Best Start

1. Best Start September, 2005 Ministry of Children and Youth Services Manitoulin-Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB)

2. Overview of the Best Start Initiative • Best Start is a comprehensive, evidence-based early learning and care strategy designed to help give Ontario’s children the best possible start in life and help them achieve success in school. • Best Start is a major redesign of services in terms of how children and families are supported from birth through to Grade 1. • Planning and implementation will be done in phases at the local/community level.

3. Rationale for Best Start • The early years have the most influence of any time in the life cycle on brain development and subsequent learning, behaviours and health. • Children who are ready to learn when they start school are more likely to complete school, find employment and make positive contributions to society.

4. Rationale for Best Start • Society reaps the benefits over many years as those children develop into healthy, educated, confident and productive adults. • Investing in children is an investment in Ontario’s future. Investing in our youngest children in the first years of their lives leads to the greatest return on our investment.

6. Impacts for Parents and Children • Best Start is a partnership with parents and families. • Parents will be engaged in their child’s learning and care – which is a critical factor to children’s success in school and healthy development. • Parents will be included in decision-making and have a say in how and what is planned for their child. • Services will be brought together in a comprehensive, flexible and seamless way so children and parents can access them at a familiar neighbourhood location. • Children will acquire the physical, socio-emotional, language, thinking and early literacy skills that are required to arrive at school ready and eager to learn.

7. Best Start is distinct from other initiatives in that it: • will help children and families – regardless of individual economic or social circumstances • responds to the clear message from communities that Ontario needs more integrated accessible services for young children and families • strengthens, enhances, builds on and integrates existing programs and services – rather than creating new structures or organizations

8. asks all existing organizations that provide services for children from the prenatal stage through to Grade 1 to share their expertise and plan together. • is community responsive: • the types of services and service targets/outcomes are set by the provincial government, but the planning for how those services will be locally delivered and integrated will be driven by the CMSM or DSSAB responsible for the communities in its jurisdiction.

9. Key Features of Best Start • At the community level, key features of Best Start are childcare expansion and the establishment of locally/regionally accessible Early Learning and Care Hubs that provide a range of integrated services and supports for families with young children.

10. Children’s Treatment Neighbourhood Connections Early Learning and Care Hub Children’s Treatment Children’s Mental Health Core Functions Screening & Assessment: Communication and Social/Emotional Issues Public Health Nutrition Programs Parenting Programs Child Care Pre-School JK/SK Preschool speech and language Infant Hearing Program Recreation Programs Child Welfare Developmental Services

11. Key Strategies of Best Start 1. Establish Best Start Networks responsible for the community planning and implementation of Best Start in each CMSM/DSSAB jurisdiction. 2. Create locally/regionally accessible Early Learning and Care Hubs that provide the integrated services and supports that young children and their families require. 3. Support flexible implementation strategies that make sense for communities.

12. 4. Provide CMSMs/DSSABs the tools to facilitate the community planning process. 5. Create an integrated early learning and care structure that combines preschool, JK and SK with high quality childcare during non-school hours. 6. Create more licensed childcare spaces and assist more families with their childcare costs.

13. 7. Improve the quality of regulated and informal early learning and care programs. 8. Enhance early identification and intervention programs. 9. Develop and support universal screening of all children at 18 months. 10. Change policies and practices and remove barriers.

14. Best Start Planning and Implementation • Possible thanks to federal funding, Ontario’s Best Start program planning is driven by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and locally service managed by the province’s 47 CMSMs and DSSABs. • Its Phased Implementation will take 10+ years to realise. • Some Phase 1 components are province-wide. In Phase 1, each CMSM/DSSAB will establish a Best Start Network to develop the Best Start implementation plan for the communities in its jurisdiction.

15. How are we going to get there? • Phase 1 (over the next 5 years) has two key province wide components: • A major expansion of child care for children enrolled in Junior and Senior Kindergarten across the province during the non-school hours • Three demonstration projects that will fast-forward the 10+ year vision. • Other provincial Phase 1 components include: • A Panel on Early Learning Program • A Panel on Quality and Human Resources • A Panel on the 18 month well baby check-up • Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program enhancements • Pre-School Speech and Language/Infant Hearing service enhancements • The establishment of a College of Early Childhood Educators • Immediate flexibility and eligibility requirements for child care fee subsidies. This includes changes to the eligible hours policy and RRSP/RESP policies • A move to a sliding scale income test to determine eligibility for child care support • Measurement for progress and results using the Early Development Instrument • Phase 2 will introduce the 10+ year vision across all communities

16. Schools First Policy • The goal of Best Start is to help children enter school ready to learn. Seen as the most appropriate sites for child care and early learning supports, schools are the site of choice for the expansion of child care spaces possible through Best Start. • If it is determined that new child care spaces are not to be located in schools, the community plan must provide a rationale as to why this is so and describe how programmatic linkages to an elementary school or to a family of schools will be maintained.

17. MCYS’s Northern Region Vision • In its North Region, MCYS is seeking a Best Start implementation approach that reflects Northern realities and differences yet maintains a certain regional consistency. (E.g. - It may not be appropriate or effective to have Early Learning and Care Hubs located in every school in every community in the North Region).

18. Role of CMSMs and DSSABs • Expanding and enhancing childcare is the first critical task of Phase 1 Best Start implementation. • Each of the province’s 47 Consolidated Municipal Services Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) is responsible for the local service management of the regulated childcare services in its jurisdiction.

19. Role of CMSMs and DSSABs: • Given the Phase 1 emphasis on childcare expansion, CMSMs and DSSABs have the provincially mandated lead role in establishing the Best Start Networks in their catchment areas. • The boundaries of the Best Start Networks are the boundaries of the CMSM/DSSAB catchment areas.

20. CMSM/DSSAB catchment area: • The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSSAB’s geographic catchment area includes all of the (organised and unorganised) municipalities situated in the Districts of Manitoulin and Sudbury (excluding the Greater City of Sudbury which is a CMSM in its own right).

21. Map of DSSAB/CMSM boundaries

22. Composition of Best Start Networks • 4 Signatories to the plan = Core members • MCYS • DSSAB • School Board / School Authorities • Health units • The Network will ensure communications and input with the following groups/organizations: • Parenting programs • Early identification and intervention programs • District School Boards/District School Authorities • Health and specialized services • Income and security programs • Population-specific services • Early learning and care programs • Community services • Policymakers

23. Phase 1 Implementation Planning • Phase 1 is crucial in laying the foundation for the full implementation of Best Start. • It involves three tasks at the community level.

24. Task 1: Best Start Networks • Bring together community partners to establish Best Start Networks. • Define and approve the Network’s Terms of Reference.

25. Task 2: Childcare Expansion • Provide input to CMSMs/DSSABs with respect to the expansion of child care services:

26. Task 3: Integrated implementation plans • Describe the community’s needs for early learning and care services. • Develop a plan to implement early learning and care hubs. • Develop a plan to implement childcare during non-school hours for children in JK/JK and for children 0-4 years for 2006-2007 onwards.

27. Task 3: Integrated implementation plans • Develop an integrated plan to enhance key early identification and intervention programs. • Set out the longer term vision to implement Best Start. • Identify any challenges and barriers to implementation and strategies to overcome them.

28. Implementation Planning Timelines • Task 1 Sept 30/05 Build Best Start Networks • Task 2 – DSSAB’s direct role Oct 31/05 Transition plan to increase licensed childcare spaces and subsidies in 2005/2006 with priority for children in JK/SK with gradual expansion of licensed childcare and subsidies for children aged 0-4. • Task 3 Dec 31/05 Develop a Phase 1 Integrated Implementation Plan.