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3.1 Overview

The intent of this summative evaluation report is to outline the process of the transition to SCC and the components that were implemented to meet the intended outcome of an inclusive child care system for British Columbia. The transition to SCC was monitored and evaluated in a number of ways. Various activities undertaken to support the transition process were tracked. The 49 SCC Steering Committees submitted their Community Access Plans, which identified how they would remove barriers to inclusive child care. Newly developed resources, including the Support Guide and the Enhancing Accessibility Resource Manual were evaluated to determine their effectiveness and to gather input for revisions. A case study of the transition to SCC was undertaken in four communities that were at different stages of implementation to examine their progress in developing the new SCC service delivery system. A triangulated survey of child care providers, parents and allied professionals was undertaken in four communities that had completed the transition to SCC.

The available documentation of the communities' process in making the transition to SCC was reviewed. Existing data sources were assessed which included a formative evaluation of SCC, reports on specific initiatives within the four year transition, ministerial briefing notes, and publications produced specifically for the transition. When necessary, follow-up interviews were conducted with writers of the various evaluations of the SCC initiatives described in this report, to augment the documentation. A complete list of References is provided at the end of the report. Reports mentioned in this document may be found under separate copy and are not appended to this report.

3.2 A Case Study of Four Communities

A case study of the transition to SCC was undertaken in four communities that were at different stages of implementation, to examine their progress in developing the new SCC service delivery system. The case study showed that despite their disparities, the local Steering Committees encountered similar challenges and used common strategies to achieve success.¹³ The findings of this study emphasized the differences and commonalities among communities as they engaged in the transition planning process. It was not intended to assess the effectiveness of the transition nor the new program's ability to meet the needs of children and families. It was undertaken to examine the transition process of communities in moving towards the implementation of SCC.

3.3 Supported Child Care Implementation: Regional SCC Contacts

In the fall of 1997, the MCF commissioned an evaluation of the transition process within the new ministry structure, and the establishment of the regional SCC positions.¹⁴ In SCC Implementation - A Summary of Discussions with SCC Contacts (Erickson Associates, January 1998) the evaluator consulted with the SCC Contacts to determine how the transition was progressing in each region of the province. A universal support for the principles and philosophy of SCC within the ministry was noted. Some of the issues raised included:¹⁵

1. Lack of consistency in the SCC consultant position across the province.
2. Lack of consistent systems to facilitate the administrative work of SCC on a ministry level.
3. Lack of consistency in the interpretation of the eligibility criteria across the province.
4. Frustration with the implementation of the subsidy system and the $107 payment.
5. Lack of training for MCF staff to deal with labour relation issues.
6. A shift in the social worker's role from less client contact to more administrative functions.
7. Difficulty maintaining ministry-directed implementation time lines on a regional level.

A second phase of consultation with the regional SCC Contacts, SCC Implementation - Reports for Regional SCC Contacts¹⁶ (Erikson Associates, May 1998) addressed:

• eligibility issues for the SCC program;
• funding;
• special needs subsidy;
• service delivery models; and
• labour relations questions.

The report provided information on the transition and related issues from the perspective of staff within the MCF. Highlights from the report include:

• "eligibility for SCC services would be best determined not by a medical diagnosis or disability 'label' but by an assessment of whether the child needed extra supports to be welcome in a typical child care setting."¹⁷
• a summary of payments for support costs across the province would be helpful in providing consistency.
• a recommendation for consistency in determining entitlement for SCC services to facilitate accessing services for those families that move across regions within the province.

3.4 Surveys of Parents, Child Care Providers and Allied Professionals

The MCF contracted with Focus Consultants¹⁸ to assess the experiences and satisfaction with SCC in four communities through three sets of respondents: parents of children requiring extra support, child care providers, and allied professionals. The purpose of the survey was to assess the accessibility, quality and inclusiveness of child care options under SCC. The surveys were conducted from mid-November 1998, to early February 1999. The four communities selected for the study varied in size, and in the number of families served through the SCC Program (eg. 32 families in Langley and 127 families in Campbell River). One community had been providing a SCC service delivery model since 1989 (Campbell River), six years prior to the start of the transition to SCC. Another community (Smithers/Hazelton) had just begun delivering SCC in the fall of 1998. This survey confirmed a high degree of satisfaction on the part of the three types of respondents with regards to access to SCC services, the quality of services, the responsiveness of individuals involved in SCC, and in attitudes towards inclusion.

3.5 Summary

These surveys are examples of some of the materials reviewed in preparation of this report. The vastness and variety of documentation is captured in the references at the end of the report. All materials verify the process of the transition to SCC and the components that were implemented to meet the intended outcome of an inclusive child care system for British Columbia.

Footnotes

13	Province of British Columbia, Ministry for Children and Families, Monitoring the Progress Towards the Transition To SCC: A Case Study of Four Communities. T. Hill, Victoria, B.C. March, 1998.
14	Province of British Columbia, Ministry for Children and Families, SCC Implementation - A Summary of Discussions with SCC Contacts. Erickson Associates. Victoria, B.C. January, 1998.
15	Province of British Columbia, Ministry for Children and Families, SCC Implementation - A Summary of Discussions with SCC Contacts. Erickson Associates. Victoria, B.C. January, 1998.
16	Province of British Columbia, Ministry for Children and Families, SCC Implementation - Reports for Regional SCC Contacts. p. 3, Erickson Associates.Victoria, B.C. May, 1998.
17	Province of British Columbia, Ministry for Children and Families, SCC Implementation - Reports for Regional SCC Contacts. p. 2, Erickson Associates.Victoria, B.C. May, 1998.
18	Province of British Columbia, Ministry for Children and Families. Final Report: Experiences and Satisfaction with SCC in Four B.C. Communities. Focus Consultants. Victoria, B.C., March, 1999.