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

Help shape change for young children and their families in !

Service Provider Survey Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres Service Provider Survey

As someone who works with young children, you have unique experiences with young children and their families. Because of your insights, we are asking for your help! We very much appreciate your contribution.

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 folks like you who work with young children have the opportunity to:

 express ideas about good programs and services for young children and their families,  provide insights into possibilities for integration 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. 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.

Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres Service Provider Survey

1. Do you work or volunteer for any organization in Hastings County that provides services for young children (prenatal – 6 years) and/or their families/caregivers?

 Yes  No

If no, thank you for your willingness to participate. You are now finished with the service provider survey.

2. If yes, please tell us in what capacity you work with children and/or their families/caregivers:

 Director  Supervisor/manager  Front-line Staff  Clerical/administration  Volunteer  Other ______

3. In which community or township do you work/volunteer (please check all that apply)?  Bancroft  Wollaston   Carlow/Mayo   Tyendinaga Township  Faraday  Madoc  Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory   Frankford/Batawa  Limerick  Stirling-Rawdon  /Trenton   Tweed  Belleville

Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres Service Provider Survey

4. From your experience, please tell us which possible Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) programs and services are important for children with whom you work:

Not Somewhat Important Very Extremely important important important important Establishing positive, responsive relationships ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ with their families Feeling valued as active and competent ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ individuals Providing environments and experiences to ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ explore Providing environments and experiences to ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ interact and play with others Having opportunities to communicate and ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ express themselves in various forms Providing opportunities for the development of ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ physical well-being Providing opportunities to develop social and ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ helping behaviours Providing opportunities to develop their sense ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ of self and self-regulation skills Playing with new toys and/or reading new ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ books Providing Francophone programs ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Providing outdoor activities ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Providing opportunities related to developing ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ abilities to read and do mathematics Providing culturally responsive programs for ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ indigenous families Coordinatingpare services for children with ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ special needs Other (please specify)

Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres Service Provider Survey

5. From your experience, please tell us what you think is important for parents and families of young children in Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs):

Not Somewhat Important Very Extremely important important important important Establishing positive, responsive relationships with ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ their child(ren) Learning the importance of valuing their children as ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ active, competent individuals Engaging parents as “co-learners” with their children ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Feeling valued as active and competent individuals ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Providing environments and experiences for their ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ children to explore Providing environments and experiences to interact ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ with others Having opportunities for their children to ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ communicate and express themselves in various forms Providing opportunities for their children to develop ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ social and helping behaviours Providing opportunities for their children to develop ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ their sense of self and self-regulation skills Learning about child development ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Getting out of the house ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Having a compassionate, knowledgeable staff ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Being able to ask staff and local experts questions ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Welcoming, stimulating environment ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Providing play-based learning opportunities ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Providing information about parenting ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Providing Francophone programs ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Providing culturally responsive programs for ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ indigenous families Providing relevant, up-to-date information about ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ community services Referring children/parents to community services ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Providing coordination of services for children with ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ special needs Providing print resources (e.g. brochures, booklets ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ about parenting and/or child development) Short distance from home (within 5 kilometres) ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ ⃝ Other (please specify)

Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres Service Provider Survey

6. 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

7. From your experience, where would be the best locations within those communities for Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres (OEYCFCs) for the families you know? (Please check all that apply):  School  Community centre  Place of worship  Library  Public building  Outdoors  Other (please specify): ______

8. From your experience, what do you think would make it difficult for families with young children to participate in child and family programs? (Please check all that apply.) How can those challenges be met? Possible Challenge Suggestions to meet challenge

 Lack of 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

 Lack of understanding of the benefits of participating Other (please specify)

Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres Service Provider Survey

9. From your experience, how do parents and caregivers prefer to find out about programs for families and children? (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

10. The How Does Learning Happen? document from the Ministry of Education suggests that educators and others who provide services for young children and their families can seek opportunities in the community to build connections that will ultimately help children and their families as well as other service providers. If you can, please provide some examples of collaborations/connections/partnerships that you know of in your community that seem to be working to benefit young children and their families: ______a. What makes them successful? ______b. Which organizations could your agency connect with, in order to benefit young children and their families?

______

11. How can the OEYCFCs support you and your work in this community? (Please check all that apply.)

 Provide relevant early years information and research  Provide professional development opportunities (e.g. workshops, seminars)  Provide a space to offer services to parents/caregivers and young children  Provide program and referral information to parents/caregivers about your organization  Other (please specify)______

Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres Service Provider Survey

12. In what other ways could OEYCFCs help support those who provide services for young children and their families? ______

13. What early years information would be helpful to you to know in your work? (Please check all that apply.)

 child development  family development  physical development  cognitive development  emotional development  social development  moral development  helping behaviour development and self-regulation  parenting skills  resilience in children and families  attachment and bonding exercise  play and inquiry-based activities  developmental milestones  how children in Hastings County are doing  Other (please specify) ______

14. Please add any further comments that you would like to share: ______

Thanks for all your input. Your insights are important to us.