groups  First Nations programming  Healthy meals/cooking  Programs for older children and teens  Science, technology and math (STEM)  Outdoor based activities programs  Reading  Homework help

In their own words… “I think more progressive programs and services need to be offered, on par with those offered in cities like Toronto or London, etc. Brantford seems behind on offerings in line with the latest research and trends in music/arts & learning, STEM, outdoors/naturalist activities and parent support for progressive parenting styles.”

Implications for Planning

Programs and services need to be affordable or free for families. This will help with getting families to try new programs. Parents must be made aware of financial assistance that is available to assist with the costs of programs and services for their children. Given the high priority parents place on physical activity and sports for their children, affordability is key in this area of programming.

Information about available programs and services needs to be easier to find and access for parents/caregivers. Families prefer receiving information from service providers, community agencies, and family/friends. Internet-based information sources, though on the list, are lower down in preference.

A variety of quality programs and services should be offered at one location. This location should also provide programs and services for multi-age children (i.e. beyond ages 0 to 6 years) at the same time. Many parents/caregivers would like this “one location” to be at their local school, recreation/community centre or library.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 21 The “experience” created by the program is important to parents/caregivers. Staff, types of programs and activities offered, and the overall atmosphere and environment must be cultivated to create a positive experience for families.

Programs and services must be offered beyond the traditional day time hours. This includes after school, evening, weekend, PA Day and holiday options.

In terms of programming, parents/caregivers place a high priority on physical activities for their children. These types of programs/activities should be included in the menu of options.

The Voices of Children

The most favourite activities for children in Brantford-Brant are playing, crafts, friends, snacks, and various games and creative activities. They like to play games with friends, play with the equipment, and love snack time!

Looking across all age groups (0 to 12 years of age), the major activities that children like to engage in are:

Getting Active Indoors and Outdoors (42.6%): Getting active included everything from basketball, biking, swimming, running, going to the gym, and more. The most common favourite activity among all children who participated in the survey was to be active, whether inside or outside. Favourite indoor activities were most often gym time; whereas, favourite outdoor activities ranged from biking, running around to sports. Children like to play sports, particularly hockey and skating, soccer, baseball, and basketball. Some like to play on teams and some prefer to participate informally by playing with the sports equipment.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 22

Playing Games with Toys and Equipment (39.8%): Children love to play with games and equipment. They mentioned liking to play with dolls, balls, trucks, trains, screwdrivers, tractors, and the kitchen. However, the most frequently mentioned toy was Lego™.

Arts and other Creative Activities (30.6%): Children love to express themselves creatively. More tactile artistic pursuits like painting, drawing, colouring, building crafts, and playing with Play-Doh were all frequently mentioned in the responses. Music, singing, and dancing were also favourites of many children.

Snack Time (24.1%): Snack time was mentioned very often by children. Children need energy to power all their learning, playing, and exploring of the world, and almost a quarter of them mentioned snack time at least generally, and often mentioned specific meals and types of food that they liked.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 23

Playing with Friends (22.2%): Children like to be social, very often playing games with their friends and siblings. Though other theme categories imply playing with friends (e.g. the Playing Games theme implies playing games with someone), responses were themed this way when children mentioned how they love coming to play to specifically spend time with their friends.

Other less frequently mentioned favourite activities include:

 Reading and other Intellectual Pursuits  Going to Places and Programs  Being with Family  The Staff  Having Fun

Parents were asked to share their children’s favourite programs and activities. 313 parents listed an average of three different favourite activities for their children. Simply looking at the words used, the most favourite activities for children are playing, swimming, reading, sports activities, and in the creative arts. They like to go outside, go to the library, and go to programs.

Exploring these words further, six key themes emerged. These are identified and described in rank order based on the number of parent respondents. Of note, the first theme, Getting Active Indoors and Out, was identified by the majority of parents.

1. Getting Active Indoors and Out (61.4% of all parents): Children like to play sports, particularly hockey and skating, soccer, baseball, and basketball. Some like to play on teams and some prefer to participate informally. They love swimming, gym time, running and being outside. 12.7% of parents made a point of identifying that their children like doing activities outdoors. Favourite outdoor activities include general play, going to parks and playgrounds, hiking, gardening, walking, and running around.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 24 2. Being Creative (29.7% of all parents): Children like music and dance, playing instruments, painting, colouring, art classes, doing arts and crafts, and cooking.

3. Going to Places and Programs (28.3% of all parents): Children like going to drop in programs, Early Years Centres, the library, camp and daycare. Younger children like to participate in circle times, song times, and story times at these programs. Older children like participating in youth groups.

4. Literacy (24.4% of all parents): Children love reading and books, and being read to. They like Literacy Programs. They like using computers and gaming activities, and doing math, science, and learning about nature.

5. Playing with Games, Toys, and Equipment (15.4% of all parents): Children like building and playing with blocks and Lego. They like board games and puzzles, and playing with trains, cars, and trucks. They like the toy lending library. Parents talked about their children liking free play time, imaginative play, and sensory play (i.e. water table and sand).

6. Playing with Friends (5.1% of all parents): Children like playing with their friends and socializing.

Implications for Planning

The programming provided at the OEYCFCs needs to reflect what children like to do. Children in Brantford-Brant like to be physically active, to play, and be creative!

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 25 What Service Providers Said

The Best Start Network (BSN) is the planning table for families and children in Brantford-Brant. This table includes service delivery organizations, school board representatives, and other community partners. This group has been invaluable in terms of designing the approach to the OEYCFC community needs assessment and developing the initial plan.

Through the engagement sessions with the BSN, service providers in Brantford-Brant developed and provided final feedback on the results of the parent engagement strategy, the community data, the OEYCFC service model and service delivery methods, potential locations for OEYCFCs, populations/groups that could benefit from targeted outreach, and how to create a common experience across OEYCFCs for children and families. Through this process, service providers developed OEYCFC models and offered language to describe the new service model. This input has been used to develop the initial plan.

Some of the language/concepts about the new service model provided by the BSN includes:

 Rural/urban components  Seamless  Play-based/inquiry based learning,  Building connections among families, parents/caregivers and their children to increasing capacity play and learn together, celebration of  How Does Learning Happen? as the learning together pedagogical framework  Drop-in based  Integrated services for the whole family  One door to access information/referrals,  Provide family support every site is a connector  Provide early years programs  Understanding and cherishing children  Facilitate the provision of services to  View of the parent as competent and children 7 to 12 years capable  Flexible space  Role of the educator and parent and child  Programs are free as learning together, researchers  Relationship-based  Welcoming, sense of belonging,  Building on what we have, strengths of inclusiveness the system  Family can see themselves in the environment

In addition to the engagement sessions with the BSN, service providers in Brantford-Brant also completed a survey about OEYCFCs. Highlights of this input include:

 Service providers feel that the level of service could be improved in the following neighbourhoods/communities: Mayfair, Fairview-Greenbrier, Brier Park, Henderson,

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 26 Terrace Hill, Holmedale-William, Core, Paris, St. George-Glen Morris, Burford, Oakland- Scotland, Onondaga-Cainsville, and Mount Pleasant

 Service providers feel that the optional OEYCFC services should be a part of the OEYCFC service delivery model in Brantford-Brant (see the table below for further details). Of note, less providers felt that a local phone line should be part of the service delivery model. Mobile/satellite services were named as a necessary component of serving rural communities

Optional Services Yes No Don’t Know Mobile services (programs and services that can be offered outside of the physical centres to further 85.0% 5.0% 10.0% integrate OEYCFCs with broader community services and to enhance service access) Virtual services and resources (online resources, information and other services like websites, social 77.8% 8.3% 13.9% media and Skype services) Provision of a local phone line (for example: using 211 to provide information about OEYCFC programs and 51.4% 27.0% 21.6% services, and information about child development, parenting supports and play and inquiry based learning).

 Service providers feel that OEYCFCs should be open on weekday mornings, afternoons and evenings, and on Saturdays and PA Days

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 27 In their own words… “Burford, Harley, Mount Pleasant, Oakland, Scotland, many families are isolated and mobile services that offer pop up programs would benefit families, reduce isolation, build relationships.”

“Mobile services would be beneficial in many ways. It would help alleviate transportation barriers. Many of our clients use public transit which can be costly.”

“Everyone is on social media so that should be part of the communication.”

“Programs could be delivered online, if parents can't make it to centres. Website/ information facilitated by staff with ECE background, so new parents can get information from professionals rather than other parents.”

“But not a focus. I think parents get a ton of their information from the internet now. The purpose of the OEYCFC is to get people out and meeting face-to-face with other families and care providers.”

“Presently our community has several phone line system where families can get information. Can we explore what services are within the community and build on the system that is always there. i.e.) 211, contact Brant.”

“It is my experience that people do not know about 211. Proper promotion, by the province and within the City would provide the direct link.”

“No additional local phone line needed. Web based best option.”

Implications for Planning

Like parents/caregivers, service providers report that OEYCFCs should be open evenings and on weekends.

Serving rural communities is a reported challenge and service providers state that the use of satellite sites (set up/take down space (site is not fixed i.e. may be within another facility) where services are offered on a part-time basis) may help with access in this regard.

Many service providers also feel that virtual services and resources would be a good addition to the OEYCFC service delivery model. The OEYCFC model also needs to take into consideration that not all families have access to high speed internet. Alternatives to sharing information about programs and services will need to be explored to cover geographic areas with this reality.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 28 Our Families and What they Need A number of indicators were looked at to develop a profile of children and families in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant, and to assist with the assessment of community need.

Number and Location of Children Aged 0 to 6 Years  In 2011, there were 10,409 children aged 0 to 6 years in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant, comprising 8.1% of the total population  In 2016, there were 10,756 children aged 0 to 6 years in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant, comprising 8.0% of the total population  There was a slight increase (347 or 3.3%) in the number of 0 to 6 year olds from 2011 to 2016, smaller than the 5.6% increase in the overall population  Areas in Brantford with a higher number of children aged 0 to 6 include: West Brant, Eagle Place, Arrowdale, Mayfair, and Banbury  Areas in the County of Brant with a higher number of children aged 0 to 6 years include: Burford Area, North Paris, and South Dumfries (see the map below for further details)

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 29 Implications for Planning

Neighbourhoods and communities with a higher number of children aged 0 to 6 years should have access to child and family programs. All of the areas in the county with high numbers of children have a current OEYC/PFLC/CCRC located in the community.

All of the neighbourhoods in Brantford with high numbers of children have a current OEYC/PFLC/CCRC located in the community.

Language  The primary language of families with children in Senior Kindergarten (children aged 4 and 5 years) is English  Neighbourhoods in Brantford with higher percentages of parents with a child in Senior Kindergarten speaking a language other than French or English at home include: Banbury, West Brant, Brier Park, Holmedale-William, and Fairview-Greenbrier  Areas in the County of Brant with higher percentages of parents with a child in Senior Kindergarten speaking a language other than French or English at home include: South Brant County

See the table below for further details.

Neighbourhood Percent of Percent of Percent of ‘Other' languages spoken parents for parents for parents who whom ENGLISH whom FRENCH primarily is the primary is the primary speak an language language ‘other’ spoken at home spoken at language at home home Banbury 83.3% - 13.6% Arabic, Gujarati, Hindi, Polish, Punjabi, Spanish, Swiss, Vietnamese Brier Park 83.6% 1.6% 9.8% Albanian, Arabic, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian Core 100.0% - 1.9% Tagalog E.S. Dumfries 100.0% - - Eagle Place 95.1% - 4.9% Romanian, Slovak East Ward 89.3% - 4.0% Italian, Punjabi, Sign Language, Spanish Vietnamese Fairview- 88.5% 3.8% 7.7% Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese Greenbrier Henderson 97.4% - 2.6% Chinese Holmedale- 91.2% - 8.8% Vietnamese William Mayfair 95.7% - 4.3% Vietnamese Shellard Lane 94.9% - 6.8% Arabic, Sign Language, Polish, Punjabi, Tagalog

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 30 Neighbourhood Percent of Percent of Percent of ‘Other' languages spoken parents for parents for parents who whom ENGLISH whom FRENCH primarily is the primary is the primary speak an language language ‘other’ spoken at home spoken at language at home home South Brant 93.3% - 10.0% Dutch, Polish, Punjabi County Terrace Hill 100.0% - - W.S. Dumfries 97.1% - - West Brant 92.1% 2.0% 9.9% Gujarati, Indian, Persian, Polish, Punjabi, Spanish, Urdu, Vietnamese West Brant 91.8% 2.0% 4.1% Dutch, Polish County

 According to the 2016 Statistics Canada census, overall in Brantford, 4.9% of the population (4,730) speak a non-official language as the language spoken most often at home. The primary non-official languages spoken most often at home include: Punjabi (945), Polish (585), and Vietnamese (470)

 According to the 2016 Statistics Canada census, overall in the County of Brant, 1.6% of the population (575) speak a non-official language as the language spoken most often at home. The primary non-official languages spoken most often at home include: Polish (80), and Portuguese (65)

Implications for Planning

OEYCFCs need to reflect the community they serve in terms of culture and language, and create an environment that is welcoming and in which children and families can see themselves.

Brantford has a higher number of families speaking non-official languages at home than the County of Brant. The need to provide services and programs in the city in other languages may be required. Although there is limited cultural diversity in the county, the OEYCFCs should work to ensure that all families feel welcome at the centres and in its programs.

Francophone Families  In 2016, 245 individuals in Brantford identified French as the language spoken most often at home. This is 0.3% of the total population  In 2016, 50 individuals in the County of Brant identified French as the language spoken most often at home. This is 0.1% of the total population

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 31  The only neighbourhoods/communities with parents of a child in Senior Kindergarten for whom French is the primary language spoken at home are: Fairview-Greenbrier (3.6%), Brier Park (1.6%), West Brant (2.0%), and West Brant County (2.0%)

The following map shows where individuals who speak French as their primary language live in Brantford and the County of Brant.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 32 Implications for Planning

In the City of Brantford and the County of Brant, there is a very small Francophone population. The City of Brantford and the County of Brant is also not designated as a French language community under the French Language Services Act. Based on this, and the fact that parents/caregivers have not requested this service, at this time, French language OEYCFC services do not need to be offered in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant.

Indigenous Families  In 2011, 5,010 Indigenous persons lived in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant  Indigenous persons comprise 3.9% of the total population  The majority of Indigenous persons live in Brantford (4,090)  Neighbourhoods in Brantford with higher numbers of Indigenous persons (more than 200) include: Eagle Place, Arrowdale, Echo Place 2, Terrace Hill, Mayfair, North Ward, South Lynden Hills  Communities in the County of Brant with higher numbers of Indigenous persons (more than 200) include: Burford Area, and Mt. Pleasant/Jerseyville (see the map below for further details)

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 33

 When looking at the Indigenous status among Senior Kindergarten students, the percent of children who self-identify as Aboriginal was 4.5% overall for Brantford and the County of Brant

 The neighbourhoods/communities with a higher percentage of children self-identifying as Indigenous are: Eagle Place, Fairview-Greenbrier, Terrace Hill, East Ward, and Holmedale- William (see the table below for further details)

Neighbourhood Percent of children who self-identify as Indigenous Banbury 1.2% Brier Park 2.4% Core 5.5% E.S. Dumfries 2.1% Eagle Place 16.7% East Ward 6.7% Fairview-Greenbrier 8.3% Henderson 0.0% Holmedale-William 6.2% Mayfair 0.0% Shellard Lane 0.0% South Brant County 4.9% Terrace Hill 6.8% W.S. Dumfries 2.1% West Brant 0.7% West Brant County 1.2% Data Source: 2012 Early Development Instrument (n = 1,259)

Implications for Planning

OEYCFC programs and services must be offered that reflect local Indigenous cultures, and that are culturally responsive. Brantford has a large number of Indigenous persons. The OEYCFC service model must reflect this population in its offerings and environment.

Potential Risk/Vulnerability Indicators Members of the BSN identified factors and criteria to assist with prioritizing neighbourhoods/ communities for programs and services. The risk/vulnerability factors and criteria that were identified by this group include:

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 34

Factors Criteria High score on the Social Risk Social Risk Index (Source: 2006 Census) Index High degree of EDI % of children vulnerable on one or more domain (Source: vulnerability 2014-2015 EDI) High number of Indigenous Number of Aboriginal persons (Source: 2011 Census) persons NOTE: Data presented in the Family Demographics section High number of Language spoken most often at home is French (Source: 2011 Francophone families Census) NOTE: Data presented in the Family Demographics section High number of children Number of children with special needs receiving services from with special needs Lansdowne Children’s Centre (Source: Lansdowne Children’s Centre)

Social Risk Index (2006) The Social Risk Index (SRI) is a composite index that measures the social and economic vulnerability of communities by looking at nine different indicators. SRI scores range from zero to nine, with higher scores indicating higher levels of risk. The level of potential risk for the neighbourhoods in Brantford-Brant can be seen in the following table.

Category of Risk Number of Neighbourhood Indicators High Risk 7 to 9  Core  East Ward  Holmedale-William Somewhat High Risk 5 to 6  Eagle Place  Terrace Hill Somewhat Low Risk 3 to 4  West Brant Low Risk 0 to 2  Banbury  Brier Park  East South Dumfries  Fairview-Greenbrier  Henderson  Mayfair  Shellard Lane  South Brant County  West Brant County  West South Dumfries

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 35  In terms of neighbourhoods as a whole, Core, East Ward and Homedale-William are rated as “High Risk”, and those categorized as “Somewhat High Risk” include Eagle Place and Terrace Hill. See the following map for a visual of the SRI in Brantford-Brant.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 36 Early Development Instrument (EDI) Vulnerability The Early Development Instrument is a population measure of children’s ability to meet age appropriate developmental expectations in five general domains: Physical Health and Well- Being, Social Competence, Emotional Maturity, Language and Cognitive, and Communication Skills and General Knowledge.

 35.3% of children in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant are vulnerable on one or more domain (EDI, 2015). This is higher than the provincial average of 29.4%  Brantford has a higher percent of children (37.7%) vulnerable on one or more domain than the County of Brant (29.1%)  Neighbourhoods with a higher than average percentage of children vulnerable on one or more domain include: Core, Eagle Place, East Ward, Fairview-Greenbrier, and Holmedale- William (see the map below for further details)

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 37 Children with Special Needs  The number of children with special needs per neighbourhood receiving services from Lansdowne Children’s Centre ranges from 18 in Henderson to 88 in East Ward  Neighbourhoods with a high number of children with special needs receiving services from Lansdowne Children’s Centre include: East Ward, West Brant, Core, Eagle Place, West South Dumfries, and Banbury (see the map below for further details)

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 38 Implications for Planning

BSN identified that one of the factors that must be considered when identifying locations for OEYCFCs is the level of family risk/vulnerability.

Based on a ranking of the factors noted above, neighbourhoods with a higher level of overall risk and vulnerability are: Eagle Place, Holmedale-William, Core, East Ward, Terrace Hill, West Brant County, and Shellard Lane.

Current OEYC/PFLC/CCRC programs are currently operating in all of these locations. The level and type of programs and services being provided should be reviewed to ensure adequate supports.

Demand for Child and Family Programs and Services

Current Child and Family Programs The current child and family program model in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant is comprised of Ontario Early Years Centres (OEYCs), Best Start Early Learning and Parenting Centres (BSELPCs), Parenting and Family Literacy Centres (PFLCs), and Family Resource Centres (FRCs). There are 21 sites for parents/ caregivers to attend. There is one main OEYC site, 12 BSELPCs, four PFLCs, and four FRC sites.

Four organizations provide these programs and services: Community Living Brant, Brant Family and Children’s Services, Grand Erie District School Board, and the Family Counselling Centre. The current Early Literacy Specialist (ELS) position is currently housed at Community Living Brant (in the OEYC).

The table below outlines the locations of current Ministry of Education (MEDU) funded child and family centres in communities across Brantford-Brant.

Current Program Neighbourhood/Community OEYC main site (30 Bell Lane, Brantford) West Brant Bellview School (97 Tenth Ave.) Eagle Place Branlyn-Notre Dame School (238 Brantwood Park Banbury Road) Brantford Public Library (173 Colborne Street) Core King George Public School (265 Rawdon Street) East Ward Prince Charles Public School (40 Morton Ave.) Terrace Hill Ryerson Heights Elementary School (33 Dowden Shellard Lane Ave.) St. Gabriel School (14 Flanders Drive) Shellard Lane

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 39 Current Program Neighbourhood/Community St. Patrick School (320 Fairview Drive) Fairview-Greenbrier Christ the King Catholic Elementary School (165 Holmedale-William Dufferin Ave.) Jean Vanier Catholic Elementary School (120 Ninth Eagle Place Ave.) Major Ballachey Public School (105 Rawdon Street) Core Princess Elizabeth Public School (60 Tecumseh Eagle Place Street) Northland Gardens Family Centre (56 Memorial Fairview-Greenbrier Drive, Unit 11) New Beginnings Resource Centre (359 Darling East Ward Street, Unit 17) Stepping Stones Resource Centre (50 Pontiac Street, Eagle Place Unit 36) Slovak Village (144 5 Ave.) Eagle Place North Ward School (107 Silver Street, Paris) West South Dumfries Oakland - Scotland Public School (15 Church Street South Brant County West, Brant) St. James Anglican Church (8 Burwell Street, Paris) West South Dumfries Holy Trinity Anglican Church (2 Andrew St, Saint East South Dumfries George)

See the map for a visual representation of the location of current MEDU funded child and family programs.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 40 A total of 196.5 hours of direct service per week are being provided to children and families through the current MEDU funded child and family program sites.

The busiest site is the main OEYC site in Brantford at 30 Bell Lane, recording the most number of unique children served 2016. It is also the site that offers the most number of direct service hours per week (see the table below for further details).

Program Location Number of Unique Number of Direct Children Served Service Hours per (2016) Week OEYC Main Site, 30 Bell Lane (West Brant) 1,018 26.5 Ryerson Heights School (Shellard Lane) 94 5 Oakland-Scotland School (Burford Area) 70 5 North Ward School (Paris) 135 5 Holy Trinity Anglican Church (St. George) 10 5 Christ the King Catholic Elementary School 210 16 (Homedale) Jean Vanier Catholic Elementary School (Eagle 137 16 Place) Princess Elizabeth Public School (Eagle Place) 86 16 Major Ballachey Public School (East Ward) 99 16 King George School (Core) 30 7.5 Bellview School (Eagle Place) 35 5 Slovak Village (Eagle Place) Included in Bellview 1.5 Branlyn/Notre Dame School (Banbury) 145 7.5 St. James Anglican Church (Paris) 55 2.5 New Beginnings (East Ward) 106 7 Stepping Stones (Eagle Place) 248 9 Northland Gardens (Fairview) 99 8 St. Gabriel School (Shellard Lane) Not Available by site 11.5 Prince Charles School (Terrace Hill) Not Available by site 15 St. Patrick School (Fairview-Greenbrier) Not Available by site 9.5 Brantford Public Library (Core) Not Available by site 2

In addition to the above MEDU funded child and family programs, Kids Can Fly also offers programs and services. They have been excluded from the community needs assessment and analysis as they are privately funded.

At present, there is no dedicated Indigenous or Francophone child and family programming in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 41 Implications for Planning

The current suite of child and family programs will need to be reviewed vis-à-vis the analysis for potential locations of OEYCFCs. There is a strong foundation to build on in terms of infrastructure and direct hours of service, and these must be reviewed to ensure they meet identified community need.

Child Participation in Programs Prior to Kindergarten The Kindergarten Parent Survey captures information about child participation in programs, at least monthly, 12 months before Kindergarten. The 2011-2012 results on this topic by neighbourhood are:

 Neighbourhoods with the highest rate of use of play based programs are: Brier Park, Core, East South Dumfries, Fairview-Greenbrier, Henderson, Shellard Lane, and Terrace Hill, all with 40% or more of Kindergarten children attending play based programs at least monthly in the 12 months before Kindergarten

 Neighbourhoods with the highest rate of use of music/arts/dance programs is Shellard Lane, with 40% or more of Kindergarten children attending these types of programs at least monthly in the 12 months before Kindergarten

 Most neighbourhoods have a higher rate of use of visits to the public library, with the exception of Banbury, East Ward, Holmedale-William, and Shellard Lane

 While some neighbourhoods exceed the average provincial rate, cumulatively, the rate of use of all three types of child and family programs in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant is lower than the average rate of use across Ontario (see the table below for further details)

Neighbourhood Child and Family Programs Play Based Programs Music/Arts/Dance Public Library Banbury 24.6% 24.6% 32.8% Brier Park 46.7% 22.4% 49.1% Core 49.1% - 45.7% East South Dumfries 41.2% - 45.5% Eagle Place 36.6% - - East Ward 31.5% 22.1% 37.3% Fairview-Greenbrier 46.2% 46.2% Henderson 40.5% 30.6% 60.5% Holmedale-William - 34.4% 34.4% Mayfair - - - Shellard Lane 43.1% 40.0% 37.3% South Brant County 36.7% - 51.7%

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 42 Neighbourhood Child and Family Programs Play Based Programs Music/Arts/Dance Public Library Terrace Hill 54.5% - - West South Dumfries 34.3% 30.1% 58.6% West Brant 36.6% 31.3% 46.3% West Brant County 31.3% 29.2% 46.9% Brantford 36.7% 27.7% 41.6% County of Brant 35.8% 30.4% 52.9% Brantford-Brant 36.3% 28.3% 44.2% Ontario 44.8% 31.4% 46.2%

Implications for Planning

In the 12 months prior to Kindergarten, parents/caregivers are more likely to visit a public library at least monthly than to attend a play based program with their child or take their child to music/art/dance programs. The barriers and challenges to accessing programs and services reported by parents will need to be addressed to increase the utilization of the available child and family programs. This includes raising awareness about the availability and value of the current array of programs, providing programs and services that work with parents’/caregivers’ schedules (i.e. providing programs and services in the evenings and on weekends, holidays and PA Days), and providing programs or targeting outreach into areas where parents are more likely to be found (i.e. the library).

Existing Community Resources In order to better understand and distribute resources in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant to cover geographic areas that have fewer options, an inventory of existing community resources was created for each of the 16 neighbourhoods. These maps include resources such as schools, child care centres, community centres, health unit services, and libraries. All of the neighbourhoods have multiple resources available. A new resource in the County of Brant (a new community centre/hub in Scotland) is a potential opportunity for a new OEYCFC location.

Implications for Planning

The number and type of existing resources should be analyzed vis-à-vis the number of children and level of risk/vulnerability in the neighbourhood to determine if locations for programming should be added.

Areas which may require additional resources include: Holmedale, Mayfair/Fairview- Greenbrier, Paris, Core, and East Ward.

The new community centre in Scotland should be explored as a potential location for a West Brant County OEYCFC location.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 43 Schools with Available/Potential Space The City of Brantford, as the CMSM, works collaboratively with the school boards in its area (GEDSB, BHNCDSB) to identity sites for OEYCFCs within priority communities/neighbourhoods. This is an ongoing communication.

At present 13 of the current MEDU funded child and family programs are located in schools. These locations are currently rent free. This aligns with parent/caregiver feedback about preferred locations for programs and services for their children. As new schools are built, the need for an OEYCFC will be reviewed and discussions held with the appropriate school board.

Future opportunities with school boards include:  Potential for a new OEYCFC in West Brant with the new school build planned for 2019  Request for expansion to Central Public School to add an OEYCFC and child care spaces  GEDSB received community hub funding to add an elevator at Major Ballachey (current PFLC location)

Implications for Planning

The CMSM has strong working relationships with the local school boards. The City of Brantford will continue to have ongoing discussions with each of the boards about potential school sites for priority OEYCFC locations.

Potential Locations for OEYCFCs

In order to prioritize the City of Brantford and the Universal OEYCFC Location County of Brant neighbourhoods for potential OEYCFC Located in neighbourhoods with locations, the Best Start Network identified factors, higher numbers of children. criteria and weights. A list of factors were developed for “universal” OEYCFC locations, and a separate list of Intentional OEYCFC Location factors were identified for more “intentional” Located in neighbourhoods with locations of OEYCFCs (those with higher higher levels of risk/vulnerability. risk/vulnerability). The factors, criteria, and weights used in this analysis are outlined below.

Universal Factors

Factors Criteria Weight High child population Number of children 0 to 4 years (Source: 60 70 2011 Census)

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 44 Factors Criteria Weight Number of children 5 to 14 years (Source: 30 2011 Census) High number of families with Number of households with children at 50 children at home home (Source: 2011 Census) 20 Number of lone parent families (Source: 50 2011 Census) High number of Indigenous Number of Aboriginal persons (Source: 10 persons 2011 Census) High number of Language spoken most often at home is 10 Francophone families French (Source: 2011 Census)

Intentional Factors

Factors Criteria Weight High score on the social risk Social Risk Index (Source: 2006 Census) 35 index High degree of vulnerability % of children vulnerable on one or more 35 on the EDI domain (Source: 2014-2015 EDI) High number of Indigenous Number of Aboriginal persons (Source: 15 persons 2011 Census) High number of Language spoken most often at home is 5 Francophone families French (Source: 2011 Census) High number of children Number of children with special needs with special needs receiving services from Lansdowne 5 Children’s Centre (Source: Lansdowne Children’s Centre)

Results of Data Analysis Based on the above factors, criteria, and weights, the City of Brantford and the County of Brant neighbourhoods were prioritized in the following way. All of these neighbourhoods currently have a child and family program site, with the exception of Mayfair.

Universal Sites1 - Census Tract Level Intentional Sites2 - Neighbourhood (Neighbourhood in Brackets) Level 1. Eagle Place (Eagle Place) 1. Eagle Place 2. West Brant 1 (West Brant) 1. Holmedale-William 3. Burford Area (West Brant County) 2. Core 4. West Brant 3 (Shellard Lane) 2. East Ward 5. North Paris (West South Dumfries) 3. Terrace Hill 6. Terrace Hill (Terrace Hill) 4. West Brant County

1 All have ratings above 20.0 out of 29.0 2 All have ratings above 10.0 out of 16.0

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 45 Universal Sites1 - Census Tract Level Intentional Sites2 - Neighbourhood (Neighbourhood in Brackets) Level 7. South Dumfries (East South Dumfries) 5. Shellard Lane 8. Arrowdale (Core/East Ward) + Indigenous 9. Mayfair (Mayfair) 10. West Brant 2 (Shellard Lane) 11. Greenbrier & Fairview (Fairview- Greenbrier)

Contextual Information about Neighbourhoods The Best Start Network, County of Brant staff, City of Brantford staff, and Ward Councillors provided contextual information about each of the neighbourhoods to supplement the data collected. The comments and opinions provided about each of the neighbourhoods are presented below.

Neighbourhood Contextual Information Eagle Place  Has a community hub/centre  Higher rate of Indigenous families  Isolated  Families from Riverside or Slovak Village do not attend programs in other locations  Not enough child care and before/after school  Food desert  Higher rates of poverty  No easy access to most anything  Lack of services i.e. medical, shopping, etc.  Lack of sidewalks (walkability)  Lower access to transportation  Low trust level, hard to engage  Some families have lived a long time in Eagle Place neighbourhood but have moved within neighbourhood – this is due to affordable housing  Hamilton families are moving into neighbourhood due to low cost housing  Families don’t cross Erie Ave.  Slovak Village – high density, significant poverty, families from Slovak Village will not attend programming at Bellview school (invisible barrier)  Mix of families, some who attend French immersion are not from area  Active neighbourhood association

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 46 Neighbourhood Contextual Information West Brant  Lots of trails  Creative Minds Child Care re-located to Riverview school  Children bused to school  Grocery store, pharmacy, shopping present  Frequent bus service  More reasonable housing costs  Boys and Girls Club  Few pockets of high risk (Helen Ave.)  Francophone school and French child care  Lots of child care  New school being built in 2019 West Brant County  French programs are expanding (elementary school)  Mainly rural  Transportation needed to access most anything i.e. shopping, medical, etc.  Lots of school bus transportation through the area to attend French immersion schools (to Paris, County, etc.)  Smaller communities, protective of maintaining  Increased infrastructure (BSC, arena, splash pad)  Burford Community Centre, Lions Park, splash pad  Young families and seniors  Oakland-Scotland – one child care, library, community centre Shellard Lane  Planning underway for community centre  Access to shopping and services  Dual working families, young families  Higher percent of child care providers accessing OEYC services  Higher need for flexible child care  Higher number of youth home alone  Lots of families have relocated so limited family support networks, 85% to 90% are from outside Brantford  Have Shellard Lane Neighbourhood Association  “Bedroom” community, people commuting  High growth community  East Indian families in the neighbourhood, three generations in the home, children are taken care of at home  Ryerson Heights has higher percentage of informal caregivers – parents at drop in  Retirement living spot  Strong neighbourhood association  Diverse population, ESL issues – multi-generational  Well-resourced neighbourhood

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 47 Neighbourhood Contextual Information  Good engagement  Use social media to engage with residents Paris  Increased number of children being referred to services at Contact Brant  Very limited access to children’s services (i.e. mental health, special needs – have to come to the city)  Lots of trails and parks  Transportation needed (no public transportation system, no transportation to support children’s activities/programming)  Child care available  Well resourced  Library  Mix of age groups  CAS site in Willet Hospital  Parents drive  Lions Park, Syl Apps, Brant Sports Complex  No buses in or out of Paris  Huge expansion/growth Terrace Hill  Very limited child care services  Very limited services for children  Poor transportation  Hard “landscape” for walking  Closed in by several main arteries, high vehicle traffic  Not much greenery i.e. very few parks, playgrounds  Train track through the neighbourhood  Not an inviting neighbourhood  Difference between number of rental properties and number owned  It is a changing neighbourhood that is struggling  Poor parent engagement at elementary schools  Poor dental health South Dumfries  Transportation needed  Limited licensed child care  Bedroom community  Limited access to social services  Limited shopping  Small community  Growing area  St. George Community Centre  No medical  No transportation

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 48 Neighbourhood Contextual Information  Bedroom community  Child care available  Most drive  Glen Morris has limited services. The east side of the community goes to St. George for services and the west side goes to Paris for services Core  Lower housing costs  Negative history, poor “reputation”  Families with high needs  No before/after school  High percentage of children under age 4 years with complex special needs  Huge area  High density  Recreation programs – Woodman  Many child care centres  Mohawk Park  Most drive or walkable  Library/Harmony Square are good assets in the core  Big student population  Transient population, higher mobility Mayfair  No or limited child services (drop in, etc. OEYC services, hubs)  Closed in with several main traffic arteries  Mostly residential  Higher number of working families  No active neighbourhood association  Young population  No parenting programs  Before and after school programs are in all schools Fairview-  Large variation in socio-economic status – source of social Greenbrier challenges and problems  Lots of parks  Families at Northland Gardens don’t leave community to access services (low level of trust)  High number of teen parents at Northland Gardens  Access to shopping services  Known as a desirable area to live  Mixed population  Good access to medical/food  Be aware of pocket of poverty (Northland) that may get lost in the averages

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 49 Neighbourhood Contextual Information  Access is good, good transportation  Recreation is Gretzky  High density  Neighbourhood is well established, not as many young children Holmedale-William  Many grandparents are caregivers in this area East Ward  Has a community hub  Not many services  Walkable  People settle here, less transient  East Indian population east of Garden Ave., children are taken care of at home, community is important Banbury  Low cost housing  Parents drive children to school  Huge resurgence of young families  Bigger families Scotland  New Scotland Community Centre (room for the OEYCFC)

Implications for Planning

Based on the rankings of the Brantford-Brant neighbourhoods, the location of existing child and family programs, and the identified community needs, it is apparent that some neighbourhoods require further child and family programs and services. These neighbourhoods include: Core, East Ward, Holmedale, Mayfair/Fairview-Greenbrier, and Paris.

Based on need, current child and family programs should remain in their existing neighbourhoods. OEYCFC site locations may be changed to better meet demonstrated community need, but the neighbourhood location should remain the same.

Groups Identified for Targeted Outreach In addition to the potential locations for universal and Targeted Outreach: intentional OEYCFC sites, the BSN reviewed Activities directed at parents and demographic data and discussed what groups could caregivers that could benefit from benefit from a targeted outreach approach. As per OEYCFC programs and services but the July 2016 Ontario Early Years Child and Family are not currently accessing services Centres: Planning Guidelines for Service System for a variety of reasons. Managers, a component of the mandatory core service, Engaging Parents and Caregivers, is to provide “Targeted outreach activities directed at parents and caregivers that could benefit from OEYCFC programs and services but are not currently accessing services for a variety of reasons.”

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 50 Groups with which further engagement is required include parents of children with special needs, the East Indian population in Brantford, and the immigrant/newcomer population.

Implications for Planning

Further engagement is required with a number of groups in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant. These include: parents of children with special needs, the East Indian population in Brantford, and the immigrant/newcomer population. These groups may be the focus of targeted outreach activities as part of the OEYCFCs.

Online Resources and Local Phones There are a number of existing online resources and local phone lines which can be accessed by parents/caregivers. These include:

Existing Online Resources Description 211  Telephone helpline (2-1-1) that provides information about community, social, non-clinical health and related government services  Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 150 languages

Brant County Health Unit  Speak with a public health nurse Telephone Support  Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  519-753-4937 ext. 464 Community Information Database  An online service to find community services in Brant Haldimand and Norfolk Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk http://www.info-bhn.ca/  Can search by keywords, organization name, service category or community  Provides an online version of “Your Guide”

Implications for Planning

The current online resources and local phone lines should continue to be leveraged for use in the OEYCFC model.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 51 6.0 Initial Plan

The plan for OEYCFCs in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant has been designed based on the results of the community needs assessment and discussions with the Best Start Network. The data collected about the neighbourhoods and communities in our geographic area, along with the voices and experiences of parents/caregivers, children, and service providers have resulted in a clear direction for OEYCFCs. This initial plan for OEYCFCs is just that – initial. The results of the community needs assessment have provided the information needed to create a strong foundational base for these centres informed by evidence. A phased, measured approach to transformation will allow for ongoing evolution through engagement with key stakeholders and the review of updated community and demographic data.

Three phases are planned for the implementation of OEYCFCs in Brantford-Brant. These include:

1. Transition Phase – January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2018 2. Phase I (Pilot Phase) – July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 3. Phase II – Commencing July 1, 2019

Each of these phases will be explained in further detail in the Transition Plans section below.

Planning Principles The planning for the City of Brantford and the County of Brant OEYCFCs was based on a number of design principles, including minimizing disruption to the service system, ensuring overall system stability, leveraging current resources and relationships, utilizing existing local expertise, and meeting the current and future needs of families and children.

As noted earlier in the report, Ontario’s vision for the early years, the Guiding Principles for developing, delivering, and evaluating OEYCFC programs and services, and How Does Learning Happen? are central to the design of Brantford-Brant’s OEYCFC model and will be encapsulated in the evaluation framework of the programs and services.

System Management The key role of the City of Brantford, as CMSM, is the management of the system of OEYCFC services and programs and the alignment of this program with other services in the overall early learning and child care system. This section of the Initial Plan provides details about the system management of OEYCFCs.

Planning As the CMSM, the City of Brantford is mandated to manage the early years, as designated through the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA). The City recognizes the value of community partners’ contribution to an integrated community plan for families and children and will continue to utilize the Best Start Network as a planning advisory table for OEYCFCs.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 52 Contracts and Funding The City of Brantford will establish a common contract template for service providers of OEYCFCs during the Pilot Phase of the transformation. The contracts will include a core contract to which schedules can be added to accommodate specific functions. At a minimum, the schedules will include the types of sites, services, supports, and level of services to be provided.

System Management and Support The allocation for Data Analysis Services became the responsibility of the CMSM beginning in 2017. This position plays a key role in supporting the planning efforts for OEYCFCs and to enable the broader collection and mobilization of quantitative and qualitative data to inform ongoing early years community planning processes. The intended outcomes for data analysis services are:

 Ensuring early years service system planning decisions are responsive to regularly reviewed community needs and priorities  Ensuring that local early years programs and services are reflective of relevant, current research and evidence  Actively supporting knowledge mobilization and exchange within the early years sector to support service enhancements

Data Analysis Services are being provided by the City of Brantford through a dedicated staff person.

The allocation for Early Literacy Services becomes the responsibility of the CMSM on January 1, 2018. This function will be included in the functions provided by the OEYCFCs.

In addition to the above system support services, the City of Brantford will require additional municipal positions to support the OEYCFC system. These positions include an OEYCFC Manager, and an Executive Assistant. These positions will be hired with target start dates of January 2018. Preliminary functions for these positions are outlined in the table below.

Position Potential Functions OEYCFC Manager Implementation of transition plan to include:  Development of Standards of work, in accordance with Ministry of Education guidelines and accountabilities, best practices and needs of the community as informed by the Community Needs Assessment and plan.  Development of an accountability framework for service delivery agent(s) and City of Brantford  Development of evaluation framework and practice, grounded in a logic model which articulates the Ministry of Education guidelines and accountabilities, best practices and needs of the

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 53 Position Potential Functions community as informed by the Community Needs Assessment and plan.  In partnership with the local Early Learning and Child Care sector, to provide service planning and strategic leadership for special needs resourcing, quality assurance and Indigenous engagement.  Management of service system contracts  Management and planning of capacity building resources  Management of relationship with current and future service delivery agent(s)  Facilitation of relationship between service delivery agent(s) and local boards of education. Executive Assistant  Provide executive level administrative assistance to the OEYCFC Manager and program  Communicate and liaise with internal employees, Ministry of Education, contracted community agencies, and other community partners in regards to OEYCFC service system provision  Process confidential documentation relating to contracts and their negotiation, standards compliance, and service provision

OEYCFC Service Model The City of Brantford and the County of Brant’s vision of Early Learning recognizes the need for consistent, accessible early learning services, with the opportunity for varied engagement and support for specific neighbourhoods and service participants. Incorporating early learning into or within close proximity to community hubs, provides families with increased access to resources.

OEYCFC sites are proposed by neighbourhood, and have been determined both by geography and identified community need. In order to provide universal access to OEYCFC programs and services, and to be responsive to the families and children with higher levels of risk and vulnerability, the City of Brantford and the County of Brant OEYCFC service model is based on the provision of two types of OEYCFCs – universal and intentional OEYCFCs.

Universal OEYCFCs have been identified for neighbourhoods with higher numbers of children. These OEYCFCs will be located in schools or other natural gathering spots, and parents will go to the OEYCFC location to access programs and services.

Intentional OEYCFCs have been identified for those neighbourhoods with higher levels of risk and vulnerability. These OEYCFCs are designed to build trust and relationships with families and children and will be built on a family wraparound model – providing a more integrated and holistic approach to serving the whole family. These OEYCFCs will be located where families and children live (i.e. social housing complexes).

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 54

This model allows for universal access to programs and services in highly populated areas, and ensures that those with higher levels of risk and vulnerability in less populated areas also have access to needed programs and services.

Intentional OEYCFCs Located in Universal OEYCFCs neighbourhoods with Located in neighbourhods higher than average levels with higher numbers of of risk/vulnerability children Family wraparound model Located in schools and Located in spaces where other natural gathering children/families live spots Building trust and relationships

The analysis of factors and resulting ranking of neighbourhoods in Brantford-Brant has ensured that OEYCFC sites are located in a mix of universal and intentional locations (see the table below for the rankings based on universal and intentional factors).

Potential Universal OEYCFC Locations - Potential Intentional OEYCFC Locations Census Tract Level (Neighbourhood in - Neighbourhood Level Brackets) 1. Eagle Place (Eagle Place) 1. Eagle Place 2. West Brant 1 (West Brant) 1. Holmedale-William 3. Burford Area (West Brant County) 2. Core 4. West Brant 3 (Shellard Lane) 2. East Ward 5. North Paris (West South Dumfries) 3. Terrace Hill 6. Terrace Hill (Terrace Hill) 4. West Brant County 7. South Dumfries (East South Dumfries) 5. Shellard Lane 8. Arrowdale (Core/East Ward) + Indigenous 9. Mayfair (Mayfair) 10. West Brant 2 (Shellard Lane) 11. Greenbrier & Fairview (Fairview- Greenbrier)

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 55 Based on the results of the community needs assessment, the Brantford-Brant OEYCFC model will be a school-based and non-school-based model. A Schools First approach has and will continue to be employed and OEYCFCs will use existing school locations, where possible.

When parents were asked to name one place they would go in their neighbourhood/ community to access programs and services for their child(ren) the most frequently mentioned program sites were: schools, recreation or community centres, libraries, and existing child and family programs like Best Start. The table below details the number one site to access for child and family programs by neighbourhood. Of note, schools were the number one site in most of the neighbourhoods. A number of county locations preferred library locations or recreation/ community centre locations.

Number One Site By Neighbourhood School Number one response for all neighbourhoods EXCEPT East South Dumfries, Henderson, South Brant, West Brant County, West South Dumfries Recreation/ South Brant community centre Library East South Dumfries, Henderson, West Brant County, West South Dumfries Existing child and None family program Church None Park None Other None

As part of the implementation strategy the CMSM and service provider will work with each neighbourhood/community to ensure the appropriate location of the OEYCFC. This includes continuing to engage with local school boards and working collaboratively to identity school- based locations for OEYCFCs.

As part of the OEYCFC service model all of the mandatory core services will be provided at the main OEYCFC sites, and one location will be open five days per week, including either a Saturday and Sunday, and, based upon parent and service provider feedback, at least one evening per week. OEYCFC locations will collaborate to ensure alignment of hours of service to maximize number of days and time of day that programs and services are available. Centre- based core services will operate on a year round basis. Services will be offered across the geographic area as a whole. Qualified teams and Registered Early Childhood Educator staff requirements will be adhered to, as prescribed by the Ministry of Education.

Services to be Provided The three mandatory core services will be provided through the OEYCFCs.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 56 1. Engaging Parents and Caregivers  Discussion and information sharing about child development, parenting, nutrition, play and inquiry-based learning, and other topics that support their role

The community needs assessment identified parents are interested in information and tips on children’s development, behaviour, safety and nutrition, and are interested in the following topics: growth and development, play-based learning, sleep, nutrition/feeding, no cost ideas/games, school readiness, managing meltdowns, toilet training, literacy, children’s mental wellness, self-esteem/self-respect, and cooking for/with kids.

 Pre- and post-natal support programs to enhance parent and caregiver well-being and to support them in their role(s)

The community needs assessment identified that parents of young children are interested in pregnancy and new baby support, including breastfeeding, understanding childbirth, and preparing for parenthood.

 Targeted outreach activities directed at parents and caregivers that could benefit from OEYCFC programs and service but are not currently accessing services for a variety of reasons

The community needs assessment identified groups with which further engagement is required. These groups include parents of children with special needs, the East Indian population in Brantford, and the immigrant/newcomer population.

2. Supporting Early Learning and Development  Drop-in programs and other programs and services that build responsive adult-child relationships and encourage children’s exploration, play and inquiry, supported by How Does Learning Happen?

The community needs assessment identified that a high number of parents of young children are interested in attending parent and child playgroups. In addition to this, parents are interested in programs to stimulate and support development in many areas, including introducing children to math, science, and reading.

Play-based learning will be the primary vehicle in OEYCFCs that supports relationships with parents and facilitates opportunities for discussion and learning. Early years activities within the OEYCFCs will be based on the four foundations of Well-being, Belonging, Expression, and Engagement. These programs will be led by qualified facilitators, RECEs, where appropriate.

Drop-in programs will be provided in every OEYCFC location, whether it be a main site or satellite site.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 57

Capacity building around inclusion will be provided to all OEYCFC sites/staff. This will ensure that all OEYCFCs are welcoming and accessible to children of varying abilities.

Early literacy, as a function, will also be incorporated into all OEYCFC programming.

3. Making Connections for Families  Responding to a parent/caregiver concern about their child’s development through conversation and observation supported by validated tools and resources  Information sharing about and facilitating connections with specialized community services, coordinated service planning, public health, education, child care, and child welfare, as appropriate  Information sharing about programs and services available for the whole family beyond the early years

The community needs assessment identified that, overall, there is a lack of awareness by parents of available programs and services for their child(ren).

The OEYCFCs will align and coordinate their work with the key services identified in Ontario’s Special Needs Strategy. OEYCFC staff will also be trained on provincially developed screening tools when ready, and referral and intake related to specialized services.

To better understand the needs of children with special needs as they relate to participating in OEYCFCs, a focus group will be held with parents of these children.

One of the clear pieces of input from parents/caregivers through the community needs assessment was that they would like a place to go that does not have age restrictions for their children to attend, and that has several programs offered in one location. Almost 40% of parents/caregivers reported that they would go to a program if services for children of various ages were located together. Almost 50% of parents/caregivers reported they would try a new program is several programs were located in one location.

Service coordination is a key component of the OEYCFC model. The design of the model will ensure that:

 Parents and caregivers are provided with timely, relevant and up to date information about community and specialized services  Local service providers collaborate and integrate services to meet community needs in an efficient and accessible way

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 58  Early years programs and services coordinate with other community and human services  Coordination occurs with Parks and Recreation, and libraries for programming  OEYCFCs facilitate collaboration amongst service providers and coordinate the provision of services in OEYCFC space for children beyond the age of six that align with the needs and priorities of the community/neighbourhood

A number of functions/services currently being provided by the OEYC will no longer be funded through the OEYCFC system. These functions include:

 Toy lending library  Resource library  Warm Line  Professional development (including Brant Learn) for licensed child care providers  Community space for meetings  Conferences

Indigenous Programs and Services In order to conduct a needs assessment for Indigenous programs and services, the City of Brantford initiated conversations with local Indigenous-led organizations and Brantford Native Housing emerged as the community agreed-upon local lead. Provincial funding was flowed through the CMSM to support this group’s development of an Indigenous off-reserve community needs assessment and Indigenous-led early learning proposal. This proposal was informed by a local Indigenous-led early learning planning committee, and approximately 400 local service providers who had an opportunity for initial learning regarding local Indigenous history and influence at an Indigenous Cultural Training Day at the Mohawk Institute.

The Indigenous-led early learning proposal, developed and led by the local indigenous community is being submitted to the Ministry of Education concurrent to the OEYCFC Plan. This proposal has been reviewed to ensure alignment with the OEYCFC early learning transformation plan.

Based on the April 2017 Indigenous Early Years Needs Assessment conducted jointly by Bob Stevenato and Brantford Native Housing, the Indigenous community of Brantford/Brant would prefer separate Indigenous specific programs owned, developed and operated by an Indigenous agency so there is full autonomy and control. Additionally, survey respondents said they prefer access to culture-based programs that are easily accessible from where they live and would like the options of evenings and weekend programming.

In order to support the delivery of culturally responsive early years programs and services, a Cultural Resource Coordinator will work with all OEYCFC sites and staff to build the capacity of programs to reflect local Indigenous cultures.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 59 The community needs assessment identified that the City of Brantford and the County of Brant is in close proximity to two First Nations (Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation), and is home to 5,010 Indigenous persons.

In the parent survey, one third (33.2%) of all parents reported that they would attend Indigenous programs or sites. This percentage was much higher than the number of parents that self-identified as Indigenous.

The Cultural Resource Coordinator position will be further documented in the Journey Together plan.

French Language Programs and Services The community needs assessment identified a very small number of Francophone individuals in Brantford-Brant, in fact less than other spoken languages in the community. Brantford-Brant is not designated as a French language site under the French Language Services Act. French language programs and services will not be offered at the OEYCFCs. This need will be assessed on an ongoing basis.

Service Delivery Mechanisms In order to address the varying needs across Brantford-Brant, OEYCFC services will be delivered in multiple ways, such as: main sites, satellite sites, mobile/pop-up sites, online, and through the use of a local phone line (see the visual below).

Type of OEYCFC: Universal OEYCFC Intentional OEYCFC  Situated in neighbourhoods/  Situated in neighbourhoods/ communities with higher communities with higher than numbers of children/ families average levels of risk/  Located in schools and other vulnerability “natural” gathering spots  More of a family “wraparound” model  Located in spaces where children/families live  Building trust and relationships Service Delivery Main Site Satellite Site Pop Up Site Online Phone Line Mechanisms: Services and Resources

A description of each of the service delivery mechanisms is included in the table below.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 60 Service Delivery Brief Description Mechanism Main Sites  Dedicated physical space for the OEYCFC (site is fixed)  OEYCFC services offered on a more full-time basis  Mandatory core services offered  Located in schools, standalone spaces, and other “natural” gathering spots Satellite Sites  Set up/take down space (site is not fixed i.e. may be within another facility)  OEYCFC services offered on a part-time basis  Drop-in programs offered, as a minimum level of service  Located in libraries, schools, standalone spaces and other “natural” gathering spots Pop Up Sites  Situated in non-traditional spaces like parks, retirement homes or at events/activities  May be a single program or series of programs  Based on identified community need

Note: The community needs assessment identified that 80.6% of parents are likely or very likely to use a service offered periodically in parks and non-traditional spaces. Online Resources  Provision of online resources, information, or other virtual services related to the suite of core OEYCFC programs and services  Vehicles to include website and social media

Note: The community needs assessment identified that 71% of parents are likely or very likely to use an online service and/or resource. Local Phone Lines  Information about OEYCFC programs and services that can be embedded in existing community phone-based information services

Locations of OEYCFCs

Additional Locations Based on the community needs assessment, all of the neighbourhoods in Brantford-Brant that have an existing MEDU funded child and family program will continue to have OEYCFC programs and services located in the neighbourhood. Additional programs and services will be phased in for the following neighbourhoods:

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 61 Phase I (July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019) New Satellite Site Locations:  Holmedale-William  East Ward  Paris Phase II (July 1, 2019) New Main Site Locations:  Mayfair/Fairview-Greenbrier  Core

Re-Location of Existing Child and Family Programs Although remaining in the same neighbourhood, some of the current child and family programs in the county will be re-located to recreation/community centres. These relocations will occur in Phase I of the implementation and include:

 Moving the current Oakland-Scotland Public School location to a service shared between the new Scotland Community Centre and the Burford Community Centre  Moving the St. George site from Holy Trinity Anglican Church to the South Dumfries Community Centre  Moving the Paris St. James Anglican Church site to a new location

In terms of Brantford, once the new school is built in Shellard Lane, it is planned that the St. Gabriel site will re-locate to this location. Planning for this will begin in Phase II of the implementation.

All site locations will be reviewed regularly to assess usage, accessibility, and changing demographics.

Closures of Current Locations The existing St. Patrick’s School site in the Fairview-Greenbrier neighbourhood will close as of December 31, 2017 due to extremely low usage rates. This closure is mitigated by another child and family program site in the same neighbourhood (Northland Gardens Family Centre), and the planned new OEYCFC for the Mayfair/Fairview-Greenbrier neighbourhoods.

Planned OEYCFC Locations Overall, the City of Brantford and the County of Brant is planning to implement 26 different OEYCFC sites over the next two years. This will include 21 Universal OEYCFCs (12 at main sites and 9 at satellite sites), and 5 Intentional OEYCFCs (4 at main sites and 1 satellite site). In Phase I, these OEYCFCs are expected to provide a minimum of 254 hours of direct service each week. The number of hours of direct service may decrease to a minimum of 245 hours in Phase II of the project. See the table below for further details.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 62 Neighbourhood Type of OEYCFC by Service Delivery Mechanism and Location Universal OEYCFC Universal OEYCFC Intentional OEYCFC Intentional OEYCFC Main Site Satellite Site Main Site Satellite Site Eagle Place Princess Elizabeth PS Stepping Stones Slovak Village (5 sites) Bellview School Resource Centre Jean Vanier ES Terrace Hill Prince Charles Public (1 site) School Shellard Lane St. Gabriel Ryerson Heights ES (2 sites) West Brant Bell Lane (1 site) East Ward Major Ballachey PS NEW location TBD New Beginnings (3 sites) Resource Centre Core King George PS Brantford Public NEW location TBD (3 sites) Library Holmedale- Christ the King ES NEW location TBD William (2 sites) Fairview- Northland Gardens Greenbrier Family Centre (1 site) Mayfair/ NEW location TBD Fairview- Greenbrier (1 site) Banbury Branlyn-Notre Dame (1 site) School Paris North Ward School St. James Anglican (3 sites) Church NEW location TBD Burford Area Burford Community (2 sites) Hall Scotland Community Centre St. George South Dumfries (1 site) Community Centre TOTAL SITES 12 9 4 1

Pop up OEYCFC sites will be used to supplement the programs and services being offered through the main and satellite sites. The locations of these sites will vary based on community need and other activities/events that can be leveraged. In addition to the hours of service provided at the main and satellite sites, it is expected that an average of 10 hours a week of programs and services will be provided at pop up sites.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 63

A further average of 10 hours a week of programs and services will be provided through targeted outreach activities (activities directed at parents and caregivers that could benefit from OEYCFC programs and services but are not currently accessing services for a variety of reasons).

Online Services and Resources Accessing information via the internet is something that families currently do. Ensuring they have access to high quality, accurate information in one spot is important. The OEYCFC service provider(s) will be responsible for planning an online strategy and a minimum of 35 hours per week will be dedicated to virtual services and resources.

The Best Start Network envisions the online component of the OEYCFC providing items such as:

 Website  Calendar of events  Solid information/facts (i.e. U-Mind), videos  Link to what already exists (Best Start Nexus)  Social media  Virtual tour of each OEYCFC site  Link to Provincial OEYCFC website (under development)

Local Phone Lines Current phone lines, such as 211 and the health unit line, will be promoted through the OEYCFCs to ensure that parents with an interest in using this type of service delivery mechanism have an option to find information about programs and services for their child. Local 211 information is fed by Community Information Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk. The CMSM and service providers will provide information and promote OEYCFCs as opportunities for families to get connected to quality, integrated early years services in their community.

The use of the existing Integrated Crisis Support line will also be explored for use in an emergency/crisis. This phone line has 24/7 availability.

OEYCFC Service Providers The City of Brantford and County of Brant have benefitted historically from the highly regarded early learning system facilitated by four provincially funded service providers and supported by the Best Start Network. The OEYCFC transition plan has built upon the current successful practices to enhance our local system.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 64 Through a practice of consultation and transparency, the four local service providers have been kept informed of the Ministry of Education’s intent and guidelines, and have had an opportunity to both contribute to the overall plan and discuss their role moving forward.

The Family Counselling Centre, which historically provided Family Resource Programs at four sites (St. Gabriel’s School, Prince Charles School, St. Patrick’s School, and Brantford Public Library), has advised the City of Brantford of their intention to withdraw from the provision of child and family programs and services as of December 31, 2017.

Community Living Brant, Brant Family and Children’s Services, and both school boards have been consulted in the development of this plan, advised their support of it, and their interest in submitting a business plan for continued service provision. They have also expressed their willingness to adapt current programming to meet the OEYCFC guidelines.

Transition Plans Due to the timing of the transformation process and the fact that Family Counselling Centre will no longer be providing child and family programs, January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2018 will be a Transition Phase. During that time the Family Counselling Centre services at St. Gabriel’s, Prince Charles and the Brantford Public Library will be provided by Brant Family and Children’s Services. The St. Patrick’s School site will be closed due to extremely low usage rates. This closure will be mitigated by another child and family program site in the same neighbourhood (Northland Gardens Family Centre), and the planned new OEYCFC for the Mayfair/Fairview- Greenbrier neighbourhoods.

As of July 1, 2018, there may be some realignment of sites amongst Community Living Brant, Brant Family and Children’s Services, and the school boards, in keeping with the community needs assessment and the intent to ensure services are well aligned with the needs of the community.

As noted previously in this report, there are a number of functions/services currently being provided by the OEYC that will no longer be funded through the OEYCFC system. These functions, which include the toy lending library, resource library, warm Line, professional development (including Brant Learn) for licensed child care providers, community space for meetings, and conferences, will continue to be funded through the January 1 to June 30, 2018 transition period. As of July 1, 2018 these functions and services will not be funded through the OEYCFC allocation.

The table below provides further detail about each of the three phases of implementation for the OEYCFCs in Brantford-Brant.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 65 Transition Phase January 1, 2018 – June 30, 2018

 Current service delivery sites and service levels  Current funding structure

Phase I (Pilot Phase) July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019

 Program enhancements o Virtual / Online services o Targeted Outreach o Pop-Up sites o Enhanced summer sites o Evening and weekend hours o New satellite services in Paris, East Ward and Holmedale-William  Re-location of satellite programs to meet identified community need (i.e. Scotland and South Dumfries Community Centre, Burford Community Centre)  Service standards development  Full program and service delivery assessment and evaluation  Supported by alignment of 2018 Ministry of Education funding

Phase II Commencing July 1, 2019

 Two new main sites o Core o Mayfair/ Fairview / Greenbrier Area  Begin planning for relocation of St Gabriel’s program to new West Brant school / community complex  Supported by capital build(s)  Negotiation of service delivery agreement(s) with service delivery agent(s)

With the approval of Municipal Council, City staff will proceed with the contracting process with these existing service providers for the Pilot Phase. A fulsome and ongoing programming assessment and evaluation during the Pilot Phase will inform the development of the Phase II plan. The resulting system transformation will build on the successful practices and relationships that are already in place, and ensure that adjustments are made where required to be responsive to the strengths and needs of children and families in our communities.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 66 Communication Strategy Over the course of the fall 2017, a comprehensive communication strategy will be developed with the Communication Department at the City of Brantford. Key audiences for the communication strategy will be parents, staff, and service providers.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 67 7.0 Moving Forward!

The transformation of existing Ministry-funded child and family programs into an increasingly integrated, cohesive system of services and supports for children ages 0 to 6 and their parents/caregivers means that families and children are going to have easier access to quality programs and services that are more affordable and responsive to their needs. This is good news for our communities!

As a CMSM, we have appreciated the opportunity to review data about the communities and neighbourhoods in our area, and to engage with families, children, service providers and others in ongoing dialogue and reflection. This process has created a plan for Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres that is relevant, responsive, and evidence-informed, and that reflects what families in our communities need.

The Province must be commended for its leadership in the early years and child care system. This is important work that is transforming the experience of children and families for the better. We are grateful to be a willing partner in this process.

As a community we are excited to move forward with this plan, and look forward to seeing the benefits for our families and children.

Brantford-Brant | OEYCFC Community Needs Assessment and Initial Plan, September 2017 68