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4.1 Overview This section reports on the extent to which a service delivery framework was developed to meet the needs of children requiring extra support. Specifically, the extent to which specified activities were undertaken to meet this goal are discussed. The following activities were identified in the Canada/British Columbia CCSI agreement as central to the development of this framework:
This section of the report describes each of these activities in supporting the development of the new SCC framework. 4.2 Support Inter-ministerial Activities The SCC Report (December 1993) was based on extensive consultation with community partners and with five ministries (Ministry of Social Services, Ministry of Women's Equality, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education, Skills, and Training). The Government Response (December, 1994), committed the province of BC to ongoing ministry partnerships outlined in the SCC Report. The signing of the CCSI Agreement (April 1995), itemized objectives that involved the continued involvement of the five ministries. The ministerial Child Care Policy Team formed a sub-committee comprised of representatives from five ministries involved with SCC to coordinate the transition from the SNDCP to SCC. Representatives of the five key ministries met monthly from April 1995 to September 1997. The provincial transition coordinator, under contract with the MSS, was a member of the sub-committee. The SCC sub-committee met less frequently after the provincial transition coordinator left her position in September 1997. The Child Care Policy Team continued to oversee the transition to SCC. With the description of the objectives that follow in this report, the support of inter-ministerial activities is evident. 4.3 Contract for a SCC Transition Project Coordinator During 1995, the first year of the transition, the provincial transition coordinator was hired by the MSS to head the SCC Transition Project (Province, BC, 1996). The focus of the SCC Transition Project was on:
From April 1995, to September 1997, the SCC Transition Project focused on raising public awareness regarding SCC. This was primarily accomplished through the activities of the provincial transition coordinator. Her activities included public speaking engagements throughout the province, facilitation of community forums on SCC, and the production of two issues of the SCC newsletter in the first year. The Transition Handbook was developed which provided community planning guidelines and practical suggestions on community planning that linked with the principles of SCC,19 such as establishing a committee, defining terms of reference, and developing a vision statement, with examples from community steering committees already in place. Two hundred copies of the Transition Handbook were distributed to MSS staff, SCC Steering Committees and other interested partners in the transition process. In the first year, the provincial transition coordinator traveled throughout the province and visited 59 communities, spoke at 41 community forums on SCC, attended 172 meetings related to SCC, visited 75 child care settings (specialized and inclusive community-based settings), and handled 1,350 phone calls regarding SCC. The creation of the provincial transition coordinator position was described as a highlight of the SCC Transition Project and a wonderful support.20 The provincial transition coordinator acted as a liaison between the provincial government and communities, gathering feedback from the regions and relaying it back to the provincial government (MSS). 4.4 Facilitate Local Transition Planning Processes Over the period of 1995 to 1996, communities hosted community forums on SCC, established Steering Committees, in some instances contracted for community facilitators, and worked on creating a community vision and action plan for an inclusive child care system. The time frames of the creation of these Steering Committees spanned from January 1995, to the fall of 1996, in some communities. Forty-seven Steering Committees had become active by the fall of 1995. Two additional steering committees were formed in the spring of 1996 bringing the total to 49. Geographic barriers (great distances between communities) and hazardous weather conditions throughout the winter months often prevented members within some regions from getting together. Maintaining communication links was an ongoing challenge. Communication barriers also plagued the Steering Committees on a provincial level. It was recognized that linkages among the Steering Committees and with the larger provincial planning process was crucial. In order to support this process, a total of five teleconference calls occurred every 2-3 months. At any one time there were up to 40 active lines involved, with close to 100 people representing SCC Steering Committees and regional MSS staff. All MSS regions were represented and brief summaries of the community planning activities around the transition to SCC were provided. The following types of issues and solutions were shared on the calls:21
Lack of clarity around provincial initiatives (eg. such as training events and funding programs) were often confusing for Steering Committee members and their regional ministry representatives. The teleconference calls were one way in which the provincial government chose to address the geographic barriers and issues around consistency in interpretation of initiatives. Participants on the teleconference calls were encouraged to take issues back to their Steering Committees and gather input, comments, and questions to offer during the discussion of these issues. Committees were also encouraged to designate a spokesperson for the community during the conference calls. To facilitate the local transition planning process, a number of steps were taken, including: the identification of SCC Contacts in each of the 20 regions; the creation of the SCC Provincial Resource Team; and the development of the Access Initiative. Each of these components is described below. 4.4.1 MCF SCC Contacts In response to the creation of the new Ministry for Children and Families (MCF), and the regionalization of services for children and families, the MCF identified the need for a regional staff person to become the contact point for information about SCC. They were referred to as the SCC Contacts. A report on the SCC Implementation (Erickson Associates, January, 1998) summarized a discussion with SCC Contacts throughout the province. The report noted universal support for the principles and philosophy of SCC within the MCF. Some of the issues raised by the regional staff included:22
A second phase of consultation with the regional SCC Contacts, resulted in a report entitled SCC Implementation - Reports for Regional SCC Contacts.23 In this report program issues for ministry staff were described in more detail and were addressed through working groups with the SCC Contacts. The main topics addressed in the working groups were:
The reports on each of these topics confirmed the inconsistencies with implementation of SCC throughout the province. SCC was described in the following way,24 The SCC program is not so much a new program with new resources, but the reshaping of an existing program and the reallocation of existing resources with a temporary infusion of resources to help with the transition and to enhance existing service sectors. This report confirmed the need for support to the regions throughout the remainder of the transition to SCC. As a result, the SCC Provincial Resource Team was established. 4.4.2 SCC Provincial Resource Team25 In May 1998, a SCC Provincial Resource Team (PRT) was established to assist regions to make the transition to SCC. The team consisted of two facilitators, a parent advocate, a financial management consultant, a therapy consultant, and ministry staff. Regional issues that delayed some regions from making the transition to SCC included:
The PRT provided consultation to 13 communities. The support provided depended on what was identified and requested by the regional MCF staff. It included:
The PRT will continue to support regions that need assistance to develop individual regional plans with an implementation date of August 31, 1999. 4.4.3 Access Initiative When the budget for the transition to SCC was first established, the MWE was responsible for $1.771 million to develop an Accessibility Grants program. The intention of this grant program was to provide funds to the child care sector so they could make child care settings more accessible for children requiring extra support. Members of SCC Steering Committees expressed concerns that the majority of practitioners would ask for wheelchair ramps and bars on walls in washrooms in order to make their settings more accessible. The first concern was that physical adaptations to child care settings only implied a narrow definition of a child requiring extra support. The second concern was if the focus of the grant program was to only address physical adaptations to child care settings then $1.771 million would not meet the physical needs of all the child care settings in the province. The Access Initiative (as the grant program came to be known) allocated funds to each SCC Steering Committee. (This was to be used to develop a community access plan and to address identified needs in the area of attitudes, skills and knowledge.26 Once committees had assessed people (focusing on attitudes, skills and knowledge), programming and physical needs for their community-based settings, then they could develop a Community Access Plan. Priorization sheets were then categorized into "no cost", "low cost", "moderate cost" and "high cost" solutions. In 1996/97, regions were allocated $8,000 for each SCC Steering Committee. Each committee decided, with input from their community, how to spend the money on developing a Community Access Plan. As a result, some communities decided they wanted to contract a facilitator to develop the plan for them. Many of the ideas generated by the Steering Committees focused on addressing attitudes, skills, and knowledge around inclusion issues as the primary need in making child care more accessible. Some ideas generated to address these issues were to put on workshops, supplement and make resources accessible on inclusion strategies for child care providers, and/or pay for some child care providers to attend a conference on inclusion. The Community Access Plans assisted Steering Committees to determine community needs for two years in the following areas:27
The Steering Committees provided reports on how their funds were spent. These dollars supported a great many regional workshops and symposiums in communities that addressed attitudes, skills, and knowledge. In the remaining two years, 1997/98 and 1998/99, each Steering Committee received $11,000 annually to continue the planning process and to undertake activities related to accessibility issues and inclusion. A summary of the Access Plans and initiatives over the two years was included in the Every Child Belongs SCC newsletter, Issue 3, 1998. The newsletter was funded during the last half of the transition to report on community planning activities during the course of the transition to SCC. A summary of some of the highlights of the Community Access Plans included:28
A follow-up report, Taking Down the Barriers: A Final Report on the BC Access Initiatives (Irving and Young, 1999 ) describes the results of the Access Initiative and the impacts on attitudes, equipment and facilities. The report was completed in March 1999. Part of the report includes an extensive inventory of all projects undertaken through the Access Initiative. The inventory will be distributed to MCF regional offices. 4.5 Training Staff, Caregivers and Parents A number of training initiatives were undertaken to support the transition to SCC. Training was specifically developed for and targeted to ministry staff, child care providers, and SCC consultants. Parents were invited to attend many of the training and professional development events, though few participated. 4.5.1 Training for SCC Consultants One way in which a shared inter-ministerial responsibility was encouraged, was through a joint training event between (the then) MWE Child Care Support Program staff [now known as Child Care Resource and Referral - CCRR] and (the then) MSS funded SCC consultants in March 1996. It grew out of the annual Child Care Support Program training offered through the MWE and the desire to upgrade their knowledge base around SCC issues. The shared client base of child care providers and SCC consultants provided common ground for joining the two programs together for a training session. The training tended to be practice-oriented. It focused on evaluating child care programs and their capacity to incorporate more specialized techniques for working with children requiring extra support, into everyday child care routines. Enhancing consulting skills with parents and child care providers was also a focus.29 Follow-up surveys were sent out one year after the joint training session to assess the utility of the training based upon the actual experiences of people in the field, as opposed to participant predictions on how useful the tool would be to their work.30 One of the sessions focused on training in the use of a tool (EC-SPEED). In general, the EC-SPEED training session was a worthwhile venture. The majority of respondents felt it was a useful tool for assessing the inclusiveness of a child care setting. The second training session Working Together for Inclusion was rated as being only somewhat helpful in promoting a sense of community ownership over the creation of inclusive environments.31 Participants indicated that it did not assist in assessing a child's extra support needs nor in the accessibility of child care settings. The focus was more on family/professional partnerships. 4.5.2 Training for Ministry Staff32 Training for Ministry social work staff and regional supervisors was in the form of meetings to discuss planning towards SCC. In May 1995, District Supervisors (then of MSS) met for a day-long discussion about the history of SCC and some transition guidelines around community planning. In the fall of 1996, Area Managers and District Supervisors met to discuss emerging issues in their regions related to the transition to SCC, and future policy development. Travel and meeting costs were subsidized.
In January 1997, MCF staff had a meeting with representatives from each of the 47 SCC Steering Committees, to problem-solve some of the issues related to SCC that had arisen during the first two years of the transition. Participants provided suggestions to the headquarters staff of the MCF for support for the last two years of the transition. All participants' meeting costs were fully subsidized. The ministry meetings provided opportunities for planning and discussion rather than providing specific training. However, participants learned through networking with other community representatives and regions, hearing similar and differing issues, and how those issues were being addressed. A training opportunity for Regional Child Care Contacts and Regional SCC Contacts was provided in August 1997. Child Care Services Regionalization Training Sessions provided information on CCSI initiatives including SCC transition activities. In addition, training on outcomes for some of the SCC activities during the transition were offered at the CCRR Symposium SCC Track in February 1999. In February and March of 1999, all SCC consultants and MCF social worker staff involved with SCC, received training in the use of the Support Guide. The Support Guide Handbook was mailed in advance in January 1999, for consultants and social workers to preview and to become familiar with the revisions and the process that would be stressed throughout the training. There were six two-hour training sessions delivered via video conferencing to all regions of the province. 4.5.3 Professional Development for Caregivers From May 1996, to April 1998, some SCC transition funds were used to support the development of an Infant Development/SCC/Early Intervention stream at the Early Childhood Educators of B.C. (ECEBC) annual professional conferences. The same presenters of the training for SCC consultants and Child Care Support Program staff in March 1996, presented their workshops at the ECEBC Conference in May 1996, to reach a much broader audience. Six months following the May 1997 ECEBC conference, a survey was conducted to determine the efficacy of these supplementary workshops in promoting professional development.33 The majority of respondents were satisfied with the conference, reporting, an excellent start, great, and quite a variety [of workshops] were presented. Professional development of caregivers in the form of regional and local workshops on SCC topics were advertised in regional agency newsletters and often sponsored by CCRR and/or SCC programs. Workshops were subsidized through Access Initiative funds. 4.5.4 Post-Secondary Training for Caregivers In addition to the professional development activities, the [then] Ministry of Education, Skills and Training (MEST), in collaboration with the MWE was committed throughout the transition to SCC to:
The MEST made CCSI funds available to local colleges to provide training in inclusive child care practices, planned in conjunction with other initiatives in communities. These courses were available for credit or not-for-credit. The intent was to enhance the practice of a cross-section of child care providers. In June 1995, the MEST requested submissions of proposals for introductory SCC courses. The following criteria were provided:
Each of the eighteen post-secondary institutions involved in offering SCC training were required to submit a year-end report to the MEST on the planning process, course statistics (hours offered, locations, and costs), student participation and outcomes, and expenditures (student subsidy and overall cost). The new flexibility of entry into workshop courses offered through colleges resulted in expanded opportunities to receive training and professional development in inclusive practices. Innovative delivery models were proposed (e.g. Northwest Community College's summer institute, University of Victoria's interactive television distance education course with North Island College and University College of the Fraser Valley). As well, a new course model was established to train individuals to be SCC support workers/assistants through Okanagan University College in Kelowna. Training through the post-secondary institutions continued through the four year transition process. Highlights of the 1997/98 evaluation from three colleges, Northern Lights College, North Island College, and University College of the Fraser Valley are reported below. The students who responded to the Northern Lights College Early Childhood Education Special Needs program gave an overwhelming endorsement.34 The students enrolled in the program are primarily already employed in and committed to the child care field and see a need to both be better credentialed and better trained to cope with the increasing diversity of problems presented by children in their care. Students on busy schedules also commended the flexibility offered to them. During the period from January 1997, until May 1998, North Island College offered six different courses, each seven weeks duration. These courses were required to complete a SCC Certificate Program. The courses were offered simultaneously in Port McNeill, Campbell River, Courtenay, and Port Alberni.35 The majority were taking the courses to pursue more training for professional development or further credentials towards a diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education. The majority were employed in some form of child care. The University College of the Fraser Valley offered twelve SCC courses through Continuing Education and Training.36 Two of the courses were delivered by interactive television linking with North Island College and the University of Victoria. Some of the courses were delivered at the Abbotsford campus, while others were offered in Chilliwack, Mission, and Hope. As with the results from the North Island and Northern Lights evaluations, students reported that they did not take these courses primarily to assist them in finding employment. Students were mainly interested in taking the courses for professional development purposes or to pursue further courses in their chosen field. The majority of students felt that taking the courses increased their confidence or willingness to care for children requiring extra support and improved the quality of care they would provide. Those colleges that developed workshops on inclusion attracted large numbers of participants. For example, Camosun College, in the Capital Region developed a workshop series on Preparing for Inclusion that attracted 85 participants in its first year and 117 in its second year of delivery. Capilano College offered a series of workshops on topics ranging from Reggio Emilia, Sibling of a Child with Disabilities, The Challenging Child, Signing, and the Volcano in Day Care. The workshops were held in locations in North Vancouver, Sechelt, and Squamish, attracting 150 participants. The College of the Cariboo provided fourteen, three-hour sessions on Individualization and Inclusion, Children as Individuals, Play, Programming, Report Writing and Developmental Assessment, Partnerships with Parents and Professionals. These were held in four sites, including Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Kamloops, and Merritt, with a total of 74 people attending. Forty-nine of the 74 completed all sessions and were able to apply for credit in an Early Childhood Care and Education course through the college. Most colleges provided a similar format of workshop offerings that could be applied for credit in Early Childhood Care and Education. 4.5.5 Partnerships Training37 The premise of the Partnerships Training packages was that practitioners could benefit from additional training to work effectively with children who require extra support. It was also considered useful for child care providers to establish partnerships with service providers (therapists, nurses, mental health workers and family support workers) within their communities. Providing training which enhances partnerships assists in the delivery of a more inclusive system of care for children who require extra support. The following training packages were developed:
All of the Partnerships Training packages were available for training of trainers in September 1997, with the exception of Supporting Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Spring, 1998) and Inclusion (Winter, 1999). All Partnerships Training packages had a feedback sheet to be filled out by the participants who completed the training. This feedback continually informed the development of the Partnerships Training programs for content and appropriateness of workshop activities for the participants. A follow-up survey of the participants was administered.38 The feedback from the Partnerships Project - Follow-up Survey: Participants39 indicated that the Partnerships Training packages effectively met the areas addressed in the survey. Self-ratings of participant's level of knowledge after the courses were generally high, suggesting learning gains. Many participants were able to take the new ideas from the training and transfer them into practice in their work. This transference of ideas also prompted them to recommend changes in the way their settings responded to the needs of children and families. The lack of time and money were cited as barriers to change. Creativity and innovation assisted respondents in overcoming these barriers by trying out new ideas and skills. Other key impacts of the training were the opportunities to form linkages with other professionals in the community, to learn about community resources, and to develop ongoing working relationships with a wide range of individuals who work with children requiring extra support. 4.6 Create Formal Networks to Share Information and Resources A Planning Meeting was held in January 1997. SCC Steering Committees were invited to send two representatives. They were encouraged to send one parent committee member. In addition, one ministry staff person per Steering Committee was involved. Members who attended the meeting were responsible for sharing materials and information obtained at the meeting with their SCC Steering Committees. The Planning Meeting had three main purposes:40
At this two-day meeting, it was announced that the provincial transition coordinator's contract would not be renewed after March 31 1997. Ministry headquarters' staff became concerned that the coordination of SCC within the MCF would not be in place internally by April 1st 1997. The contract was then renewed from April 1 until the end of September 1997, on a part-time basis. It was hoped that such a move would create some ministry ownership by embedding the coordination of the new service delivery within a ministry position rather than just through a contracted short-term position. The provincial transition coordinator remained in the position completing a third newsletter, a paper on SCC training, and continuing to travel around the province, and by remaining as a main contact for the transition through the establishment of a toll-free line. In order to coordinate provincial and regional information sharing of SCC, a new newsletter format that involved more community-based input was developed, as well as a brochure explaining SCC. There were two inserts to the brochure - one for parents and one for child care providers. A SCC poster was created in multiple languages promoting Every Child Belongs, the new slogan for SCC. Continued support for provincial SCC community planning involved a two-day meeting in October 1997, with Steering Committee representatives and MCF staff. They continued with the planning and networking that had taken place in January 1997. 4.7 Develop Practices and Standards for SCC/ 4.7.1 Policy Development The last year of the CCSI SCC transition included increased activity in the areas of policy development specific to SCC and within the broader scope of the MCF. A policy reference group was established in October 1998, to gather input from service providers and families regarding policy development. The group had regular meetings and conference calls. The final meeting was held at the beginning of March 1999. A training/orientation session was held for MCF staff in December 1998, which provided an opportunity for field staff to identify outstanding policy issues. Work began on an initial draft of SCC policy, taking into account input from the policy reference group, as well as MCF staff. It is expected that the SCC policy will be completed in the spring of 1999. 4.7.2 SCC Consultant Competencies In response to the Government's Response to SCC (December 1994), the MEST committed to build on existing child care training programs and other competencies in order to qualify someone to provide consultative services for the SCC Program.41 In addition, the Multi-Lateral Task Force on Training, Career Pathing and Labour Mobility in the Community Social Service Sector in British Columbia, was established in 1995 to ensure coordination of planning, development, implementation and evaluation of all training.42 In response to this recommendation, the MEST stated that further discussion was needed to more clearly identify the scope and content of required training for SCC consultants. In early 1996, funding was provided to conduct research on the provision of consultative services and prerequisite qualifications for those providing SCC consultation services. The Needs Analysis for the Provision of Consultative Services in Supported Child Care project had five objectives.43
Direction to the project was provided by an Advisory Committee made up of ministry representatives and community partners. The Needs Analysis included a literature review and key informant interviews with researchers and experts in the field of child care and early intervention. The Needs Analysis responded to the five key objectives and provided a list of nine recommendations. The recommendations included that:
The MEST responded by involving the SCC and Infant Development (ID) sector in a process to identify competencies for SCC and ID consultants, in February 1998. A Steering Committee for the ID/SCC Consultant Occupational Competency Analysis met from January to June 1998, to learn about the occupational analysis process and to provide input into the development of the project work plan and final draft of the Framework of Professional Practice. One of the primary responsibilities of the Steering Committee was to provide advice and guidance, and to identify practitioners and supervisors who could contribute to the focus groups that were carried out in February and April of 1998. At the final meeting in May 1998, the Steering Committee made the following recommendations to the renamed Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology (MAETT) (was MEST).44
There has been ongoing follow-up to the recommendations of the Steering Committee for the Occupational Competencies of SCC/ID Consultants. From the fall of 1998, until the spring of 1999, the following work was undertaken:
Currently, an advisory committee is making recommendations on work already in progress. The committee includes members from ID/SCC Consultant programs, the Early Childhood Educators of BC, the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, the college sector, the specialized child care administrators' sector, the MCF and the MAETT. The final report will contain an inventory of existing Early Intervention courses available for SCC consultants in British Columbia and will examine the current availability of certification programs. The analysis of the report is based on a search of formal educational opportunities in post-secondary institutions in BC. The report examines course offerings in light of the competencies outlined in the Framework of Professional Practice and suggests that the competencies would need further specification. The report distinguishes core competencies from generic competencies. Core competencies are those specialized competencies which distinguish the areas of practice from other human service educational areas, whereas generic competencies may be shared across disciplines and practice areas without sacrificing quality and integrity of training.45 Preliminary recommendations in the report include:46
This report will be completed in April 1999. In December 1998, additional Framework feedback sheets were sent to all known SCC (50) and ID (51) consultant programs as a reminder of the January 31 1999 return deadline. Of the 105 feedback sheets, 46 were returned (43.8% return rate in total) from 21 SCC programs (42% of SCC programs), twenty ID programs (39.2% of ID programs), two consultants working as both types of consultants, one CCRR, and two college instructors in Early Childhood Care and Education. Based on the responses,47 it was identified that the primary role and benefit of the ID and SCC Consultant Framework of Professional Practice is in the area of evaluation, whether used as a program evaluation tool or as a self-evaluation tool. It defines and clarifies practice for the consultants and for community partners. Concerns about the Framework focused on the appropriateness of ID and SCC consultants utilizing the same Framework for work that is different in terms of the age range of children that they serve, and the capacities in which they serve clients. Training was noted as a key interest of the consultants, if they are to meet the functions outlined in the Framework. As well, respondents identified that provincial guidelines are essential considering the evolution of SCC, especially with the influx of SCC consultants since the start of the transition to SCC in April 1995. 4.8 Develop a Support Guide and Other Materials 4.8.1 Support Guide Ministry policy stated (1996), that children must have one or more disabilities to be eligible for the SNDCP.48 The Support Guide49 was intended to replace the eligibility criteria. Rather than replacing the eligibility criteria, the Support Guide is now intended to help determine support needs for a child in a child care setting, through a collaborative process with the parent, child care provider and SCC consultant. The completed Support Guide requests funding for supports from the MCF. A child would need to be deemed eligible for services provided by the MCF in order to undergo the Support Guide process, prior to determining support needs. In the summer of 1995, a preliminary draft of the Support Guide was created by a Committee made up of five SCC consultants. The initial draft was distributed in November 1995, to 60 readers including SCC and Infant Development consultants, Licensing Officers, CCRR staff, specialized child care setting staff (Child Development Centres), college instructors in Early Childhood Care and Education, and parents with children requiring extra support. Feedback was returned by the end of December. Half of the recipients returned the draft with comments. Changes were made on the basis of this feedback and a revised draft was distributed in February 1996, to the following groups:
The draft was accompanied with an evaluation form. Thirty-one evaluation forms were returned by May 1996. Four main issues and four recommendations came out of the evaluation and were raised consistently in the use of the Support Guide.50
The four main recommendations included:
In March 1998, MCF decided to conduct an evaluation of the Support Guide. A contractor was hired. KAPH Associates were contracted to evaluate the Support Guide for the MCF. The study consisted of two components: a survey of child care consultants and a series of interviews of SCC consultants, child care providers, and parents. Nine communities were surveyed over a five month period, from November 1997 to March 1998. A total of forty participants were interviewed, including child care providers, parents, and SCC consultants. The findings generated by the feedback in 1996 were echoed in this evaluation, with additional conclusions and recommendations as follows.51
Based on the issues and recommendations of the two evaluations, the Support Guide underwent some revisions. The original committee was reinstated to make suggestions based on a summary of the findings and their own experience working with the Support Guide over a two year period. The final revisions were recommended by the committee. As a result it was determined that:
The responses of the 1998 survey participants reflects differences in approaches to the consultative process. Those consultants that had knowledge and skills and believed in and practiced the consultative process, had a more favourable response to the stages that the Support Guide took people through. Those providers and families that were involved in the completion of the Support Guide based on a collaborative approach saw far greater benefits to the use of the Guide. In 1999, the Support Guide Handbook was developed and distributed to all SCC consultants, SCC Contacts, and relevant MCF social workers involved in SCC. The Support Guide Handbook explains the Support Guide in more detail and presents optional approaches to the use of the forms, while stressing the process required to obtain the required information to determine support needs. Brochures were also developed to outline the process of using the Support Guide to request support from the MCF. One was developed for families, and one for child care providers. In addition, there was an emphasis on streamlining the language of the Support Guide with the language of the eligibility criteria of the MCF, further supporting the collaborative process required in meeting the needs of children, families, and providers through SCC. In February and March of 1999, all SCC consultants and MCF social worker staff involved with SCC, received training in the use of the Support Guide. The Support Guide Handbook was mailed in advance of the training, for consultants and social workers to preview and become familiar with the revisions and the process that would be stressed throughout the training. There were six-two hour training sessions delivered via video conferencing to all regions of the province. There were six to twenty-five people at each site for each delivery, with anywhere from four to six sites on line at any one time. A total of 151 SCC consultants and MCF social worker staff participated in the video conference training. Participants were walked through the Support Guide Handbook which emphasizes the collaborative process between the consultant, parents and child care providers, as they define the request for support for a child requiring extra support. Discussion during the training sessions focused on:
Responses to the training were collected through a faxed feedback sheet. The return rate on the feedback sheets was poor, with a total of 20 out of a potential 151, being returned. Most responses were positive. Frustration was expressed with the sound and image delays of the technology, while at the same time recognizing the costliness of conducting the training in person. Things that people liked about the training included:
Suggestions for improving the training included:
Training to use the Support Guide was also provided at a CCRR symposium in February 1999 to 49 participants. This symposium offered participants an opportunity to hear the outcomes of the CCSI projects over the past four years. Sixteen participants rated the Support Guide presentation. Four felt it was fair, eight felt it was good, and four felt it was excellent. Comments included:
4.8.2 Enhancing Accessibility Resource Manual The Enhancing Accessibility Resource Manual was developed to assist community Steering Committees and the child care sector in making informed decisions about changes that may be needed in child care settings in order to make them accessible for children requiring extra support. Due to the limited funding provided to make child care settings physically accessible, it was suggested that a manual be developed to educate the child care field in inclusive programming, practices and environments to ensure a wise use of the available funds. The Enhancing Accessibility Resource Manual was written in the fall of 1996 and distributed in the spring of 1997. The primary audiences for the manual were SCC consultants and Steering Committees, Child Care Resource and Referral staff, college instructors in Early Childhood Care and Education, Infant Development Program consultants, Licensing Officers, and the Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre. It was felt that this group would share the information in the resource manual, as the need arose, with individual child care providers. In the summer of 1998, a survey was distributed to evaluate the level of use and the utility of the manual. There were 5,085 surveys distributed to the previously mentioned group, as well as all licensed child care facilities in the province. However, not all licensed child care facilities had received the manual. As a result, 365 surveys were returned with 81 indicating that they had never received the manual. Two hundred and eighty-four surveys were returned and used in the analysis of the manual. Results of the user survey indicated that:52
Seventy-eight responded to the item on meeting information needs. Fifty per cent felt they did not need the information it contained; 13% felt the information was complete; 6% would have liked more information on accessing funding; 4% reported the information was outdated in places. Forty-one per cent shared the manual or made others aware of it. The rest had not seen a need to do so (93 % of SCC consultants had done so). Seventy-nine per cent stated they would recommend the manual to others. A revision of the Enhancing Accessibility Resource Manual, based on reader feedback, will be completed in the spring of 1999. 4.8.3 SCC Consultant Resource Package A newly formed SCC program in Vancouver stimulated the concept of a provincial resource manual for SCC consultants. Work on the manual began in January 1999. A review of current provincial manuals (eg. Infant Development manual) altered the original vision of a policy and procedures manual to a compilation of interrelated materials in the form of a Resource Package with relevance for SCC consultants. Resources in the SCC Consultant Resource Package would include:
The SCC Consultant Resource Package is a collection of practice-oriented resources for consultants that relate to the Infant Development and SCC Consultant Framework of Professional Practice. The intention is to provide new consultants with an orientation package. For the experienced consultant who has been in the field for a number of years, it provides a reaffirmation of their practice. The package will assist in orientation of new staff, explain the consultant position to partners in the community, and support ongoing goal-setting for professional development opportunities and practice reviews. Though the SCC Consultant Resource Package is not what was originally requested, it brings together a number of separate pieces for consultants, in an attempt to provide consistency of practice in the province. 4.9 Summary This section addressed the extent to which a service delivery framework was developed to meet the needs of children requiring extra support. The ministerial collaboration emphasized within the original SCC Report (1993) was the foundation to the transition period from April 1995 to March 1999. Each ministry had specific activities and initiatives to undertake in support of creating a new service delivery model.
A SCC transition coordinator was hired by the MCC in April 1995 and remained on contract until September 1997. During that period a SCC Transition Handbook was developed and distributed, three newsletters were developed and information on SCC was shared throughout the province.
Local transition planning processes were facilitated by the organization of 49 regional SCC Steering Committees. Conference calls provided needed information on SCC to the regions. SCC Contact positions were created within MCF offices in order to assist in the information sharing process around SCC on a regional basis. In response to challenges with the implementation of SCC, a SCC Resource Team was created to provide support around service delivery restructuring. In addition, Access Initiatives provided $1.771 million to address identified needs in the area of attitude, skills, and knowledge. A final report on the Access Initiative provided an extensive inventory of projects developed over the course of the transition.
Training was addressed through professional development opportunities for SCC consultants and ministry staff. Child care providers were provided with enriched professional development opportunities at yearly professional association conferences for three years. The Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology dispersed funds to 18 post-secondary institutions over the four years to provide augmented training opportunities in the area of inclusion for child care providers and parents. In some instances, new courses were developed and in others, extended training in the principles of SCC were piggy-backed onto existing courses in early childhood care and education. New Partnerships Training packages were developed to provide training which would enhance partnerships to assist in the development of a more inclusive system of care for children requiring extra support. Evaluations were completed in all areas of training which reported positive results.
Opportunities to share information and network (eg. with parents, child care providers and MCF staff) were organized on two separate occasions via symposiums on SCC issues. Also the SCC newsletter was revised to have a more community-driven approach. A multiple-language poster on SCC was created and distributed, in addition to brochures describing SCC for parents and child care providers.
To facilitate transition practices and standards for SCC, a new SCC policy was developed within the broader scope of MCF. In addition, competencies for SCC consultants in partnership with other early interventionists (i.e. Infant Development consultants) were developed. the SCC and Infant Development consultants provided feedback to the competencies a year after their release, confirming their usefulness as a program and self-evaluation tool. In the last year of the transition, an analysis of formal educational opportunities in post-secondary institutions in BC occurred. It indicated the need for more course development to prepare consultants for SCC practice.
Throughout the transition period, materials were developed to assist with practice in a new service delivery framework. After two initial drafts and evaluations, the Support Guide was completed. This tool was developed to determine the support needs of a child in a child care setting in the form of a request to the MCF. The Support Guide tool was accompanied by a Support Guide Handbook outlining the consultative practice required to determine support needs, as well as brochures describing the Support Guide for parents and child care providers. The Enhancing Accessibility Resource Manual was developed to assist the child care sector in making informed decisions about the changes that may be needed in child care settings in order to make them accessible for children requiring extra support. This manual underwent a final revision based on practitioner feedback. As well, SCC consultants received a compilation of interrelated materials pertinent to the practice of SCC in the form of a Resource Package. This package contained the SCC competencies, the Support Guide Handbook and the Support Guide on disk, a SCC video produced by a community using their Access Initiative funds, and other program specific materials.
As outlined in this summary, the development of the new service delivery framework for SCC was extensive and required the involvement and partnership of many ministries within the provincial government and with community members. The development of this framework incorporated a range of levels of practice, orientation, and interests of individuals involved in child care. Overall, it addressed the needs of children requiring extra support and the needs of their families.
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