Ontario Connections - Fall 2011

Ontario Connections - Spring 2011

Ontario Connections - Spring 2009 containing articles on: A research surprise, the Kanata Research Park Family Centre, CAPC/CPNP Report, the FRP Canada conference in May 2009 in Niagara Falls, resourceful websites, Why Daddy Matters, the Ryerson Family Supports Certificate and a message from the Executive Director, Kevin Adams.

Ontario Connections - Winter 2008

Position Papers

October 1, 2009
Response to the Early Learning Advisors "With our Future in Mind" Report.

“Children thrive when families can provide optimum early child development: Relationships fostered within families who are supported by their communities are at the core of every child’s optimal development.  Engaged families are partners in this new vision. (Council for Early Child Development Statement of Support, Summer 2009)”

Family Supports Institute Ontario would like to commend Dr. Pascal and Premier McGuinty on making children and families a priority in Ontario.  We are pleased to be able to wholeheartedly support the vision of the Early Learning Advisor, one that has the potential to integrate our fragmented system of early learning and care.  While many creative solutions have been attempted over the years to improve the situation, none have looked as promising as the model described in Dr. Pascal’s report. Indeed, this model has the potential to reform Early Learning and Care across Canada.  It could be the forerunner to the illusive national child care system that Canadians have sought for so many years. 
In the ‘With Our Best Future in Mind’ report presented in June 2009, Dr. Pascal is clear when making recommendations that ensure transition planning is in place, as are the dollars necessary to support these groundbreaking changes in both childcare and Kindergarten for children 3.8 to 5 years of age.  The report enables both teachers and ECE’s to enhance their skills and abilities in order to provide the best environment for both children and families in their communities.

Family Supports Institute Ontario endorses the plan put forth by Dr. Pascal to the Premier but strongly recommends that Family Support Practitioners be included in the equation to complete a well rounded and multi-disciplinary staff team in the proposed Child and Family Centres.  Engaging parents in a meaningful and concrete manner is the component that is absolutely non-negotiable in creating spaces that really enhance children’s experiential learning. An extraordinary number of families find formal education and their local schools inaccessible for a number of reasons: their own negative educational experience, language barriers, settlement issues around ‘government’ sponsored programs, and many others issues yet unnamed. 

In order to create the desired bi-directional relationship between families and schools, and schools and families, parent engagement and family support services are essential to making the proposed Early Learning and Care plan successful.  Family support programs favour universal access from a strength based perspective and engage families in their context, valuing their individual experience as parents and as community members.  The Guiding Principles of Family Support create ethical practice amongst Family Support Practitioners and many staff has enhanced professional credentials in Family Support through Ryerson University. Family Support Practitioners are individuals who work in Ontario Early Years Centres, CAP-C/CPNP programs, Parent and Family Literacy Centres, Family Resource Programs and a whole host of other programs that provide both targeted and universal programming and resources for children and families, including caregivers, both formal and informal.

The vision of Early Learning and Care in the report is going to regenerate services and connections for families to their neighbourhood schools, create choice for parents in child care and provide a much improved start to lifelong learning.  Please help us make sure that both the child and family are supported in this exciting venture by integrating all services for children and families and make it a complete success across Ontario.  Ensuring that all of the skill sets are part of the staff team within each Child and Family Centre creates capacity from which staff and families can only benefit.

Let’s get on with creating communities that work for families and neighbourhoods that work for children and schools that embrace the expertise that parents and staff have to offer.  Child and Family Centres, as discussed at the Common Table’s meeting with Dr. Pascal deserve to have a staff team that can meet the needs of all families and children attending programs. Family Support Practitioners can only add to the experience and abilities of teachers and early childhood educators.

Patricia Hunt on behalf of the Board of Directors of Family Supports Institute Ontario

October 1, 2009