Hastings County Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres Service Plan

HASTINGS COUNTY ONTARIO EARLY YEARS CHILD AND FAMILY CENTRES SERVICE PLAN

NOVEMBER 2017

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from the Warden of Hastings County ii

Introduction 1

Community Engagement Process 3

Needs Assessment in Hastings County 9

Community Identified Needs 18

OEYCFC Implementation 31

Recommendations 34

Conclusions 43

Appendices 44

I. Survey Rack Card 44

II. Anglophone Family Survey 45

III. Francophone Educator Survey 53

IV. Advisory Committee Partners 59

V. Key Community Informants 60

VI. Existing Child and Family Programs 61

VII. Algonquin Inodewiziwin Proposal 70

VIII. Poster for Planting Seeds for Understanding and Change 93

Bibliography 94

INTRODUCTION

ONTARIO EARLY YEARS CHILD AND FAMILY CENTRES IN HASTINGS COUNTY

The Hastings County Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) initial service plan builds on the strengths of existing programs and services and further catalyzes strong early years leadership locally. Including children and families at the centre of the approach that was used, Hastings’ plan reflects both the assets and current unique needs of this community, and a commitment to working towards the Ministry of Education’s (MEDU) vision that “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.”

In February 2016, MEDU announced the consolidation of the four existing provincially-funded child and family programs into one model and branded as Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres. Currently in Hastings County two of the four child and family programs exist – Ontario Early Years Centres (OEYC) and Child Care Resource Centres (CCRC). OEYCs are located in Belleville, Trenton, and Bancroft, while CCRCs are located in Trenton and Bancroft. Satellite playgroups and widely varied accompanying programs from OEYCs exist in small communities in both north and south Hastings County. There are currently no MEDU funded early years programs in the central part of Hastings County.

As the designated Consolidated Municipal Service Manager (CMSM), Hastings County Children’s Services is responsible for leading OEYCFC transformation efforts across 14 member municipalities and a total population of 136,445 people in Hastings County (2016 Census), beginning in 2018. Hastings County is committed to a responsive early years system that fosters inclusive, integrated learning environments for our 9,610 children ages 0-6, and a system that facilitates seamless navigation for families with diverse needs.

INTRODUCTION

PLANNING TIMELINE IN HASTINGS COUNTY

SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2017 FEBRUARY 2016 JUNE-JULY 2017 OEYCFC Service Plan and Ministry of Education Data Collation + Analysis of Journey Together Application Announces Plan to Transform Community Feedback + Submitted to Ministry of Child and Family Programs Development of Service Plan Education

APRIL-JUNE 2017 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER FEBRUARY 2017 Community Engagement 2017 Hiring of Data Analysis Sessions + Focus Groups + Coordinator and Community OEYCFC Advisory Committee Request for Proposals and Planner Meetings selection of OEYCFC Lead Service Providers

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2017 MARCH-APRIL 2017 JANUARY 1st, 2018 Environmental Scan – Community Survey Transition of Ontario Early Program and Service Distribution and Collection of Years Child and Family Inventory Responses Centres Begins

This plan represents a starting point. The OEYCFCs will support all children, parents and caregivers in learning, growing and connecting – together. Hastings County also understands that the OEYCFCs are just part of a larger system of early years support, and acknowledges that the broader early years system transformation and integration will require:

 Strong leadership from the CMSM  Meaningful, sustained community engagement  Increased capacity building and training for service providers  Coordinated planning and dedicated county-wide partnerships  Dedicated funding  Rigorous accountability mechanisms

Hastings County is dedicated to supporting people and our communities. The research shows that “strong communities provide a vital support to families with young children by encouraging opportunities for optimal early childhood development.” (Dr. Clyde Hertzman, former Director, Human Early Learning Partnership, UBC) The development of Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres in Hastings County will help to ensure that young children and their families will have the services and supports that they need for optimal development and our communities will be strengthened.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS

Hastings County staff have taken a responsive approach to working with various community stakeholders, by adjusting the planning process in relation to the needs and assets present for service providers at any given time, shifting timelines to accommodate better alignment with other provincial and local initiatives, and reducing barriers for parent and family involvement. The community- informed process has been collaborative, communicative, and based on relationship building. The priority is that decision-making is informed by research and evidence-based community feedback and data (anecdotal and/or quantitative).

The planning process has been guided by the principles outlined in the MEDU’s Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres: Planning Guidelines for Service System Managers. The community engagement process was designed to be child and family centred in order to capture and understand the unique needs of children, parents and caregivers, and the needs that were identified informed the proposed plan for OEYCFC programs and services. Parents and caregivers were encouraged to identify what would make an OEYCFC warm and welcoming, high quality and inclusive. Broad consultations with various community services, the five individual school boards in Hastings County, primary care providers as well as the parents and caregivers has ensured an integrated approach to planning. Finally, the process has been community-led: the CMSM, community leaders, educators, parents, and caregivers have been engaged in designing OEYCFC programs and services that embrace and build on community strengths, address identified gaps, and meet the unique needs of people in Hastings County.

COMPONENTS The most important sources of data and information about Hastings County came from the people who live here and the service providers and organizations that serve our people. The broad engagement process captured invaluable information from the Hastings County community, which has informed this plan. In Hastings County, there has been a dedicated commitment to understanding community needs as they relate to early years child and family programs. The assessment of these local needs has entailed multiple approaches and sources. At the local level, getting input from a broad cross-section of the community was an essential part of the collaborative approach employed. Stakeholders consulted included:

 Children  Anglophone and Francophone parents, caregivers, and families  Indigenous communities  Service providers  Educators  Representatives of school boards  Community partners and children’s services organizations

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS

Hastings’ initial engagement process consisted of six main components:

1. Program and Service Inventory An environmental scan of all early years and family programs was conducted. The data, collected directly from service providers, have been used to map existing programs.

2. Community Surveys Three distinct community surveys were developed and targeted to:

 Parents/Caregivers/Families of children ages 0-6  Front line staff/educators and managers/directors of 0-6 service providers  Kindergarten and Grade 1 educator teams and administrators in schools

The parent/caregiver surveys and the educator surveys were available in both French and in English. Surveys were distributed across Hastings County through community partners, at existing early years sites, through schools, social media and Hastings County website, networks of agencies that include early years service providers, and public events. Rack cards with the survey link were widely distributed, including through the main four school boards in Hastings County. (See Appendix I for the rack card, Appendix II for the Anglophone family/caregiver survey, and Appendix III for the Francophone educator survey.) Six $50 grocery gift cards were offered as incentives to parents/caregivers who responded.

3. OEYCFC Initial Service Plan Advisory Committee To support the development of the OEYCFC initial service plan, Hastings County invited key stakeholders to participate on an Advisory Committee. Its role was to advise and/or provide key information to Hastings County Children’s Services to effectively design and implement an initial plan for OEYCFCs in Hastings County. This component of the planning process also ensured that the development of the strategy was collaborative, transparent and shared.

More specifically, the focus of Advisory Committee includes but is not limited to the following:

 Analyzing, understanding, and interpreting data to guide informed decision making  Strategizing at a systems level to develop recommendations toward a quality system, while ensuring the interests of individual agencies and associations remained impartial  Supporting parents and families to enable their ongoing input and feedback throughout the planning and implementation process; and  Advising on the implementation of the Ministry of Education guidelines recognizing that families and their needs are unique in Hastings County. (For list of Advisory Committee membership, please see Appendix IV.)

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS

4. Key Informant Interviews and Meetings

Staff spoke and/or met with more than 40 key informants, whose expertise and informed perspectives were captured qualitatively in great detail. (See Appendix V for a list of our key informants.) One of the main functions of these interviews was to ensure that the OEYCFCs would align with other provincial priorities, such as the Ontario Special Needs Strategy, Moving Ahead on Mental Health, School-based Child and Family Programs Capital, Schools- First Approach and The Journey Together.

5. Focus Groups and Community Consultations

Almost 30 community consultations were held, reaching all fourteen municipalities in Hastings County. Twenty-three of the consultations involved parents/families, including three with Francophone families, one with fathers only, two with parents of newborns (children under the age of 18 months), and one with young parents (under the age of 24). In addition, we gathered group feedback from members of the child care supervisors network, the First Nations, Metis, Inuit Early Years working group, Metis Nation of Ontario, teachers and educators in both of the French schools, and two art-based focus groups with children in before and after school programs.

6. Population Data

On a broader level, population and health data have been used both to establish a baseline and to enable comparisons of Hastings County with other jurisdictions. These sources included:

 Statistics Canada’s census data from 2016, 2011 and 2001  National Household Survey of 2011  Health data from the Canadian Community Health Survey and Public Health Ontario Snapshots  Early Development Instrument (EDI)  Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)

This combination of primary and secondary sources of data provided a detailed picture of how well children and their families are doing in Hastings County.

Sources are cited throughout this plan.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS

BY THE NUMBERS

 1326+ community members participated in the community engagement process

 860 community members from all 14 municipalities filled out surveys

 250+ people contributed to/in participatory meetings and/or presentations, including:  Hastings County Community and Human Services Committee  Hastings Highlands Council  First Nations, Metis and Inuit Working Group  Children and Youth Services Network  Registered Early Childhood Educators Network  Healthy Kids Community Challenge Network

 194 community members participated in over 40 interviews and focus groups

 24 children ages 4-6 from before and after school programs participated in art-based feedback sessions

 12% of survey respondents self- identified as Francophone parents/caregivers or service providers

 9% of survey respondents were parents or caregivers of a child with special needs

 5% of survey respondents self-identified as Indigenous

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS

COMMUNICATING THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WITH THE PUBLIC Various methods for communicating with the public were utilized. Established relationships with front-line service providers were relied on to assist in disseminating information to service users. Numerous presentations were made to various levels of stakeholders including:

 Hastings County Community and Human Services Committee  Hastings Highlands Council  Hastings County Children’s Services Workers  Children and Youth Service Network  First Nations, Metis, Inuit Early Years working group  Child Care Supervisors Network  Various service provider staff  Advisory Committee  Parents and families

Media were present at some of these presentations, resulting in the publication of a few articles detailing the transformation to OEYCFCs.

Information was posted on the Hastings County website (www.hastingscounty.com), and the surveys were promoted further through the Twitter feed and the County’s Economic Development Department’s Facebook page. Staff attended public events to distribute information and visited existing early years programs to inform participants.

CHALLENGES IN ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY Efforts were made to engage as many parents/caregivers of young children as possible. The survey links were distributed to parents of kindergarten and grade 1 students through the Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario and Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est in order to reach parents who may not have previously accessed early years programs. Efforts were made to connect with the early childhood educators’ network, although engaging with individual early childhood educators was somewhat more challenging.

The parents and caregivers who were the easiest to engage with were those who participate in early years programs and services. Nevertheless, staff were aware that challenges exist in reaching parents, caregivers and some service providers. Employed parents often are unable to participate in early years programs because of time restraints and hours of operation. In Hastings County, the limited public transportation presents barriers to participation, and parents/caregivers who are isolated geographically may not have been able to engage in the consultation process.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS

The surveys were the source of a great deal of information from many respondents. Nevertheless, the literacy level may have been a barrier for some, as was the length of the questionnaire. Some community members did not fully understand the planning process for OEYCFCs, and others were confused about what children and family centres could be and how their present services and programs fit into the plans.

Building relationships between the CMSM and service providers and families was a key part of the community engagement. While there were a few challenges, families and service providers spoke often during this process about their appreciation for being involved and consulted.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN HASTINGS COUNTY

WHERE DO CHILDREN LIVE IN HASTINGS COUNTY? Almost 40% of young children in Hastings County live in Belleville (38.2%), with another third (33.1%) living in Quinte West. Central Hastings has 14.7% of the young children in Hastings, with about 6.5% of young children living in North Hastings and 7.5% in South-East Hastings. There has been virtually no change in the young child population in Hastings County since the previous census in 2011, although the distribution within the County has shifted somewhat. The map below shows the distribution of the young child population by Census dissemination areas (DAs).

In 2016, a total of 9,610 children 0 to 6 years of age lived in Hastings County.

North Hastings 6.5%

Central Hastings 14.7%

Quinte West Southeast 33.1% Hastings 7.5%

Belleville 38.2%

NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN HASTINGS COUNTY

INDIGENOUS AND FRANCOPHONE CHILDREN

In Hastings County, 6.0% of the population self-identifies as Indigenous, more than 2.4% average in Ontario; this percentage is probably considerably lower than the actual number, since many Indigenous people prefer not to identify, due to the shame about their heritage that they learned in residential schools (Hunter, 2017). The highest concentrations of Indigenous people are in South-East Hastings (9.4%) and north Hastings (8.4%), although the number of Indigenous children are highest in Belleville and Quinte West.

Francophones make up 2.5% of the Hastings population (using the Ontario inclusive definition of Francophone). However, they are not equally distributed throughout Hastings County. The largest concentration of Francophones reside in east and west Trenton (6.7% and 5.7% respectively). There are more than 150 children 0 – 6 who are Francophone in Quinte West.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN HASTINGS COUNTY

EXISTING CHILD AND FAMILY PROGRAMS SERVING CHILDREN 0 – 6 AND THEIR PARENTS/CAREGIVERS

In 2017, there are more than 120 programs for young children and/or their parents. They are offered by Ontario Early Years Centres, libraries, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) and health centres, and Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society. They are offered in schools, conservation areas, parks, community centres, libraries, churches and OEYCs.

More than 4,000 children 0 – 6 participate in early years programming, approximately half of the young child population. Staff have developed an inventory that is as complete as possible, based on Hastings’ four main geographical zones (North Hastings, Central Hastings, Quinte West, and Belleville and South-East Hastings). (See Appendix VI for maps of the program sites and program inventories for the 4 main regions of Hastings County.)

HOW ARE CHILDREN DOING IN HASTINGS COUNTY? How are children doing at birth?

Infants in Hastings County have significantly greater risks to their health and well-being than all of Ontario, based on a number of predictive indicators. Although the data are available for the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health region, made up of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (HPE), 85% of the population of HPEPH reside in Hastings County.

The infant mortality rate in HPE in 2011 was 852 per 100,000, significantly higher than the Ontario infant mortality rate of 451. While data are unavailable for specific ages of children, mortality rates for those aged 1 – 19 in HPE in 2011 was 33/100,000, again much higher than the Ontario rate of 16 (SELHIN database).

The proportion of births to mothers who are younger than 20 years of age in HPE decreased between 2010 and 2014; however, proportions in HPE continue to be more than double those in Ontario (6.0% compared to 2.3%) (HPEPH, 2016a). The teenage pregnancy and birth rates in Hastings Prince Edward health region are significantly above the provincial average (HPEPH, 2017).

The following chart shows a number of selected maternal health indicators for the Hastings Prince Edward Health Region in comparison with Ontario. All the following indicators, with the exception of using alcohol during pregnancy, show that mothers in Hastings County have significantly more problems than mothers in Ontario as a whole.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN HASTINGS COUNTY

Maternal Health Indicators, HPE and Ontario, 2014

6.5 Rates of low birth weight (<2500 grams) 8.6 47.8 Pregnant Women who gained more weight than recommended 56.2 Pregnant women who gained the recommended amt of 31.6 weight 27.9 3.4 History of post-partum depression 7.6 7.3 Depression during pregnancy 14.0 Ontario 7.8 Anxiety during pregnancy 14.3 Hastings Prince Edward 14.7 Maternal mental health concerns 26.8 1.9 Drug use during pregnancy 2.8 2.2 Alcohol use during pregnancy 2.0 9.6 Infants fed breast milk substitute 17.4 61.5 Infants fed breast milk only 51.7 93.4 Intention to breastfeed 85.8 26.6 Smoking during pregnancy (mothers aged <25) 43.0 10.7 Smoking during pregnancy 24.8

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Source: HPEPH, Public Health Ontario Snapshots

NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN HASTINGS COUNTY

HOW ARE KINDER-AGED CHILDREN DOING IN HASTINGS COUNTY? Health

According to HPEPH, decay rates for students screened in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties are higher than decay rates for students screened in Ontario overall. Furthermore, rates of students screened requiring urgent dental care are also higher in HPE. These rates of decay were higher for students in grades JK, SK, and grade 2 compared to older grades.

Based on the results of the Kindergarten Parent Survey done in HPE in 2011, 55% of kindergarten children had healthy Body Mass Indexes (BMI), 10% had low body weight, and 35% were overweight, considerably higher than the Canadian average of 20.5% of children 3 – 5 years of age (Statistics Canada: Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), CANSIM table # 117-0003).

The household food insecurity rate in Hastings County is consistently among the highest in Ontario. In 2014, 11.2% of households were food insecure, compared to 7.5% in all of Ontario (Canadian Community Health Survey, 2015).

In 2015, 8.9% of children in Hastings County were involved with Children Protective Services, significantly higher than the Ontario average of 3.9% (Public Health Ontario Snapshots, 2017).

Early Childhood Development as measured by the Early Development Instrument (EDI)

In 2015, the majority of Hastings County children in senior kindergarten are meeting developmental expectations. Nevertheless, more than one-third of kindergarten children are vulnerable on at least one developmental domain. Children are most on track in terms of development in the Frankford, Sidney and Thurlow areas. South-East Hastings and Planning Zones 1 and 3 in Belleville have the highest levels of vulnerability in Hastings County. Vulnerability is directly correlated to low income in this region.

The EDI scores show some alarming areas that are at risk and vulnerable. In collaboration with Early Years, we can help move/support the at risk students back on track instead of them moving into the vulnerable area. We constantly are scrambling to put out fires when we actually need to be focusing on stopping them from starting in the first place.

A Hastings County educator in a school

NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN HASTINGS COUNTY

% low % low Low on one or % low % low % low Geographic Area on on more Domains on SC on EM on LCD PHWB CSGK (%) County of Hastings 21.9 14.6 18.9 11.1 13.9 36.6 Ontario 16.1 10.7 12.3 6.7 10.2 29.4 North Hastings 23.8 16.3 21.3 10.0 13.8 38.8 Central Hastings 21.9 13.8 21.0 11.0 16.7 38.1 Centre Hastings, Madoc & Marmora 20.8 14.9 22.8 11.9 18.8 37.6 & Lake Stirling-Rawdon 19.8 5.0 13.8 4.9 11.1 34.6 Tweed Township 25.4 27.1 25.4 15.1 25.4 42.4 South-East Hastings (excl TMT) 28.4 14.9 24.3 24.3 13.5 47.3 Belleville (City) Zone 1 27.9 19.2 22.3 12.5 9.6 46.2 Zone 2, 5, 6 & 7 * 26.9 11.9 19.4 10.5 13.4 37.3 Zone 3 (with the part of Sidney that 38.9 25.6 30.0 17.8 21.1 48.9 is within city boundaries) Zone 4 23.8 18.2 18.6 14.7 14.7 37.1 Thurlow (north of Hwy 401) 10.9 10.9 13.0 3.3 12.0 26.1 Quinte West (City) Trenton - West of the River & 19.4 11.2 11.2 12.2 13.3 31.6 Murray Ward * Trenton - East of the River 17.0 9.6 11.1 5.9 10.4 28.2 Frankford & Sidney Wards 9.6 8.4 16.9 3.6 9.6 24.1 *Planning zones were combined for EDI reporting to bring the number of children in each zone close to the recommended number of children in a reported neighbourhood to around 100.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN HASTINGS COUNTY

Children with Special Needs

According to the EDI, 65 children in Hastings County kindergarten classes in 2015 were identified as having a special need (4.8%, somewhat higher than the 4.0% in Ontario, although not a statistically significant difference). The most common identified special needs were: autism spectrum (30.3%), developmental delay (11.8%), speech and language disorders (9.2%), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (7.9%) and cerebral palsy (7.9%).

A further 193 children were identified as having a problem that influenced their ability to do school work in a regular classroom. These included speech impairment (52.0%), behaviour problems (37.2%), home problems (32.2%), learning disabilities (31.2%), emotional problems (27.5%), chronic health problems (13.1%), physical disabilities (11.7%), visual impairment (8.1%) and hearing impairment (7.4%).

HOW ARE FAMILIES DOING IN HASTINGS COUNTY? How economically secure are our families?

Overall, socio-economic indicators show that Hastings County falls behind Ontario as a whole on most measures: median family income, prevalence of low income, prevalence of low income for children less than 6, post-secondary education rates. There is a considerable difference across this large county as well. Within Hastings County, South-East Hastings and Quinte West are the geographic regions with the highest median incomes and lowest prevalence of low income. The neighbourhood with lowest median income is North Hastings, and the neighbourhoods of North Hastings and Belleville have the highest prevalence of both overall low income and low income for children under the age of 6.

Prevalence of % Population Prevalence Median low income 25 – 64 with of low Family for less than 6 post- income 2015 Geographic Area Income years 2015 secondary after tax low 2015 (after after tax low certificate, income tax) income diploma or measure (%) measure (%) degree (2011) County of Hastings $67,711 16.3% 24.5% 54.8% Ontario $81,084 14.4% 19.8% 64.8% North Hastings $59,355 21.6% 32.0% 53.5% Central Hastings $64,479 17.8% 25.1% 53.7% South-East Hastings (excl Mohawk Terr) $73,753 13.7% 15.9% 54.9% Belleville (City) $68,552 17.6% 29.1% 57.7% Quinte West (City) $71,249 12.9% 19.1% 53.1%

In June, 2017, 690 (8.4%) children under the age of 6 were beneficiaries of social assistance in Hastings County.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN HASTINGS COUNTY

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY Dreams and Vision for OEYCFCs

The children, parents/caregivers and service providers in Hastings County share Ontario’s vision for the early years: that Ontario’s children and families are well supported by a system of responsive, high-quality, accessible and integrated early years programs and services. Generally, the dreams and hopes that participants expressed throughout the community consultation process mirrored the mandatory core services specified by the Ministry of Education to accomplish the goals for young children and their families. The quotations are taken directly from parents and caregivers involved in the community consultation process.

CORE SERVICE #1 - ENGAGING PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS

Parents and caregivers of young children generally felt that all programs and services are important for their young children and themselves. The following table shows, in descending order, the ranking of the 10 most important programs and services, according to the parents/caregivers who responded (based on a possible score of 5).

1 Friendly, compassionate staff 4.56 2 Connecting and bonding with my child(ren) 4.53 3 Welcoming, stimulating environment 4.43 4 Learning new ways of helping my child develop 4.32 5 Play-based learning opportunities 4.29 6 Learning about child development 4.28 7 Getting support for my role as a parent/caregiver 4.01 8 Asking staff and local experts questions 4.00 9 Relevant, up-to-date information about community services 3.94 10 Getting out of the house 3.93

The need for a supportive staff in a stimulating environment is important, but parents are also looking to bond with their children, help their children develop, ensure that their children have play-based learning opportunities and learn about child development.

Strengths of Existing Early Years Programs

“The staff monitor but do not judge the children or the parents.”

Parents/caregivers were quick to identify positive attributes of current programs, for both children and the adults who participate. The fact that the programs are free and open to anyone is very important to them. The existence of different sites is key, at least in part because different sites offer different experiences. In more rural areas, it is necessary to travel to the different sites in different towns in order to attend programs more than once per week.

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

Staff

“The staff welcome everyone, and you want to come back!”

Most of the focus group participants praised the staff of the programs; staff members were described as friendly, great with parents and children, welcoming, knowledgeable, and respectful. Because they understand child development, they can provide advice and address health concerns without judgments. Parents and caregivers place a great deal of trust in them.

Communities

Many parents spoke very positively about their communities and the support they experienced within them. Reliance on families and friends added greatly to that positive experience. Participants in the focus groups in some communities felt that there was a plethora of activities that they could get involved in with their children. Participation in current programs also provided an avenue into the community and social interaction.

Discussions and Information Sharing

“What’s really important is connecting with other parents who understand!”

Parents and family members indicated that social interaction with other parents is a very important role of present programs. Part of that was expressed by participants as helping support their mental health, by getting out of the house, meeting new people and connecting with other parents/caregivers. Those who were isolated, either by geography, military community, or language, talked about having the opportunity to connect with others who understood their situation and share ideas on shared issues. Support then comes from friendships, staff, kids’ friends, and the advice that is offered by peers.

In some communities, parents appreciated the option to come every day, or specific programs, such as cooking programs, and the various levels of activities. They also liked the diversity of programs, and their increased awareness of other community programs and services.

Support for Parents

Access to prenatal and postnatal programs and services is not experienced throughout Hastings County. The quality of the prenatal education that was available was openly questioned, and the time of some classes made it difficult for employed parents to attend. Francophone families consistently stated that parent support services need to be available in French.

A wide range of postnatal support was of interest to parents in Hastings County. They identified the need of breastfeeding/infant feeding and weaning support, in their communities, as well as support for those

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

mothers who are unable or unwilling to breastfeed. Parents identified the need for support for post- partum depression/adjusting to parenthood: e.g. understanding the changes in their bodies, emotional upheaval and coping. Specifically, postnatal nurse support for new francophone parents was identified.

Parents are interested in such activities as learning how to make baby food. They want infant screenings and support for their baby’s development.

Parents also see the need for programs and services going beyond a narrow definition of “postnatal”. Dealing with fussy eaters was as much a concern as feeding babies. Helping toddlers and preschoolers to be comfortable when away from parents was as important as developing attachment.

Comment/analysis:

Families are competent, capable, curious and rich in experience. They understand what they want and need from OEYCFCs, and it is important, as part of developing strong, respectful and reciprocal relationships with families, that staff engage in an ongoing way with families to determine what services and programs are important to them.

Barriers to participation

“I was scared to come. I wish I knew more about what playgroups are because I would have come sooner if I knew what they did in them.”

People do not access programs and services for many reasons. Participants presented a number of concerns when asked for reasons that parents are not involved in current early years programs. The lack of awareness or knowledge about the programs was just one of the reasons that was given, and the need for better branding and advertising was mentioned as a partial solution. Without better knowledge of the programs, parents do not know what to expect. Some expressed the ideas that parents need a “comfort level” to attend. Some of the current sites are not physically accessible. Exclusion and Isolation

“This is a very tight knit community. Everyone knows each other, which makes it difficult for new families coming in.”

The strong social cohesion that some participants experienced was not felt by everyone. A number of participants spoke of isolation, loneliness and exclusion. They attributed these feelings to a variety of factors including:

 language barriers  lack of transportation  socio-economic status, especially low income  age  recent arrival to a community  occupation (particularly being involved in the military community)

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

The lack of culturally sensitive programs and services was of great concern to Francophone and Indigenous children and their parents/caregivers.

Feelings of exclusion were also cited as challenges: e.g. young parents felt stigmatized by some staff and some of the parents; parents of children with special needs felt that they were not welcome; francophone parents could not find out about programs. As a result, “some parents don’t trust the system because they are used to being excluded.” Those feelings of exclusion are greater when there is a perception that the same group of moms is there every week. Other parents exclude themselves because of anxiety about coming and some identified depression. Some participants also had negative experiences at various sites, due to the way that staff members treated them.

From the Surveys:

One quarter (25.6%) of survey respondents said that not feeling welcome and/or included might stop then from participating in child and family programs.

Lack of awareness

Participants had found out about the programs in a variety of ways: public health, family and friends, newspaper ads, Children’s Aid Society, the program sites themselves as well as OEYC calendars and advertising. Nevertheless, participants also said that there was a lack of awareness. Many stated that it is difficult to find out about programs. Websites are not always kept up to date, and there is a general lack of awareness of program hours and programs. Language or cultural barriers exacerbate that problem.

From the Surveys:

More than 4 of 5 educators (81%) suggested that the lack of understanding of the benefits of participating in child and family programs was a challenge to participation.

Hours of Programs

The timing of programs was also identified: morning programs do not work for employed parents, and naptimes and children’s own schedules present challenges. Daytime scheduling makes it difficult for employed parents to participate. The wish for afternoon, evening and weekend programs was identified by many. Because options are limited on Sundays and holidays, there was some interest in programs being available 7 days a week. Additional French program times also need to be available to francophone parents.

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

Some program overlaps were also identified by parents: e.g. the only two designated baby programs in Belleville occur on the same morning; playgroups must compete with recreation programs.

From the Surveys:

Almost 2/3 of survey respondents (63.9%) said that the hours of the programs were the most important factor that might stop them from participating in child and family programs or might make it difficult for them to attend.

Lack of Transportation

“The lack of transportation makes it really isolating.”

The most identified barrier in Hastings County is the lack of transportation. Getting to programs and services is a problem for many participants. Many people have to travel great distances to attend programs, and many in rural areas must travel to different communities every day to access programs. In rural areas, some participants spoke of having no neighbours, and the inability to walk anywhere. The lack of transportation, including public transit, presents huge barriers to accessing services. For many people in Hastings County, there is a need to travel a considerable distance to get to any and all services; without adequate transportation, it is an impossible task.

CORE SERVICE #2: SUPPORTING EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Many parents talked of how well their children and other children in their community were doing. In the context of the focus groups primarily being part of participation in early years programs, it is not surprising that parents acknowledged the importance of early years programs, structured activities, and early childhood education for successful transition to kindergarten, socialization, social and emotional development and better numeracy and early literacy. Interestingly, the language parents used and the programs that they praised are somewhat inconsistent with How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years.

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

“The playgroups are amazing!”

Because most of the focus groups were conducted with parents/caregivers who were attending playgroups or other sessions with their children, many of the comments were directed to the importance of playgroups. Parents and caregivers appreciated that activities were continually changing and addressed an age range of children, especially if they had more than one child. The variety of activities available also stimulated many aspects of children’s development: visual, tactile, kinesthetic, story, song, crafts, and dance which contributed to physical and mental development and socialization. Parents also appreciated the different types of locations, both those with large play spaces, with open areas for playing, and those small spaces which are more peaceful and quiet.

Parents praised specific aspects of some playgroups, such as circle time and consistent routines, which they perceived prepared children for the school environment. Structure was an especially key element of the programs that parents of children with special needs valued highly. Children also learned to play away from their parent/caregiver, which is a “huge value for kids”.

Generally, early years programs are seen as providing children with the great opportunities to have fun in a safe, stimulating environment.

Challenges

“There’s a really high food insecurity rate here.” As with parents’ comments about how parents are doing in their communities, participants also acknowledged that children are facing some problems. Development concerns surfaced: lack of opportunities to socialize with other children (especially for francophones), lack of public spaces for gross motor skill development, and the need to spend more time outdoors. Some children do not have their basic needs met, due to factors such as poverty and food insecurity.

Analysis: Challenges/gaps/barriers for children

 Parents want more attention paid to gross motor skill development and more focus on programs to foster a successful transition to kindergarten.  Some spaces are perceived as too small for active play or for adequate interaction if the program was full.  The lack of transportation presents a challenge in all communities.  Small communities want programs more than once a week.  With small programs and play groups, there are challenges meeting the needs of different ages.

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

Supporting Early Learning and Development

“Children need a chance to be ‘messy’ and to have different sensory experiences.”

Parents/caregivers identified developmental support needs for children of all ages and stages. Different areas of development, e.g. physical and sensory, were also of concern to parents/caregivers. The importance of and the need for outdoor play was mentioned again and again by parents, as well as lots of natural play and activities that would enable gross motor skill development (e.g. gym programs, swimming, exercise and fitness). Parent and grandparent walking groups were suggestions as well. Children, too, expressed their desire for outdoor activities as part of early years programming with their parents.

Figure 1 Climbing the tree with my dad

Sometimes the focus was programs for physical fitness, and some parents advocated for a start from a very young age, e.g. mommy and baby/toddler programs to promote physical activity (e.g. yoga, dance, gym activities). Children and families need space for gross motor skill development, especially in winter.

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

Parents identified the importance of social and emotional development. Children need to have a sense of belonging, where they are connected to others. Many parents talked about the desire for early years programs that would build strong relationships between children and provide socialization and increased interaction with different age groups of children. Learning to know and trust other adults was identified as a strength of good early years programming by many parents. Furthermore, some parents felt that within early years programs, children could explore strategies for dealing with difficult situations, such as divorce and death.

Many parents also wanted arts programs for their young children. The desire for dance, music, art, weekly crafts, and themed activities was reiterated throughout the community consultations. Cooking with kids and other food related activities (e.g. gardening, eating) were also identified as priorities of many parents. Children too liked the idea of eating with their parents at early years child and family programs.

Figure 2 Eating blueberries and cheese with my dad

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

The importance of consistent routine for young children was also repeated. Scheduled times for playgroups is a part of that, as are structured programs. Many parents stated that they wanted more circle times, themed activities, life skills supports (e.g. shoe tying, self-feeding) and other hands-on activities.

One of the main focuses of parents was the desire for “school readiness” programs. Both the survey respondents and focus group participants identified literacy and numeracy as key skills they wanted their young children to develop, and they were looking to early years programs to support these forms of learning. For many, an important role for OEYCFCs is helping prepare children for school, including such things as learning to sit, having organized activities and setting time limits. Some expressed a desire for early years programs to be integrated with school programs.

Indigenous and Francophone Programming

“J'aimerais voir tes activités, divers types, en français offertes dans notre communauté.”

“We definitely want Indigenous programming, based on cultural appropriate approaches, offered with the participation of Indigenous people/groups.”

Incorporating/embracing a child’s/family’s ethnicity was also important, particularly for Francophone and Indigenous families. Indigenous parents and service providers spoke about the importance of using Indigenous approaches, resources and cultural practices as a necessary part of renewing identity and cultural understanding, pride and spirit.

Both Francophone and Anglophone parents identified a desire for children to have the opportunity/option to learn to be bilingual. However, Francophone families need services in French not only because of the importance of the language, but also because language is necessary as an avenue to teach and preserve culture. There was a desire of Francophone parents to have the same variety of early years programming available in French: e.g. outdoors activities, sports teams, cooking classes, support for learning disabilities. Wait times for specialized services are especially long for Francophone families.

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

Francophone parents need to be able to access French materials to support their children. The language barrier means that Francophone parents and children do not have the same access to services as Anglophone families. Of particular concern was that specialized services (e.g. speech and language, children’s mental health) are not available in French. Francophone parents spoke of the need for French services generally; even the small amount of support available through resource consultants is available only in English. They also spoke about the need of French-speaking staff at early years programs. They also have difficulty finding French online-friendly information about programs and services that are available.

CORE SERVICE #3: MAKING CONNECTION FOR FAMILIES

Responding to a parent concern

Even without knowing the precise language of How Does Learning Happen?, parents expressed in many ways the desire to be treated as competent, capable, curious and experienced. They were very open about the importance of having supportive staff who were open, helpful and non-judgmental. Their curiosity leads them to asking questions, but they stated that they want people with whom they feel comfortable enough to do the asking. Parents also identified a need to be connected to experts and specialists who could provide specialized knowledge and advice to help them in their role as parents. Feeling normalized, knowing that others are experiencing similar concerns, and having their own competence and capability reinforced are very important to the parents in Hastings County.

Parents are “hungry” for parenting information. Suggestions included workshops for nutrition and healthy eating, a volunteer “family member/grandparent” who could provide support and advice, first aid training, parent support groups, widowed parent group, grandparent group, groups for parents of children with special needs, guest speakers on child development, understanding the mediation process, financial advice, self-esteem seminars. Many parents identified an ongoing need for food programs: cooking, nutrition, how to feed kids. Parenting classes are considered to be important, but some parents need support for child care to attend parent workshops.

They want developmental assessments, but more than that, they want advice about how to support their child’s development so that the child can reach those developmental milestones. They want education to help support the needs of their child (diagnosis or not).

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

More programs and services for fathers was also identified as a need, ideally with a dedicated facilitator. Scheduling programs on weekends or in the evenings could make it more possible for dads to participate.

Parents, particularly from small towns and more rural areas, spoke of very little to do in their communities, and very few programs. The lack of services and programs was broad – participants talked of the lack of child care, prenatal education, post-natal supports, dental care, adult mental health supports and long waitlists.

Information sharing about and facilitating connections with specialized community services

“Some children need mental health support, and there isn’t any.”

Many parents were very concerned that their children did not have access to various services: medical practitioners (e.g. pediatrician, family doctors, and hearing tests), children’s mental health supports, infant support programs, speech therapy. They spoke of long wait list times and the seeming inability to get referrals (e.g. “the infant development worker can only make referrals once a month”). Their frustration was clear.

Many parents spoke of a desire for a “community hub” model, where they and their children had “one stop shopping” for a number of different services to meet their concerns. In particular, the vision for community hubs incorporating Comment: integrated service delivery, was reiterated by many parents who The idea of a community hub stated their desire that an OEYCFC provide a “hub centre of a whole was expressed especially range of support services”. These included services such as those strongly in rural areas and small provided by public health (including dieticians), social workers, communities. Some nurses/nurse practitioners, vision and dental services and services for respondents spoke of real children with special needs (e.g. autism, speech and language issues, concerns about the loss of and exceptionally bright children). Breastfeeding and weaning shared community spaces, such supports were identified as important, as are car seat clinics. Parents as their small schools and post want a seamless system so they “don’t have to fill out forms over and offices, as well as issues related over again”. OEYCFCs could work toward such a goal. to the distance to urban centres Parents also want OEYCFCs to be able to provide more referrals to a and the difficulties of broad range of other services, including occupational therapy, transportation in order to access physiotherapy, speech, psychological assessments, and behaviour services for their children. modification. Parents expressed a strong desire for more mental Parents perceived that a health services and supports for both children and adults. Ideally, centralized location for services some level of health care (e.g. doctor, nurse practitioner, nurse) would in small communities would help also be available in the same building as OEYCFCs. Again, parents to address these concerns. would prefer a “one-stop” shop at OEYCFCs.

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

Parents need help finding resources. Military, francophone and new families moving into the area have a particularly difficult time knowing what services are available. Specialized community services that they want information about and connections with also include respite for parents and programs for new immigrants.

Special Needs

“We need education on parenting a child with special needs, to better understand or be given information on how to help a child who has developmental delays or special needs to cope with everyday life.”

Almost 10% (9.6) of the parents/caregivers who responded to the parent/caregiver survey identified themselves as parents/caregivers of children with special needs. Parents of children with special needs were very similar in what they wanted from OEYCFCs, although they understandably ranked coordination of services much higher and also showed more preference for learning about child development.

One need identified by parents of children with special needs was speech development tools. Speech therapy assistance in group settings could provide strategies to parents, even though their children are not seen frequently. Programs at OEYCFCs were considered to help children with special needs to be with other children. However, some parents of children with special needs felt unwelcomed and excluded. One suggestion was seminars to help others learn about the importance of inclusion of children with special needs and their families.

The enforcement of sick policies for OEYCFCs was considered to be crucial so that children with immune issues can participate.

“I want to see an enforced sick policy to prevent parents with ill children from taking their children and spreading germs. It is not ‘just a runny nose’ when it could hospitalize another child.” Some said that they would welcome programs specifically for parents of children with special needs. Others suggested support groups to help the children understand their own needs. Further possibilities suggested include:

 gross and fine motor supports  groups or evenings for children with special needs  anxiety programs  ASL friendly programs

COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED NEEDS

 therapy dog programs  autism supports, resources and information  listings of specialized programs that parents can enroll their children in.

Information Sharing about Programs and Services

“What we need is a handout of all the services we can use that is not overwhelming.”

Many participants talked about a general lack of awareness of programs and program hours. Not having information about programs was one of the top reasons for parents and caregivers not participating in early years programs.

Some parents suggested that they would like to see ABC Fairs and information “cafes”. Information has to be easily accessible, and the need for current, updated information on OEYCFC websites was reiterated. Again the need for information in French about programs and services is crucial for francophone families.

Some parents also suggested that there needs to be improved information about and between OEYCFCs. There was a desire that the same services be available for everyone, at every location.

From the Surveys:

More than 2/3 of parents/caregivers want to be informed through social media, emails and websites. No other sources of information were significant.

OEYCFC IMPLEMENTATION

IMPLEMENTATION

•Discussions and information sharing about child development, Engaging Parents parenting, nutrition, play-based learning, etc. and Caregivers •Pre- and post-natal support programs •Targeted outreach activities to reach non-participants

Supporting Early •Drop-in programs and other programs and services that build adult-child relationships Learning and •Play and inquiry-based programs supported by How Does Learning Development Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years

•Responding to concerns about child development and seeking Making Connections additional support when indicated •Information sharing about and facilitating connections with for Families specialized services for children and whole families, including coordinated service planning

The recommendations that follow were developed in response to feedback and data compiled during the initial needs assessment and community engagement process and are a reflection of this particular moment in our planning process. As our planning process is responsive, these recommendations may change over time. They are organized thematically and could be considered strategic priorities to be incorporated into a broader early years system community plan required for development by the CMSM by 2019.

MANDATORY CORE SERVICES The Ministry of Education has developed a suite of mandatory core services to help integrate and streamline high quality programming across the Province.

Hastings County will work with successful OEYCFC leads to ensure these core services are available at every service location. Throughout the planning process, a number of gaps in these services have been identified. These gaps have informed the recommendations for each of Hastings’ unique service “zones”. Hastings County will work collaboratively with service partners to measure this change over the 2018 transition year to ensure that core services are inclusive, accessible, and equitable across Hastings County.

Additional customized community connections to be delivered collaboratively with other community and human service partners have also been identified as needed in various communities. It is anticipated that these services will be flexible and adaptable over time as the unique needs, assets, and demographics of communities change. The CMSM is committed to facilitating diverse opportunities for early identification, screenings, referrals, and resource material for parents/caregivers, and working closely with other service providers to cultivate OEYCFCs as welcoming, progressive, and informative places for families navigating the early years system.

OEYCFC IMPLEMENTATION

ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER PROVINCIAL PRIORITIES Throughout the OEYCFC planning process Hastings County has consulted with the planning committees responsible for developing the local Special Needs Strategy and Moving on Mental Health plans. As these regional priorities continue to advance, Hastings County will participate as an invested stakeholder to ensure that Hastings’ OEYCFC plan develops in alignment with the provincial priorities. Hastings County will commit to ongoing and improved communication across integrated fields to ensure that community planning processes set a priority for young children and families, and that continued sharing of information, data, and successful engagement strategies occur cross-sectorally.

Hastings County recognizes the historical and current legacy of racism and colonialism affecting Indigenous children and families and is committed to supporting local impact for Indigenous children and families as part of The Journey Together: Ontario’s Commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The CMSM is currently working in partnership with Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini to develop a brand new Algonquin-led OEYCFC in Maynooth, which is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Peoples. This hub will prioritize Algonquin self-determination, emphasize Indigenous pedagogical approaches and practices for child development and family support, and rebuild intergenerational cultural continuity that is being lost in the area.

TRANSITION PLAN Hastings County recognizes that transition to OEYFCFs is complex and significant, both for the CMSM and for lead service providers. Hastings County will make every effort to support the current Ontario Early Years Centres during this transitional period. The County will enter into Purchase of Service Agreements for 6 months with the current providers. Current levels of funding will be maintained during the transition period ending June 30, 2018. Communication to these agencies will be delivered by the end of the year to allow for future planning.

The YMCA Quinte West is currently funded through the YMCA in the County of Northumberland, and provides OEYC programs and services in Quinte West. The County of Hastings will work with the Northumberland YMCA to ensure existing services are maintained in Quinte West through the transition.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is expected to be issued in October of 2017 which will allow all service providers in Hastings County the opportunity to apply for the management and operation of Ontario Early Centres Child and Family Centres in Belleville, Central Hastings, North Hastings and Quinte West. Below is the timeline for the RFP process.

RFP Issue Date October 3, 2017 Deadline for Clarification & Questions October 24, 2017 County Response to Questions October 26, 2017 Due date for submission of Proposal November 9, 2017 Agency Interviews (if required) November 27, 2017 Final Selection and Recommendation December 2017/January 2018 Proposed Start Date July 1, 2018

OEYCFC IMPLEMENTATION

It is expected that with these timelines, the newly created OEYCFCs will operate as of July 1st 2018 allowing for time to ensure a positive transition. Staff in the Children’s Services unit will work collaboratively with the selected providers/agencies to ensure the success of the implementation of the OEYCFC. OEYCFC services will need to be extended to areas of Hastings County that have had service gaps in order to establish increase service equity. Francophone and Indigenous programming and services must also be developed further. Lead agencies will require some time to plan and then implement the recommendations that have emerged through the overall planning process. Hastings County understands that these plans may shift in the first few years of program implementation, and the CMSM will continue to review relevant community data and engage with community partners to ensure that the OEYCFC programs and services remain responsive to changing needs. Delivery of programs will be responsive to the needs of the community with the ultimate goal of providing high quality inclusive programming for children and families in their various communities.

The County is recommending to hire a staff person to oversee the transitional phase of the project, and coordinate the planning, implementation and operation of the OEYCFC program in Hastings County including Journey Together. Strategies will be developed to ensure that outcomes and accountability will be measured and reported to the Ministry.

The County will work with its community partners, through various means of communications in line with the Ministry’s communication and branding tools, to encourage families to access the supports of the OEYCFCs.

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY In addition to the plan being available on the Hastings County website, the transition to and development of OEYCFCs will be communicated to parents, staff, service providers and the broader community in a variety of ways. The plan will be brought forward to the Hastings County Community and Human Services Committee and the County Council, and through the representatives and media coverage to the larger community.

The plan will be presented to the Advisory Committee and to the Children and Youth Services Network, which encompasses more than 50 community agencies and organizations. Summaries will be made available to these community partners and service providers to distribute to parents, caregivers and staff members.

Hastings County is looking forward to receiving the information regarding public awareness and branding activities that the Ministry will be providing. These materials will be very helpful in communicating with the community about the OEYCFCs. As branding materials become available and OEYCFCs open, community celebrations will also help to communicate the new sites and services.

RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS The County of Hastings is pleased to be moving forward with the integration and transformation of child and family programs to create Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) in 2018. The vision is for Hastings County to be one of the best places within Ontario for our children to live, learn and grow and for families to flourish.

OEYCFCs are intended to support all children, parents and caregivers in learning, growing and connecting – together. The CMSM has developed these recommendations based on Ontario’s vision for early years, where 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. Hastings County shares Ontario’s guiding principles in developing, delivering and evaluating OEYCFC programs and services:

 child and family centred  welcoming  high quality  inclusive  integrated, and  community-led

Hastings County will encourage the integration of OEYCFCs within the broader context of local community services: e.g. child care, public health, public libraries, speech and language services, children’s mental health and specialized services, as part of integrated local service planning. The vision is for child and family centres to be connected to other programs and services to establish community hubs. To this end, Hastings County is encouraging OEYCFC sites, wherever possible, to use a “schools-first” approach, which will help to establish schools as community hubs that are located in areas that are easy to access for many families.

The goal is to develop OEYCFCs that will maintain welcoming, inclusive learning environments that celebrate diversity and instill a sense of belonging for Hastings County families. The following recommendations embody not only all of these principles but also the voices of children, parents/caregivers and service providers in Hastings County.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section 1 Framework for establishing OEYCFCs in Hastings County

Hastings County, the second largest county in Ontario, covers a wide geographical area, with over 6100 square kilometres and a distance of about 160 kilometres from Lake Ontario in the south to the northern boundary. While almost 70% of the population live in the 2 largest population centres of Belleville and Quinte West in the southern part of the County, the remaining 30% are spread out throughout Hastings County. The needs of the different regions underlie and inform the recommendations regarding OEYCFC sites and mobile outreach sites, enabling them to be responsive to local needs.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Framework for establishing OEYCFCs in Hastings County Recommendations: 1.1. Establish OEYCFCs in four service areas (with site of lead agency): 1.1.1. North Hastings (Bancroft) 1.1.2. Central Hastings (Madoc or Tweed) 1.1.3. Belleville and South-East Hastings (Belleville) 1.1.4. Quinte West (Trenton)

1.2. Ensure mobile services to enhance service access in each of these areas: 1.2.1. North Hastings 1.2.1.1. Maynooth 1.2.1.2. Hermon 1.2.1.3. Coe Hill/Limerick/Tudor and Cashel (as needed) 1.2.2. Central Hastings 1.2.2.1. Madoc 1.2.2.2. Tweed 1.2.2.3. Marmora 1.2.2.4. Stirling 1.2.2.5. Marlbank (as needed) 1.2.3. Belleville and South-East Hastings 1.2.3.1. Northwest Belleville 1.2.3.2. Southwest Belleville 1.2.3.3. East Belleville 1.2.3.4. Thurlow/Foxboro 1.2.3.5. Shannonville 1.2.3.6. Deseronto 1.2.4. Quinte West 1.2.4.1. East Trenton 2 locations 1.2.4.2. West Trenton 1.2.4.3. Frankford

1.3. Select lead OEYCFC service providers through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process, based on capacity and experience to deliver mandatory core services as well as any customized community connections and priorities identified for specific geographical areas. Qualified staff teams must include Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) to deliver mandatory cores services. Staff with expertise in parenting education, adult education and family support will be encouraged.

1.4. Promote a “schools-first” approach for OEYCFC sites, where available.

1.5. Promote the use of outdoor learning spaces

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section 2: Programming and Core Services: Engaging Parents and Caregivers

The concept celebrated in How Does Learning Happen? that parents and other who care for children are competent, capable, curious and rich in experience will inform the programs and approach of Hastings’ OEYCFCs. The key is building strong, respectful and reciprocal relationships with families and caregivers. OEYCFCs will create an environment that welcomes all families, invite their perspectives and provide opportunities for families to participate in meaningful ways and support their sense of belonging. OEYCFCs will engage the whole family and support parents in their role as valuable contributors to and experts on their children’s development. 2. Programming and Core Services: Engaging Parents and Caregivers Recommendations 2.1. Lead agencies will engage parents and caregivers through 2.1.1. Providing a welcoming, physically accessible environment 2.1.2. Information sharing about child development 2.1.3. Sharing and mentoring the pedagogical approach of How Does learning Happen? with parents and caregivers 2.1.4. Providing parenting education through a variety of means 2.1.5. Providing pre- and post-natal support programs 2.1.6. Encouraging healthy adult-child relationships. 2.2. Lead agencies will consider targeted outreach, as needed in their areas, and are encouraged to subcontract with localized early years organizations with specialized expertise to service children and families with particular needs, such as 2.2.1. Low income families 2.2.2. Young parents 2.2.3. Rural families 2.2.4. Families with children with special and/or complex needs. 2.3. Staff at lead agencies will make concerted efforts to overcome barriers of exclusion that some parents feel (e.g. socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation). Working with other clients on the needs of all parents to feel welcome may be part of this approach. Lead agencies will also encourage reflective practice for all OEYCFC staff.

2.4. Lead agencies will consider providing adult learning opportunities for parents.

2.5. Lead agencies will encourage OEYCFC staff to avail themselves of adult education and parenting education techniques.

2.6. Lead agencies will regularly invite the perspectives of parents/caregivers to learn what services parents/caregivers are interested in.

2.7. Lead agencies will develop communication strategies about their services and programs. Strategies must include the use of social media and a website which must be updated at least monthly.

2.8. Lead agencies will promote public awareness of the services and programs that they provide and endeavor to reach all parents in their areas.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section 3: Programming and Core Services: Supporting Early Learning and Development

How Does Learning Happen? highlights that high-quality programs integrate all areas of development, with no greater emphasis on one area over another. The “traditional” domains of children’s development (physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language) need to be supplemented with other areas such as creative, aesthetic and spiritual dimensions. Children are complex, as well as curious, capable, competent and developing in experiences in a variety of contexts. Parents understand many of these concepts, but are also keenly aware of specific areas where they know their children need some support. These recommendations, therefore, are informed by both the Ministry’s guidelines and parents’ input from our community consultation process.

3. Programming and Core Services: Engaging Parents and Caregivers Recommendations 3.1. Lead agencies will provide high quality drop-in programs year-round and at least five days a week and on weekends 3.1.1. Lead agencies will consider afternoon and evening times, depending on parent/caregiver interest and identified need

3.2. Lead agencies will provide other programs that encourage children’s play, exploration and inquiry, which will be age-specific

3.3. Lead agencies will develop more outdoor programs and facilities (as requested by parents)

3.4. Lead agencies will consider various possibilities for increased gross motor skill development (as requested by parents)

3.5. Lead agencies will consider possibilities for arts, cooking and nutrition programs for young children and their families (as requested by parents)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section 4: Programming and Core Services: Making Connections

Hastings County recognizes the importance of integrating OEYCFCs within the broader context of local community services. Parents are hungry not only for information about their children’s development but also for guidance in how they can support their children’s development. In the community consultations, parents, caregivers, and service providers placed high priority on access to various specialized services for young children and their families through both information and facilitation of connections to those services. The cooperation and support of key community partners are a vital part of making such connections, and OEYCFCs will rely on collaboration with organizations such as Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, Children’s Mental Health Services, Children’s Treatment Centre and Speech and Language.

4. Programming and Core Services: Making Connections Recommendations 4.1. Lead agencies will respond to parents’ concerns about children’s development both through developmental surveillance (e.g. Nipissing District Developmental Screening) and information/advice about what the parents could do to support their children’s development

4.2. Lead agencies will facilitate connections with specialized community services and adopt a “warm hand-off” approach

4.3. Lead agencies will provide information about community programs and services

4.4. The CMSM will continue to work with lead agencies and key community organizations to facilitate coordination and collaboration of services

Section 5: French Language Services

Hastings County is not a designated Francophone region. Nevertheless, in certain parts of the County, especially in Quinte West, there are significant numbers of Francophone families. Since language is a key component of preserving culture, services in French are vital to the Francophones who live, work and play here.

5. French Language Programs and Services Recommendations 5.1. Increase provision of and access to child and family programs delivered in French for Francophone families 5.1.1. Create dedicated Francophone child and family programs in Quinte West and elsewhere in Hastings County, if there is an identified need

5.2. Work collaboratively with the Regional French Language Network to address the absence of French speaking staff for specialized services, including speech and language therapists, children’s mental health and adults’ mental health.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section 6: Indigenous Programs and Services The proportion of self-identified off-reserve Indigenous people in Hastings County is 6%, more than double the percentage in Ontario. Hastings County is committed to the process of reconciliation and cultural support.

6. Indigenous Programs and Services Recommendations 6.1. Strengthen relationships with Indigenous partners and provide access to culturally responsive child and family programs for Algonquin, Metis and Mohawk children and families 6.1.1. Create a dedicated Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini-led child and family centre in Maynooth, in partnership with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board and North Hastings Children’s Services. (See Appendix VII for the Journey Together Algonquin Inodewiziwin Proposal.) 6.1.2. Support the partnership of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Aboriginal Healthy Babies, Healthy Children, the Indigenous Health Program and the three local CMSMs (Hastings, Prince Edward Lennox & Addington, Kingston Frontenac) in the creation of Indigenous language and culturally responsive programs for off-reserve Indigenous families in south Hastings with outreach to other areas

6.2. Provide Indigenous culturally sensitivity training all OEYCFC staff and all early childhood educators in Hastings County. (See Appendix VIII)

6.3. Ensure standing CMSM presence at the First Nations Metis and Inuit (FNMI) working group meetings and continual investment in building the capacity of this working group to lead regional Indigenous early years planning efforts

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section 7: Transportation Issues, particularly in rural areas

Parents, caregivers, service providers and educators all recognized and were concerned that access to early years programs and services in Hastings County is dependent on the ability of families with young children to get there, by some reliable form of transportation. Many parents spoke of having to travel great distances to participate, and others simply did not have any means to get to a program. Even in areas where there is some public transit available, barriers exist due to routes, timing and accessibility.

7. Transportation Recommendations 7.1. Lead agencies will consider increasing OEYCFC service provision in rural communities to a minimum of two days per week to alleviate the barrier of driving to various sites for services, where possible. (Identified “as needed” locations are exempt from this expectation)

7.2. Lead agencies will actively participate in a working group of all agencies/organizations in their areas with that support client transportation to explore collaborative possibilities

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section 8: Service Integration and Community Planning As the municipal service system manager, Hastings County is committed to the management of local child care and early years programs and services, including OEYCFCs. During this process of planning, staff have developed a fuller knowledge about community needs, fostered closer connections with community partners and are now well-positioned to establish strong links between OEYCFCs and other early years and community services.

8. Service Integration and Community Planning Recommendations 8.1. Lead agencies will continue to develop a comprehensive, integrated and actionable long term vision for the early years system in Hastings County in conjunction with the CMSM 8.2. The CMSM will consider the possibility of hiring a FTE OEYCFC Coordinator to lead ongoing community planning efforts and work with Child and Family Centre leads 8.3. The CMSM will continue to be involved in planning to support children 0 – 6 and their families 8.4. The CMSM will encourage and support professional development and networking opportunities for OEYCFC staff 8.5. The CMSM will support data analysis services to inform community needs and priorities through research and evidence 8.6. The CMSM will develop a communication strategy to promote public awareness of OEYCFCs once provincial materials become available 8.7. The CMSM will advocate with community partners (e.g. Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, Children’s Treatment Centre & Speech and Language, Children’s Mental Health Services, Boards of Education) to encourage increased and more equitable access to services for young children and their families

CONCLUSION

This is an exciting time as Hastings County continues to plan and engage with our community partners across the whole county for the implementation of the Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres and Journey Together. We continue to work towards a common goal to improve and enrich the lives of children and families and know that positive and healthy childhood experiences will last a life time. When children succeed, we all succeed.

Figure 3 I'm so happy that rainbows are coming out of my mouth

APPENDIX I: RACK CARD

APPENDIX II: ANGLOPHONE FAMILY SURVEY

It’s an exciting time! Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) are coming soon

Help shape change for young children and their families in Hastings County!

APPENDIX II: ANGLOPHONE FAMILY SURVEY

If you are a parent of a young child or regularly care for a young child, we need your help! It will only take a few minutes of your time, and you will have a chance to win a $50 grocery gift card. The Ministry of Education is planning to establish Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) as part of a high quality early years system of services and supports for children ages 0 – 6 and their parents and caregivers. Hastings County is developing a plan for the implementation of the OEYCFCs in our county, and we want to ensure that you will have:  access to high-quality OEYCFC services right here in Hastings County  the opportunity to express your ideas and desires for programs and services  knowledge of available programs and services, and  programs that are integrated with other relevant early years and community services.

Because we want to make sure that the OEYCFCs best meet the needs of families and children in Hastings County, we are asking for your input. The survey will take about 10 minutes of your time and may be filled out by any adult member of your household. Participation is completely voluntary. Please feel free to write additional comments. All information that you provide through your participation in this study will be kept confidential. Survey responses will be grouped together and summarized, so no individual can be identified. If you have any questions or would like additional information about this study, please feel free to contact Sheleena Forfar, Community Planner in Hastings County Children’s Services, at 613-966- 1319 X2285, or Beverley Bell-Rowbotham, Data Analysis Coordinator, at 613-966-1319 X2315. Do you have any children 6 years old or younger in your household, or are you expecting a child?  Yes  No

Do you care for children 6 years old or younger on a regular basis?

 Yes  No

If you answered No to either of these questions, thank you for your willingness to participate. You are now finished with the parent and caregiver survey.

If you answered Yes to either of these questions, please continue with the survey.

Your input is important to us.

APPENDIX II: ANGLOPHONE FAMILY SURVEY

1. Please tell us what is important for you in Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs): (Please check all that apply.)

Not Somewhat Important Very Extremely important important important important Connecting and bonding with my child(ren) ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Learning about child development ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Meeting and talking with new people ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Getting out of the house ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Friendly, compassionate staff ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Asking staff and local experts questions ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Playing with new toys and/or reading new books ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Welcoming, stimulating environment ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Getting support for my role as a parent/caregiver ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Learning new ways of helping my child(ren) develop ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Play-based learning opportunities ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Information about parenting ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Francophone programs ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Culturally responsive programs for Indigenous families ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Relevant, up-to-date information about community ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ services Referrals to community services ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Coordination of services for children with special ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ needs Print resources (e.g. brochures, booklets about ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ parenting and/or child development) Short distance from home (within 5 kilometres) ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

Other (please specify)

APPENDIX II: ANGLOPHONE FAMILY SURVEY

2. In what communities would you like to see Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) offered in Hastings County? (Please check all that apply):  Bancroft  Centre Hastings  Frankford/Batawa  Carlow/Mayo  Madoc  Trenton East of the River  Faraday  Marmora and Lake  Trenton West of the River  Hastings Highlands  Stirling-Rawdon  Belleville East of the River  Limerick  Tweed  Belleville West of the River  Tudor and Cashel  Deseronto  Other ______ Wollaston  Tyendinaga Township

3. Within those communities, where would be the best locations for Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) for your family? (Please check all that apply):  School  Community centre  Place of worship  Library  Current OEYCs/family support locations  Outdoors  Other (please specify) ______

4. What would be the best times for your family to attend programs at an Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centre (OEYCFC)? (Please check all that apply.)

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Morning ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Afternoon ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Evening ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝

5. What might stop you from participating in child and family programs or make it difficult for you to attend? (Please check all that apply.)

 Nothing  No information about programs  Location of programs  Hours of programs  Lack of transportation  Language and/or cultural barriers  Family life is too busy  Not feeling welcome and/or included  I don’t feel that my family/child needs the services  Other (please specify)______

APPENDIX II: ANGLOPHONE FAMILY SURVEY

6. How would you like to find out about programs for families and children in Hastings County? (Please check all that apply.)  Telephone  Pamphlets/brochure  Email  Radio  Text message  Festivals/events  Mail  Community information boards  Website  Social media (e.g. Facebook or Twitter)  Newspaper  Other ______ Newsletter

7. Which of these possible early years programs and services would you be interested in participating in? (Please check all that apply.)

No Maybe Probably Yes Moms-only programs Dads-only programs Teen parent programs French language programs Culturally sensitive programs for Indigenous children and families LGBTQI2 programs Programs for new immigrants Grandparent programs Caregiver programs Foster parent programs Prenatal programs Nutrition and cooking programs Postnatal/infant support (e.g. breastfeeding support, infant massage) programs Playgroups Literacy and numeracy programs Exercise and fitness programs Outdoor activities On-line services and information Parenting programs Mental health programs (e.g. post-partum depression, child anxiety) Other (please specify) ______

APPENDIX II: ANGLOPHONE FAMILY SURVEY

8. Please tell us about any other services or programs you would like to see for young children in your community: ______

______

9. Please tell us about any other services or programs you would like to see for parents and families of young children in your community: ______

______

10. Please add any further comments that you would like to share to inform the planning for Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs):

APPENDIX II: ANGLOPHONE FAMILY SURVEY

To help us better understand the families participating in this survey, we would like to ask a few questions about you. Please remember that all of your responses are kept confidential.

11. How old are you?  Under 20  46 – 55  21 – 25  56 – 65  26 – 35  Over 65  36 – 45

12. Please list their ages of the young children (6 and under) in your household or that you look after regularly: _____ years _____ years _____ years _____ years _____ years _____ years

13. In which community or township do you live?  Bancroft  Wollaston  Deseronto  Carlow/Mayo  Centre Hastings  Tyendinaga Township  Faraday  Madoc  Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory  Hastings Highlands  Marmora and Lake  Frankford/Batawa  Limerick  Stirling-Rawdon  Quinte West/Trenton  Tudor and Cashel  Tweed  Belleville

14. My gender identity is:  Female  Male  Transgender

15. What is your relationship with the children in your care?  Expecting parent  Other relative  Parent  Foster parent  Caregiver (unrelated to the child)  Other ______ Grandparent

16. Do you identify yourself as a member of the following groups?  Francophone  Member of a racialized group  Indigenous  Immigrant/newcomer to Canada  Parent/caregiver of a child with  Other ______special needs

APPENDIX II: ANGLOPHONE FAMILY SURVEY

Thanks for all your input. Your insights are important to us. You can continue to help shape change for young children and their families in Hastings County. We will be conducting some focus groups and community conversations in the next couple of months, and we would really appreciate your participation.

If you would like to get further involved with our research, please fill out the information below. This sheet will be separated from the rest of the survey, so your answers will remain anonymous. Your name will be entered into a draw for one of 6 $50 grocery coupons.

Name: ______

Address: ______

City: ______

Postal Code: ______

Telephone: ___ -___ -____

E-mail: ______

 I would like to talk to someone more about my ideas about children and youth in my community.

 I would like to be a participant in a focus group.

Thank you for your participation.

APPENDIX III: FRANCOPHONE EDUCATOR SURVEY

APPENDIX IV: ADVISORY COMMITTEE PARTNERS

The Advisory Committee is comprised of the following members:

 Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board  Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est  Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario  Family Space (OEYC Lead)  Gateway Community Health Centre  Hastings County Child Care Supervisors Network  Hastings County Children’s Services  Hastings Prince Edward District School Board  Hastings Prince Edward Public Health  Métis Nation of Ontario, Community Action Program for Children (CAP-C) and Metis Healthy Babies, Healthy Children  North Hastings Children’s Services (OEYC Satellite and Child Care Resource Centre Lead)  Quinte Children’s Treatment Centre and Preschool Speech and Language Program, Quinte Health Care  Tahatikonhsotóntie Head Start  Trenton Military Family Resource Centre (Child Care Resource Centre Lead)

APPENDIX V: KEY COMMUNITY INFORMANTS

Staff had detailed conversations with the following community Early Years leaders:  Abigail’s Learning Centre, Executive Director  Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, Early Years Lead  Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito, Elder  Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito, Negotiation Representative and Community Liaison  Anchors of Hope (Madoc), Director  Belleville Public Library, Children’s Librarian  Children and Youth Service Network, Coordinator  Children’s Mental Health Services, Executive Director – Regional lead for Moving on Mental Health)  Community Development Council of Quinte, Executive Director  Community Partners for Success, Executive Director  Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, Gestionnaire des services à la petite enfance  Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario, Gestionnaire des services à la petite enfance  Counselling Services of Belleville and District, Executive Director  Family Space Quinte, Early Literacy Specialist (Hastings Prince Edward)  Family Space Quinte, Early Years Program Coordinator  Family Space Quinte, Executive Director - OEYC, Member CYSN Coordinating Committee  First Adventure Child Development Centre, Executive Director  Gateway Community Health Centre, Early Childhood Educator  Gateway Community Health Centre, Early Years Nurse  Gateway Community Health Centre, Executive Director  Hastings County Children’s Services, Before and After School Supervisor  Hastings County Children’s Services, Child Care Supervisor  Hastings County Children’s Services, Coordinator  Hastings County Children’s Services, Manager  Hastings Prince Edward District School Board, Early Years Lead  Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, Director of Health Promotion  Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society, Executive Director  Kingston Literacy and Skills, Early Literacy Specialist (Hastings, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington)  Métis Nation of Ontario, Métis Healthy Babies Healthy Children, Coordinator  Métis Nation of Ontario, Community Action Program for Children, Coordinator  Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Early Childhood Development Program Manager  North Hastings Children’s Services , Program Coordinator  North Hastings Children’s Services, Executive Director – OEYC and Child Care Resource Centre  Quinte Children’s Treatment Centre and Preschool Speech and Language Program, Quinte Health Care, Manager – Regional lead for Special Needs Strategy  Quinte West Public Library, Children’s Librarian  Quinte West Youth Centre, Executive Director  Stirling Public Library, Librarian  Tahatikonhsotontie Head Start. Program Manager  Trenton Military Family Resource Centre, Executive Director – Child Care Resource Centre, Playgroups  Triple P Parenting, Program Coordinator  United Way of Quinte, Director of Community Engagement  YMCA Northumberland, Manager of Community Outreach – Trenton OEYC

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

CHILD AND FAMILY PROGRAMS IN NORTH HASTINGS

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

NORTH HASTINGS PROGRAM INVENTORY

Key: Family Baby Toddler Pre-school School-aged Special Mixed Parents Indigenous Needs Ages focus

Monday Monday Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wed Wed Thursday Thursday Friday Friday Occasional/ morning afternoon morning afternoon morning afternoon evening morning afternoon morning afternoon Saturday bi-monthly Program Home Home Home Home Basic Sign visiting visiting Home visiting visiting visiting language Offered by MNO MNO MNO MNO MNO NHCS Target Mother & Mother & Mother & Mother & Mother & group babies babies babies babies babies Location North North North North North Hastings Hastings Hastings Hastings Hastings NHCS

Program Come Read Baby Reading, Creative Kitchen Story Collective Food for You, Now & Children's Baby feeding with Me Buggy Rhyming & Kids Connections sharing & Kitchen Food for Two Then Group drop-in Beats Running cultural Night Around craft gathering Offered by NHCS & MNO/ NHCS & NHCS & NHCS & MNO MNO NHCS MNO, HPEPH, NHCS Bancroft NHCS & Hastings NHCS Hastings Hastings CAPC CPNP Public HPEPH Highlands Highlands Highlands Library Public Lib Public Lib Public Lib Target Parents & Moms & Toddler/ School-age Families with Families Pregnant Children Moms & group young babies Pre-school children with women and babies children children mothers with young babies

Location Maynooth Bancroft Maynooth Maynooth Bancroft Bancroft Coe Hill MNO, NHCS Bancroft NHCS Time 10 - 11 12 - 1 10:30 - 12 3 - 5 10 - 12:30 1 - 3 5:30 Bancroft9:30 - 12 10 - 11:30 11 - 12

Program Drop-in Drop-in Drop-in Daddy N' Drop-in Drop-in Infant Playgroup Playgroup Playgroup Me Playgroup Playgroup Massage Offered by NHCS NHCS NHCS NHCS NHCS NHCS MNO Target Parents & Parents & Parents & Dads and Parents & Parents & group children children children children children children Location NHCS NHCS NHCS NHCS NHCS NHCS Time 9 - 12 9 - 12 9 - 12 5:50 9 - 12 9 - 12 4X/year 6 wk

Program Learn Play Learn Play Learn Play Healthy Busy School Create Create Create Bodies readiness Offered by NHCS NHCS NHCS NHCS NHCS Target parents & parents & parents & Toodlers & group young young young pre-school children children children Preschoolers Location Coe Hill & Hermon Hermon Bancroft Limerick NH schools Time 10 - 11:30 10 - 11:30 10 - 11:30 10 - 11 Program Babies & Babies, Cultural Beyond Bellies & Teachings Beginnings Offered by NHCS, MNO NHCS & MNO & CMHS HPEPH Target Young Young JK, other group moms & moms & students babies babies Location Bancroft NHCS Various NH public schools Time 10 - 12 2 times/ mo

Program Triple P Parenting Offered by Triple P Target Parents group Location Various

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

CHILD AND FAMILY PROGRAMS IN CENTRAL HASTINGS

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

CENTRAL HASTINGS PROGRAM INVENTORY

Central Hastings Program Inventory Key: Family Baby Toddler Pre-school School-aged Mixed Ages Parents Occasional Monday Monday Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Friday Friday Saturday Occasional/ morning afternoon morning afternoon morning afternoon morning afternoon morning afternoon Bi-monthly Program Playgroup Library Playgroup Playgroup Super Dads Storytime Super Kids Offered by Gateway Marmora Gateway Gateway Gateway Library Target Parents Young Parents and Parents Dads and group and young children and young and young young children parents children children children Location Tweed Marmora Madoc Marmora Various Library Time 9:30 - 11:30 9:30 - 11:30 9:30 - 11:30 10:30 - 11:15

Program Read with Moms Cradling Me support Arms group Offered by Stirling Anchors of Gateway Library Hope Target Young Moms Moms & group children and (child care babies parents provided) Location Stirling Madoc Various Time 10 - 11 10 - 12 9:30 - 11:30

Prenatal Program Education Offered by Gateway Target Expectant group parents Location Various Time As needed

Well baby Program Care Offered by Gateway Target Children 2 group mos to 7 yr Location Tweed Time

Triple P Program Parenting Offered by Triple P Target group Parents Location Various Time Various

Kindergarten Program Readiness Offered by Gateway Target group Preschoolers Location Various

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

CHILD AND FAMILY PROGRAMS IN BELLEVILLE AND SOUTH-EAST HASTINGS

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

BELLEVILLE AND SOUTH-EAST HASTINGS PROGRAM INVENTORY

Parents

Triple P

Various

Parenting

10 -12 10

Station St. Station

Syndrome

with Down's Down's with

Children

Family Space Family

Playgroup

4:30 -6:30 4:30

StationSt.

children 0 -6 children 0

Fathers & Fathers&

Adventure

& First &

FamilySpace

Daddy 'n Me 'n Daddy

Occasional

9:30 -12 9:30

10:30 -12:00 10:30

Conservation

Quinte

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

9:30 -12 9:30

StationSt.

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

Library

Belleville

Kids & familyKids &

Library

Belleville

activity

Family

Saturday

2 -4 2

CharlesSch

Prince

JK & SK & JK

Space

Family

Learn

Playto

afternoon

Friday Friday

9 -11:30 9

9:30 -12 9:30

9 -12 9

Abigail's

children

young

Parentswith

Abigail's

FACE

P.S.

Tyendinaga

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

9:00 -11:30 9:00

CharlesSch

Prince

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

StationSt.

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

morning

Friday Friday

3:40 - 5:20 -5:20 3:40

(20minslots)

12 - 1, 2 -3 2 -1, 12

MoodieP.S.

Susanna

JK & SK & JK

Space

Family

Learn

Playto

12:30 -3:30 12:30

Abigail's

babies

young

Moms with Moms

Abigail's

Beyond

Babies &

Library

Belleville

readers 5 + readers5

Beginner

Library

Belleville

Reading

Pawsfor

afternoon

Thursday Thursday

Library

Parents

parents/

morning

Thursday Thursday

Belleville

Babytime

Belleville

Storytime

caregivers

11:00 -11:30 11:00

10:00 -10:45 10:00

9 -3 9

Abigail's

children

Parentswith young

Abigail's

Enhancement(FACE)

FamilyChildand

9:30 -12 9:30

Eastminster

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

Baby & parent & Baby

Children 3 + & & Children+ 3

2 -4 2

MixedAges

CharlesSch

Prince

JK & SK & JK

FamilySpace

PlayLearn to

afternoon

Wednesday

Needs

Special

10:00 -10:45 10:00

9 -3 9

Abigail's

children

Parentswith young

Abigail's

Enhancement(FACE)

FamilyChildand

9:00 -11:30 9:00

CharlesSch

Prince

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

9:30 -12 9:30

StationSt.

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

Library

Belleville

caregivers

& parents/ &

Children 3 + Children+ 3

Library

Belleville

Storytime

morning

Wednesday

aged

6 -8:30 6

School-

HPEPH

parents

Expectant

HPEPH

Education

Prenatal

In-person

evening

Tuesday Tuesday

(20

minslots)

Pre-school

3:40 -5:00 3:40

12:30 -3:30 12:30

Abigail's

children

young

Families/

Abigail's

Strong

Family

2:20 -4 2:20

Deseronto

JK & SK & JK

FamilySpace

PlayLearn to

Library

Belleville

readers 5 + readers5

Beginner

Library

Belleville

Reading

Pawsfor

afternoon

Tuesday Tuesday

Toddler

9:00 -11:00 9:00

9 -3 9

Abigail's

children

Parentswith young

Abigail's

Enhancement(FACE)

FamilyChildand

11:30 -1 11:30

StationSt.

children 0 -1children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Club

Feeding

Infant

10 -12:30 10

StationSt.

children 0 -1children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Baby Club Baby

WalesSch

Princeof

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

morning

Tuesday Tuesday

2 -4 2

Baby

Sch

Charles

Prince

JK & SK & JK

Space

Family

Learn

Playto

afternoon

Monday Monday

Family

10:00 -10:30 10:00

9 -3 9

Abigail's

children

Parentswith young

Abigail's

Enhancement(FACE)

FamilyChildand

9:30 -12 9:30

StationSt.

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

10:00 -11:00 10:00

Army

Salvation

parents

to 1 yr & & yr 1 to

Childrenup

FamilySpace

Baby Yoga Baby

Library

Belleville

parent

mo - 3 yr & & yr -3 mo

Children 18

Library

Belleville

Toddlertime

morning

Monday Monday

Key:

Time

Location

Target group Target

Offeredby

Program

Time

Location

Target group Target

Offeredby

Program

Time

Location

Target group Target

Offeredby

Program

Time

Location

Target group Target Offeredby Program

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

BELLEVILLE AND SOUTH-EAST HASTINGS PROGRAM INVENTORY (CONT’D)

Occasional

Saturday

1 -3 1

P.S.

Tyendinaga

JK & SK & JK

Space

Family

Learn

Playto

afternoon

Friday Friday

9:30 -12 9:30

Conservation

Quinte

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

morning

Friday Friday

1 -3 1

P.S.

Tyendinaga

JK & SK & JK

Space

Family

Learn

Playto

afternoon

Thursday Thursday

Parents

9 -11:30 9

morning

Thursday Thursday

9:30 -12 9:30

Moodie P.S.Moodie

Susanna

children

young

Parentswith

FamilySpace

Education

Parent

P.S.

Tyendinaga

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

MixedAges

2 -4 2

WalesSch

Princeof

JK & SK & JK

FamilySpace

Play to Learn Playto

afternoon

Wednesday

Needs

Special

9:00 -11:00 9:00

WalesSch

Princeof

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

morning

Wednesday

aged

School-

evening

Tuesday Tuesday

Pre-school

2 -4 2

WalesSch

Princeof

JK & SK & JK

FamilySpace

Play to Learn Playto

afternoon

Tuesday Tuesday

Toddler

10 -11:30 10

Moodie Sch Moodie

Susanna

children 0 -1children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Massage

Infant

9 -11:30 9

DeserontoPS

& parents &

0 - 6 children -6 0

FamilySpace

Playgroup

morning

Tuesday Tuesday

Baby

afternoon

Monday Monday

Family

9:30 -12 9:30

P.S.

Sir JohnSirA

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

9:30 -12 9:30

Army

Salvation

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

9:00 -11:30 9:00

CharlesSch

Prince

children 0 -6 children 0

Parents & Parents&

FamilySpace

Playgroup

morning

Monday Monday

Key:

Time

Location

Target group Target

Offeredby

Program

Time

Location

Target group Target

Offeredby

Program

Time

Location

Target group Target Offeredby Program

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

CHILD AND FAMILY PROGRAMS IN QUINTE WEST

APPENDIX VI: EXISTING CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAMS

QUINTE WEST PROGRAM INVENTORY

OEYC OEYC

Child

MFRC

Parents

Triple P

parents

Drop-In

parents

Drop-In

parents

Literacy

parents

Various

Speech &Speech

Parenting

OEYC & ELS OEYC

with Andrea

Occasional

Trenton EastTrenton

OEYC & QHCOEYC

Development Development

OEYC & CSBD OEYC

Development Development

Trenton WestTrenton

Infant & Child

Early Learning

Preschoolers &

Learning Love to

Language Drop-In

Saturday

10 - 11

Trenton WestTrenton

2 - 8

QW Library

Hour

French Story

10 - 11

Trenton WestTrenton

School age

Pre-school &

QW Library

Activities

Children's

Friday Friday

afternoon

4 - 5

Frankford

Ages 5Ages and up

Library

Frankford

drop-in

LEGO ClubLEGO

11:00

10:30

10 - 11

Library

Friday Friday

& parents

Storytime

& parents

morning

Frankford

Circle Time

YMCA OEYC YMCA

Science and

Trenton WestTrenton

0 - 6 children

Trenton WestTrenton

0 - 6 children

5 - 7

MFRC

children

evening

Thursday Thursday

& children

YMCA OEYC YMCA

Pops & Tots

Trenton EastTrenton

Dads & 0 - 6

Mom's Night

Trenton WestTrenton

Young parents

West

Baby

PHEPH

Babies

feeding

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APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Art work on cover and in program proposal section by Oji-Cree artist Bruce Beardy, OCT. Used with permission of the Ontario College of Artists:

Cover: Ethical Standard for the Teaching Profession: Care

1) Standard of Practice for the Teaching Profession: Leadership in Learning Communities 2) Ethical Standard for the Teaching Profession: Care 3) Ethical Standard for the Teaching Profession: Respect 4) Standard of Practice for the Teaching Profession: Ongoing Professional Learning 5) Standard of Practice for the Teaching Profession: Commitment to Students and Student Learning

These images are very touching ways of integrating strong Indigenous images with principles of teaching, the centrality of children and the family, the importance of community, and commitment to the people we serve. While these images are related specifically to teachers, they have been used here in a broader context of care, respect, leadership, learning and commitment.

Art work in the needs assessment section:

1) Crane. Artist: Unknown Algonquin artist. Used with permission of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini.

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Section 1: The Journey Together Program Proposal

1) How will the proposed new or enhanced program respond to the community needs and desired outcomes identified?

ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centre (OEYCFC) will be an innovative, 2 pronged program, INÒDEWIZIWIN is the Algonquin word inspired by and developed by members of the Algonquin Nation for “family”. The importance of family is central in Algonquin culture. Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini. A child and family centre will be Members of the Algonquin Nation established and operated in Maynooth Public School, with Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini chose particular attention to culturally sensitive programming and this name for the proposed Ontario services. Outreach to Algonquin families with young children Early Years Child and Family Centre. throughout North Hastings, including in communities like Bird’s Creek, Hermon, Bancroft and Coe Hill, is the other important component that has been identified by the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini. These two arms of this proposed new program will both celebrate and promote the Algonquin language and culture that have been nearly lost as well as support the rebuilding of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through trust, understanding and respect (The Journey Together: Ontario’s Commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous People).

Figure 4: Standard of Practice for the Teaching Profession: Leadership in Learning Communities

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Community of Maynooth

The small community of Maynooth is located in Hastings Highlands, the most northern of the Hastings County member municipalities. The total population of Hastings Highlands is slightly more than 4,000 (4,075 in 2016); Maynooth itself is a hamlet of an estimated 1,000 people. It is remote: 135 km north of Belleville, the largest city with the most services in Hastings County. There is a general store, a gas station, a post office, the township building with a library, a small hotel, a couple of art galleries and a school. At the present time, there are no other services. No public transportation is available in this area.

Figure 5 Main Street, Maynooth, Ontario

Maynooth is also the centre of the Algonquin Nation, as can be seen from the reference map of their ongoing tripartite land claim negotiations between the Algonquins of Ontario, the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario.

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Maynooth

Figure 6 Algonquin Land Claim Settlement Area Map

Child and Family Centre

The establishment of a child and family centre, with its culturally responsive programming, associated services and links to other community organizations, would make a huge difference to children and their families in this relatively isolated area. Even though Maynooth is at the centre of Algonquin Land Claim Settlement Area, there are only 5 people in the North Hastings area who identify having knowledge of the Algonquin language (Statistics Canada, 2016 Census). There are no current Algonquin-led child and family programs in North Hastings, other than sporadic workshops for kindergarten students delivered by a local Algonquin Elder, and there are no family programs offered in Maynooth. Leaders and members of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini have identified the need for people of their community to be given the opportunity to learn the culture and heritage that have been lost. An Algonquin Ontario Years Child and Family Centre will enrich capacities to share traditional culture and values. Indigenous children and families will have access to culturally responsive programming, and parents and caregivers will have access to high quality Indigenous services that will support them in their role as their children’s first teachers, enhance their well-being and enrich their knowledge about early learning and development. In particular, both children and parents will learn the Algonquin language, history and culture.

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

People need to understand that colonization will be perpetuated until such a time that we can identify and remove those things in our world that are keeping us from living as we were intended. This includes learning our language from our perspectives and not just learning the language as a way to communicate orally with each other. Callie Hill, 2015

In residential schools, children were punished for speaking their own language, and for reconciliation to truly occur, resources must support the reclamation of Indigenous languages. The Government of Canada has vowed to preserve Indigenous language and culture, but the need for programs to be adequately resourced is critical. As Lorena Fontaine, Associate Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Winnipeg, stated in a recent CBC interview (July 26, 2017), the preservation of Indigenous language is critical to Indigenous identity, transmission of cultural values and Indigenous philosophy.

Figure 7 Ethical standard for the Teaching Profession: Care

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

At the ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC, the focus will be on revitalization of the Algonquin language and culture. The Algonquin language is at present critically endangered: until some teaching and learning occurs, there is no point in providing translation services. Through increased understanding of the Algonquin language, the Algonquin Nation will be able to renew their identity, history, cultural practices, understanding, pride and spirit.

This early learning centre in Maynooth could be a true community hub. The Ministry of Education has defined community hubs as “a central access point for a range of needed health and social services, along with cultural, recreational, and green spaces to nourish community life” (Community Hubs in Ontario: A Strategic Framework and Action Plan). As stated earlier, there are no social services or health services available in Maynooth. Community agencies that provide services to children and families in Bancroft have already stated that services could be extended to ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC, including infant development services provided by Counselling Services of Belleville and District, HPEPH dental screening and other health services. The Community Development Council of Quinte can also bring their Good Food Box, Good Food Market and Good Baby Box programs to Maynooth. As part of their programming, ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC will have a large garden which will literally “nourish community life”. Children who have no local access to developmental surveillance will be able to be assessed, and both the children and their parents can access the supports, tools and resources that they need to flourish.

Figure 8 Ethical Standard for the Teaching Profession: Respect

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Community Outreach

The outreach component is a key component of the proposed program since the people of the Algonquin Nation are spread out over a large area. Hastings Highlands covers 975 square kilometres, and has a population density of just 4.2. According to Algonquin Negotiation Representative Stephen Hunter, the Algonquins came to this area to hide, and the effects of that are still obvious. Only with outreach can the community members be drawn back into a cultural connection and can the community be shaped by the needs and desires of the Algonquin people. Because of the outreach, the program is expected to serve more than 650 people. The plan includes leasing a van to enable this vital outreach process.

As Stephen Hunter, Negotiation Representative of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini, states, “the proposed program will support and enrich the capacities of the Algonquin people to share traditional culture and values with each other and the broader community. “

Figure 9 Standard of Practice for the Teaching Profession: Ongoing Professional Learning

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Staffing

The staff will play a very important role in both parts of the ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN. It is proposed that 3 staff (2.5 FTE) will be hired. An Algonquin elder will fulfill a half-time coordinator role, linking with Algonquin knowledge keepers who have traditional understanding, cultural skills and historical information, as well as those who speak Algonquin. The coordinator will also provide Indigenous leadership of the service design and delivery. A Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) will foster greater opportunities for Indigenous children to learn about Algonquin culture and language, and encourage participation of non-Indigenous children and families, as is the wish of members of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini. An Indigenous outreach worker will connect with individual Algonquin families as well as provide some of the programming in communities including Bird’s Creek, Hermon, Bancroft and Coe Hill to make people there aware of the proud Algonquin cultural traditions and heritage, help them re-invigorate their language and practices, and meet with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous families. The RECE and the outreach person will provide strong team leadership.

North Hastings Children’s Services (NHCS) will be a vital partner in ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWI. NHCS will provide administrative support, staffing back-up and other important assistance, collaboration and cooperation.

Figure 10 Algonquin Treaty Negotiation Representative Stephen Hunter, Algonquin Elder Ada Tinney and NHCS Executive Director Jessica Anderson with newly constructed birch bark canoe

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

2) How does the new or enhanced program align with broader service system plan(s) in your region, and existing government direction and priorities (e.g. Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres, How Does Learning Happen?, Ontario Child Care and Family Support Program Service Management and Funding Guideline)?

The ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC aligns with the broader service system plans in Hastings County and with government priorities and directions. This CMSM is committed to ensuring fair, just, and welcoming learning environments for all community members through the creation of opportunities and the removal of barriers that address historic and current disadvantages for marginalized families. In particular, Hastings County has a goal to strengthen relationships with Indigenous partners and provide access to culturally relevant child and family programs for Algonquin, Metis, and Mohawk children and families. Staff are currently working in partnership with Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini to develop this proposal for a brand new Algonquin-led OEYCFC in Maynooth, Ontario, which is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Peoples. This hub will celebrate Algonquin self- determination, emphasize Indigenous pedagogical approaches and practices for child development and family support, and rebuild intergenerational cultural continuity that is being lost in the area.

There is a natural link between the pedagogical approaches of How Does learning Happen? (HDLH?) and Indigenous approaches to learning. The centrality of the child, family and community is key in both approaches, as are the use of natural materials, planning and creating environments as a “third teacher”, establishing positive, responsive adult-child relationships and providing inclusive learning environments and experiences that encourage exploration, play and inquiry (HDLH?).

Figure 11 Learning and development happens within the context of relationships among children, families, educators and their environments. Source: HDLH?

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN will be organized around the four foundations that are important for children to grow and flourish: belonging, well-being, engagement and expression (HDLH?). These ways of being embody the perspective of Stephen Hunter: “through Algonquin Inodewiziwin, we will engage people, and they will reconnect with their culture and their families. The momentum will benefit their health and their well-being. The programs and engagements all will make us more willing to celebrate our culture and express ourselves more fully.”

Figure 12 The four foundations ensure optimal learning and development. These foundations inform the goals for children and expectations for programs. Source: HDLH?

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada report called for the development of culturally appropriate early childhood education programs, and the Government of Ontario has embraced that recommendation. The First Nations Regional Early Childhood Education and Employment Survey states that First Nations families, communities and programs transmit vital cultural knowledge, and that parents and communities are the main source of children’s cultural education. This proposed program will support the role of parents as children’s first teachers of traditions and culture, enhance their well-being and enrich their knowledge (OEYCFC Planning Guidelines).

Figure 13 Standard of Practice for the Teaching Profession: Commitment to Students and Student Learning

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Throughout the broader OEYCFC planning process, Hastings County has consulted with the planning committees responsible for developing the local Special Needs Strategy and Moving on Mental Health plans. As these regional priorities continue to advance, Hastings County will participate as an invested stakeholder to ensure that this OEYCFC plan develops in alignment with the provincial priorities. The CMSM is committed to ongoing and improved communication across integrated fields to ensure that community planning processes focus on young children and families, and that continued cross-sectoral sharing of information, data, and successful engagement strategies occurs.

Staff researched the need for expansion of child care in the Maynooth area, as it might fit into the Ontario Child Care and Family Support Program Service Management and Funding Guideline. At this time, the assessment suggests that there is no need. However, the CMSM will continue to assess the community need.

3) How does this program leverage existing services and capital infrastructure?

A strong partnership has developed between the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini, Hastings County, North Hastings Children’s Services and the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board in the development of this proposal. The Hastings Prince Edward District School Board will be applying for a Journey Together capital project (Memorandum 2017:B10) for a retrofit and/or an addition to Maynooth Public School for the use of the ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC.

Figure 14 Maynooth Public School In addition, North Hastings Children’s Services is collaborating with the Algonquin Nation to provide administration responsibilities to the ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC, and to support programs at the hub in Maynooth as well as outreach programs in all of the 7 townships of North Hastings.

Making connections for families is an important service for child and family centres. North Hastings Children’s Services already has connections with community agencies and services, which can be shared. In addition, the services that come to North Hastings Children’s Services could be extended to

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC, including infant development services provided by Counselling Services of Belleville and District, HPEPH dental screening, and a much-needed and very popular food and nutrition program. 4) Is there any other information you wish to share about the proposed program?

For a century, the Algonquin people have dispersed and have “hidden”, and the effects and the shame that they learned through colonization, residential schools and racism are still obvious. The healing that they are starting to feel as a people will be realized further through this proposed program, and help to set their path towards being active, healthy contributing members with an integral place in the fabric of the community. The programs will enable them to come out into the community, “less necessary to hide as they develop a comfort level in the wide open”. Through ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC, the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini will build their capacity to nurture young families, revitalize and deliver cultural programming and services, and build relationships with the non-Indigenous community at large.

As Algonquin Negotiation Representative Hunter says, “we want to share with everyone. The colours of the medicine wheel represent all people, so this hub would be for the benefit of all. The Algonquin Nation is compassionate, inclusive and sharing, so Journey Together is an opportunity to enrich all children and families. This program aligns with the broader goals of the Algonquin Nation and we’ll build friendship, real reconciliation and truth with the community.”

Figure 15 Ethical Standard for the Teaching Profession: Trust

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Section 2: The Journey Together Needs Assessment Community Profile

1) Please describe how you engaged and consulted with partners within your community in this process, as well as your approach to continued engagement.

Hastings County has engaged and consulted with Indigenous community partners, with the goal of friendship, reconciliation and working towards the creation of a new, Indigenous culturally sensitive child and family centre in the north part of Hastings County. The engagement process began with First Nations Metis Inuit (FNMI) Planning Working Group which represents organizations serving Indigenous children aged 0 – 6 and their families. Staff encouraged them to gather input on the need for off-reserve culturally sensitive early years programs and services; after a facilitated needs assessment with this working group, North Hastings emerged as the prominent area of need.

Meetings were convened with local Algonquin Elder Ada Tinney and Algonquin Negotiation Representative Stephen Hunter, and with front-line staff from Metis Nation of Ontario’s Bancroft office. These partners used a set of discussion questions in sharing circles and informal conversations with 128 Indigenous families directly. Their knowledge and input have informed the planning process.

Elder and Community Planner Ada Tinney led additional community engagement activities that included:  2 community meetings to share information about The Journey Together and gather feedback from families  3 meetings with various Elders and decision makers from the Anishinaabe Baptiste Community Organization  2 drumming and storytelling workshops with Kindergarten classes  Individual meetings with families and 8 grandparents

Since March 2017, a Journey Together organizing committee has met regularly. Members include:  Hastings County Children’s Services  Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini  North Hastings Children’s Services, and  Hastings Prince Edward District School Board.

The Journey Together committee will continue to meet and engage with knowledge keepers, elders, parents and families throughout the project. The outreach work that is part of this project will also include the development of a database of members of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini, in order to keep in touch, promote cultural learning and continue to assess community needs.

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

2) Who lives in and/or accesses early years programs and services in this region (please support with demographic data if available)? What are the available child care and family programs and services? What are the gaps/needs affecting Indigenous children and families?

Who lives in the region  In North Hastings, there were 665 children aged 0 – 6 in 2016.  At least 8.4% of the population of North Hastings self-identified as Indigenous (2011 NHS), which is 3½ times the provincial average. However, members of the Algonquin Nation have a tendency not to self-identify, so the proportion of the population who are Indigenous can be assumed to be higher. Many families in Hastings County do not self-identify as Indigenous as a result of the ongoing erasure of Indigenous culture, due to the legacy of colonialism and the intergenerational internalized shame that accompanies this. This issue was of great concern to members of Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini, whose unceded traditional territory spreads across North Hastings and is concentrated in the Hastings Highlands area north of Bancroft. Two local community leaders shared that “this is an important moment of reclaiming ourselves as Algonquins”.  Based on a combination of 2016 and 2011 self-identification data, the estimated number of Indigenous children 0 - 6 in North Hastings was 65 in 2016. Most are Algonquin and Metis.

Available child care and family programs and services  The only licensed child care in Maynooth is the before and after school program at the Maynooth Public School, which has 30 licensed spaces. Licensed child care for children not yet enrolled in school is only available in Bancroft, which is almost 25 kilometres from Maynooth.  In Maynooth, there are 2 drop-in OEYC programs each week for pre-school children, and one program for school age children, all offered by North Hastings Children’s Services and Hastings Highlands Public Library. These programs are primarily attended by non-Indigenous participants.  The Metis Nation of Ontario offers cultural teachings twice a month in the elementary schools in North Hastings.  A number of Algonquin families reported a complete lack of awareness of early years services available in the area, and very few families access what limited services do exist. They also spoke of feelings of mistrust with specialists and often felt judged both from outside and from inside the Algonquin community.  Some Indigenous families travel 25-50 minutes south to Bancroft to attend programs at North Hastings Children’s Services; however, this possibility is only available to families who have reliable transportation.

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Gaps/needs affecting Indigenous children  Algonquin families in North Hastings have said that Indigenous culture for their community is very limited, and strongly feel that all their community members should be given opportunity to learn the culture and heritage that has been lost.  The Algonquin Nation has identified a crisis of lost cultural identity and language and is now diasporic, spread out over a large geography and waiting for the settlement of a land claim. The Algonquin language is now endangered, and the resulting enormous loss of knowledge has greatly affected this generation and their children. To have these restored and retaught would re-establish their roots in this region.  There are no current Algonquin-led child and family programs in the area, other than sporadic workshops for kindergarten students delivered by a local Algonquin Elder. At the present time, there are also no family programs offered in Maynooth.  Indigenous people are more likely to have issues related to health and well-being than the Canadian population as a whole (e.g. King, Smith, & Gracey, 2009; Reading & Halseth, 2013). On average, Indigenous children experience higher infant mortality rates, lower immunization rates, poorer nutrition, and higher rates of chronic diseases compared to non-Indigenous children (UNICEF, 2009; Smylie & Adomako, 2009).  Community determinants of health impact the well-being of both Indigenous and non- Indigenous people and include factors such as income, housing, education, and food security. In Hastings Highlands, 28.6% of children 0 – 6 lived in low income households, much higher than the provincial average of 18.4%. In nearby Bancroft, 37.5% of young children live in low income households. More than a quarter (25.1%) of households in North Hastings spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Almost 20% of adults 25 – 64 in North Hastings have less than a high school education, almost twice as high as the Ontario average of 11%, and the post-secondary education is proportionately lower (54.6% compared to 64.8%). Although food insecurity cannot be analyzed geographically specifically, the food insecurity rate in the Hastings Prince Edward Health Region is consistently among the highest in Ontario (11.5% compared to the Ontario average of 8.3%). (National Household Survey, 2011).  Research identifies additional factors that specifically impact the well-being of Indigenous people, including colonialism, racism, self-determination and cultural continuity (NAHO, 2007). As the Algonquin spokespeople conveyed to us very passionately, the Algonquin people have almost lost their language, culture and traditional knowledge. These gaps will affect their health and well-being.  Although there is very little research on the mental health of First Nations children living off reserve, First Nations children living on-reserve aged 3 to 11 are reported to experience more emotional or behavioral problems during the previous six months than other boys and girls of the same age (First Nations Information Governance Centre [FNIGC], 2012). At the community level, protective factors that can promote resiliency and decrease risk factors associated with poor mental health outcomes include knowledge of Indigenous language, Indigenous values, knowledges and cultural practices and presence of cultural facilities (NCCPH, 2017).

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

3) What are the desired outcomes for Indigenous children and families in this region with respect to child care and child and family programs? Short term and long term goals?  The desired outcome is the establishment of an Algonquin Ontario Years Child and Family Centre with outreach to the geographically dispersed members of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini Short Term Goals

 Indigenous children and families will have access to culturally responsive programming  An Algonquin Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centre will enrich capacities to share traditional culture and values  Algonquins will learn to be proud of their identity and their heritage  A child and family hub will promote a sense of belonging and well-being as Algonquins overcome inherited humiliation and start to feel that they have a place in the fabric of the community, where they can be active, healthy, contributing members  Parents and caregivers will have access to high quality Indigenous services that will support them in their role as their children’s first teachers, enhance their well-being and enrich their knowledge about early learning and development. In particular, children and parents will both learn the Algonquin language, history and culture  Children will have access to play and inquiry-based learning opportunities and experience positive developmental health and well-being, in part by using natural and traditional materials  Children will learn to make their own toys and crafts and spend far less time in front of an electronic screen  The kitchenette that is part of the renovations to the classroom space at Maynooth Public School will provide access to preparation of traditional foods  Parents and caregivers will have opportunities to strengthen their relationships with their children. Stephen Hunter, Negotiation Representative of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini, states “teachings in this program will build stronger families.” Long Term Goals

 As families meet and get to know each other, a larger and more self-supportive Algonquin community will be created. More and regular interactions with other Algonquin children and adults will provide the opportunity to absorb the culture naturally as they grow  This program will assist with better nutrition and healthy foods by teaching about plants and the abundance of food that can be gathered  Because the programs and services will be open to everyone and will have both social and educational components, the centre will provide a strong basis of understanding to children and their families that different cultures are to be embraced, thus bringing the community together

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

o Local service providers will collaborate and integrate services to meet community needs. Already, new partnerships between the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini, Metis of Ontario, Hastings County, Hastings Highlands and Hastings Prince Edward District School Board have been forged and will continue o This program will make connections for Algonquin families through information and linkages to agencies such as Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (e.g. dental screening), Children’s Mental Health Services, Counselling Services of Belleville and District (e.g. infant development, autism services), Community Development Council of Quinte (e.g. Good Food market, Good Food Box, Good Baby Box) o “Sharing circles will blossom into ideas and dreams and partnerships. Talking circles that include both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are very important in building friendships with the broader community, reconciliation and truth and a meaningful cultural history of this area.” (Stephen Hunter, Negotiation Representative of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini)

Figure 16 Crane. Unknown Algonquin artist.

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

4) Is there any other relevant information you would like us to know about child care and child and family programs in the local community? The Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) has a satellite office in Bancroft (25 minutes from Maynooth) where they run Metis child and family support programs. Partnering with this local branch of MNO is a possibility so that a multi-cultural dimension could be added to the programs and services that will be offered at the Algonquin OEYCFC in the Maynooth Public School. Hastings County is committed to growing this partnership in the future and supporting the assets that MNO brings to the communities around Bancroft.

In addition, North Hastings Children’s Services (NHCS) is committed to coordinate and integrate their services with the Algonquin Child and Family Centre. As the only current Ontario Early Years Centre and licensed child care provider in North Hastings, they are dedicated to a partnership that will result in strengthening the capacity to deliver quality services that are relevant and culturally appropriate. With little to no Algonquin cultural programming available to children and families they are excited to be able to offer their experience and capacity to ensure this project is successful and is respectful of the purpose for truth and reconciliation.

The principal of Maynooth Public School has incorporated Indigenous pedagogy into the school curriculum, building on assets in school. These include:

 Teaching the medicine wheel  Turning the garden outside into a medicine garden  Encouraging school circles, Indigenous stories and art  Teaching literacy and numeracy through traditional learning activities.

5) What program impacts are important to Indigenous children and families? How could these impacts on children, families and the community be measured? (e.g. assessment of developmental health and well-being at school entry, number of children accessing programs in traditional languages)?

 Because ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN is a new centre, with new programming, a pretest and post- test approach to measuring impact could be used. Impacts that could be assessed could include: o Knowledge of traditional language o Understanding of cultural basics (e.g. medicine wheel, smudging) and the principles underlying them o Knowledge of Algonquin history  Number of families and children accessing all programs  Assessment of children’s developmental health and well-being at school entry (in partnership with the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health)

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

6) Please describe how all of the proposed program(s) address the needs and outcomes identified above, and align with the broader service system plan(s) in your region, existing government direction and priorities (e.g. Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres, increased access to child care and services).

The ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC aligns with the broader service system plans in Hastings County and with government priorities and directions. This CMSM is committed to ensuring fair, just, and welcoming learning environments for all community members through the creation of opportunities and the removal of barriers that address historic and current disadvantages for marginalized families. In particular, Hastings County has a goal to strengthen relationships with Indigenous partners and provide access to culturally relevant child and family programs for Algonquin, Metis, and Mohawk children and families. Staff are currently working in partnership with Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini to develop this proposal for a brand new Algonquin-led OEYCFC in Maynooth, Ontario, which is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Peoples. This hub will celebrate Algonquin self-determination, emphasize Indigenous pedagogical approaches and practices for child development and family support, and rebuild intergenerational cultural continuity that is being lost in the area.

ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN is a direct result of community feedback gathered during the Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres planning process. Indigenous identity is affirmed when Indigenous children and families have opportunities to learn and use traditional languages, participate in cultural ceremonies, and learn from Elders. Self-knowledge through the acquisition of language, spirituality and culture are key protective factors that support the individual’s social and emotional well-being. Spokespeople of the Algonquin Nation have been the primary creators of the proposed program, and it is their knowledge of the needs of the community and the outcomes that they long for that have informed the plan. Short term goals will be met by the Algonquin-lead programs at the Maynooth hub; the outreach part of the proposal will enhance the long term goals.

In the Planning Guidelines for Service System Managers for Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres, the use of a schools-first approach was encouraged. The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board will be applying for a Journey Together capital project (Memorandum 2016:B10) for a retrofit and/or an addition to Maynooth Public School for the use of the ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC.

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Throughout the broader OEYCFC planning process, Hastings County has consulted with the planning committees responsible for developing the local Special Needs Strategy and Moving on Mental Health plans. As these regional priorities continue to advance, Hastings County will participate as an invested stakeholder to ensure that our OEYCFC plan develops in alignment with the provincial priorities. The Service Manager is committed to ongoing and improved communication across integrated fields to ensure that community planning processes focus on young children and families, and that continued cross-sectoral sharing of information, data, and successful engagement strategies occurs.

7) Please describe how the proposed program(s) would increase access to services in your region.

This program will provide opportunities for children and their families to access relevant, culturally sensitive programs and services and help to preserve the Algonquin language and culture. Currently there are no Algonquin child and family programs available in Maynooth or surrounding areas. This program will be a unique, multicultural hub. Links to other community agencies will also increase access to other various services in this relatively remote rural area.

The Program and Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for extensive outreach primarily to Indigenous and, to a lesser extent, non-Indigenous families living in the area, creating initial connection points for isolated families living in the small rural areas around Maynooth.

This proposed program will open the door to many services in North Hastings. As Stephen Hunter of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini states, “this project is an amazing opportunity to engage and share. Once it can be seen, there will be more involvement, greater appreciation of Algonquin culture and an unstoppable wave of progress.”

APPENDIX VII: ALGONQUIN INODEWIZIWIN PROPOSAL

Acknowledgements:

This proposal was prepared by:

Beverley Bell-Rowbotham, Data Analysis Coordinator, Hastings County Children’s Services, and

Carmela Ruberto, Policy and Planning Coordinator, Hastings County

The ALGONQUIN INÒDEWIZIWIN OEYCFC proposal has been developed with the input of valuable community partners, including but not limited to:

Ada Tinney, Algonquin Elder Stephen Hunter, Negotiation Representative of the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini Cathy Utman, Manager, Children’s Services, Hastings County Jessica Anderson, Executive Director, North Hastings Children’s Services Heather McMaster, Early Years Lead, Hastings Prince Edward District School Board

Heartfelt appreciation to all those who provided insight and information that informed this plan.

APPENDIX VIII: FLYER FOR PLANTING SEEDS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND CHANGE

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Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (2016b). Hastings and Prince Edward Counties 2015 – 2016 Oral Health School Screening Report. Available at: http://www.hpepublichealth.ca/sites/default/files/2015- 2016%20school%20screening%20report.pdf . Accessed April 27, 2017.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (2017). Teenage Pregnancy Report Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. Available at: http://hpepublichealth.ca/community-reports/teenage-pregnancy-report. Accessed April 21, 2017.

Hunter, Stephen (2017). Personal Communication, July 2017. (Stephen Hunter is an Algonquin Negotiation Representative and Community Liaison for the Algonquin Nation Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini.

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Statistics Canada (2011). CANSIM Table 117-0003 - Distribution of the household population by Children's body mass index (BMI) - Cole classification system, by sex and age group. Available at http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26;jsessionid=059DA9CA2E5CFB8A762A1CE7840D81FE Accessed: April 27, 2017.