A Continuum of Supports and Services in the Early Years Building a Strong Foundation for Our Future Contents Acknowledgments

A Continuum of Supports and Services in the Early Years Building a Strong Foundation for Our Future Contents Acknowledgments 2 Introduction Thanks to Alberta Education for providing funding for the Early Years Continuum Project in 2010. We commend the Ministry for recognizing that we all learn along a continuum which starts long before formal 3 Purpose schooling and has an impact throughout our lives. 4 Continuum This project has provided the opportunity to imagine a strong continuum of supports for children and families, to learn as communities and to share Framework our individual and collective wisdom toward common goals. 5 Provincial It is important to acknowledge the champions in our communities throughout Alberta, and specifically connected to the Early Years Project Focus Continuum Project for their tireless efforts to work collectively, to build awareness and understanding and to engage parents in developing a better 8 Community future for all children. Focus for Thank you to everyone who was part of creating new knowledge, increasing Learning capacity of individuals and communities to create change and for championing the early years. 9 High Prairie Special appreciation goes to Dr. Michael Quinn Patton and Dr. Clyde Hertzman for being expert advisors to the evaluation team. 12 Lymburn and area During the project time, Dr. Hertzman passed away. With the loss of such an amazing champion for young children, we must ask ourselves, “How can we answer his call to action to provide the best start for our children?” We 16 Knottwood would like to encourage each person reading this report to ask this same question and pledge to be an early years champion! 19 Evaluation Funded By Alberta Education 21 Findings 25 Call to Action Introduction ALBERTA IS KNOWN FOR ITS probability of positive outcomes. As a community, creativity and innovation. As As a community, providing the our province builds a “made best opportunities for healthy we all have a role in Alberta approach” to early growth and development in the childhood development, we have early years is one way to ensure to play to ensure an opportunity to create a strong we have engaged, productive and children have the continuum of supports that contributing members now and in will ensure all members of our the future. environments and community are able to participate experiences they and contribute in ways that will Children’s brains develop best in benefit us all. strong, nurturing relationships. need to help them The interactive influences of learn, develop Research shows that significant genes and experiences shape the brain development takes place in forming brain. These relationships and thrive. the first six years of life and sets the buffer toxic stress, and include a foundation for learning throughout “serve and return” process where Through the Early Years Continuum our lives. Much like building a house, children’s attempts to interact Project, communities have explored the basic architecture of the brain with adults are met with attention strategies that increase access to is constructed through an ongoing and returned, much like serving positive experiences, and decrease process that begins before birth and returning a ball in a game barriers for families with young and continues into adulthood. Early of tennis. When children lack children so they are able to connect experiences literally shape how the these interactions, they have less easily and effectively across a brain gets built; a strong foundation opportunity to develop their brains continuum of supports from birth to in the early years increases the in critical ways. school entry and beyond. March 2014 2 Purpose We are moving to an understanding of the breadth of resources and depth… All the tools have been great; all the brochures and information. It’s like a quilt of care. Service provider THE PURPOSE OF THE EARLY OVERARCHING GOALS: YEARS CONTINUUM PROJECT • Families and children have access (EYCP) was to learn how to create to a comprehensive range of early and sustain a comprehensive learning and care services in their continuum of community supports communities; for families with young children (prenatal to school entry). The • Children have opportunities project engaged three Alberta to build a strong foundation of communities to better understand learning and development prior the essential qualities of family and to beginning school; and, community environments necessary • Parents needs and interests for healthy early childhood inform decisions regarding development (ECD); to identify environments to support their needs and challenges, assets and child’s healthy development. opportunities; and, create strategies to establish effective continuums of ADDITIONAL CROSS CUTTING services and supports for families. GOALS: • Communities develop capacities for creating change; and • Increased capacity for evaluation, communication and translating learning to inform change in practice and policies. 3 EYCP Final Report Continuum Framework UNIVERSAL HEALTH TARGETED SERVICES SPECIALIZED EARLY SCHOOL LEARNING ENTRY & CARE CONTINUUM IN THE EARLY FAMILY & years is defined as the experiences COMMUNITY of continuity and careful management of transitions and Transition Points intentional connections within between types of service and between settings over time, and levels of service. starting prenatally and through to school entry. When defined this way, the focus shifts from the service provider to a focus on the experience of the child and family. March 2014 4 Provincial Project Focus Before people just A PROVINCIAL-LEVEL STEERING As a project with the purpose of Committee oversaw the project. The learning how to create and sustain sat back, ‘That’s the committee had three main areas a comprehensive continuum of way it is.’ People are of focus and responsibility: Linking community supports for families and Leveraging — utilizing Steering with young children, the intent finally motivated, Committee members’ existing was to gather the wisdom of networks and spheres of influence, community, not to create more with a voice, and a create dialogue between sites and programs. The project was platform, bringing broader stakeholder networks to grounded in the ecological model linking findings from this project of child development in which groups together to broader regional and provincial the child first develops within the with a plan. initiatives; Building Capacity — within context of families, nestled within and across project sites as well as community which encompasses within the Steering Committee, and; early learning and care services for Parent Knowledge mobilization — to create young children. Each of these is greater understanding of the current influenced by government systems. models of service delivery in Alberta and other jurisdictions and to translate and disseminate learning gained. REPRESENTATION ON STEERING COMMITTEE Alberta Child & United Way of Health Family Alberta Capital Services Services Region / SX6 ECMap (Early Edmonton Edmonton Childhood Catholic Public Mapping Schools Schools Project) GRIT Interagency Alberta (Getting Ready Head Start Education for Inclusion Network Today) 5 EYCP Final Report Three main areas of focus: 1. LINKING AND LEVERAGING Activities such as: University of Alberta Child Care Study Findings: • The Project co-hosted Better • Mothers in our study were knowledgeable about the early learning Beginnings Better Future services available in their communities, and considered carefully the training and presentations for kinds of services they used. stakeholders connected to early • Early childhood coalitions, family support centers, Parent Link learning and care along with centers, pre-school initiatives, mother-tot programs, etc. are utilized Early Childhood Development and important to families. However, a number of gaps in service Support Services. The are also evident. One concern was a lack of quality, accessible and training supported both EYCP affordable child care. Coordinators as well as Early Childhood Mapping (ECMap) Coordinators. • A day of presentations from eight distinct provincial and THE ECOLOGICAL MODEL OF THE EYCP regional Early Childhood initiatives was hosted by EYCP to enable cross dissemination Governments of findings and increased opportunities to partner where appropriate. (Linking and Leveraging Day). This Community event inspired a linking and leveraging document created by Edmonton ECMap coordinator. Early Learning & earlychildhoodedm.ca Care Services • Worked collaboratively with Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta Child Care Study to co-conduct four focus groups for parents around the Children & experiences accessing Child Care. Families • Analysis of the Child Care Study findings provided parent voice to the dialogue around Early Childhood Development Provincial Framework created by Muttart Foundation and forums Underlying values: previously co-hosted for system • Child and Family at the Centre • Innovative leaders by Muttart Foundation, • Community Led • Connected Success By 6® and Calgary • Parent Informed • Local learning informs Upstart Champions for Children • Inclusive larger system change and Youth. March 2014 6 The project has 2. BUILDING CAPACITY 3. KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION found ways to make Activities such as: Activities such as: • Supported GRIT (Getting Ready • A communication schematic awareness of services for Inclusion Today) training (below) was developed to generate easier to come by in High Prairie to increase discussion

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