Progress Report: Our Kids Are Worth It - First Year
From the Executive Summary of Our Kids are Worth It - First Year (PDF).
Our first year has been an exciting one. Since Our Kids Are Worth It: Strategy for Children and Youth was released last December, a lot has been accomplished behind the scenes and on the ground in our communities.
As expected, much of our work has been foundational in nature and occurred behind the scenes—for example, building relationships, researching best practices and analysing data, learning to think and work differently, as team members, and defining jobs, by describing them in position descriptions and then actually doing them.
We can also point to progress in each of the five key directions of our strategy.
Build a Strong Foundation:
- A working group is defining the components of a well-child system, and analysing how these programs connect and overlap, and where there are gaps.
- More spaces and greater subsidies are making child care more accessible and affordable, and funding is available to recruit and retain qualified, caring staff.
Identify Problems, Help Early:
- The Early Developmental Instrument, a teacher-completed survey, was introduced, probing five general areas of child development when they begin in grade primary.
- The Parenting Journey pilot project is under way in 10 sites.
- The Family Help program—initiated at the IWK to improve access to effective treatment for mild to moderate mental health disorders—has been expanded to Cape Breton, virtually eliminating wait times for treatment through this program.
Co-ordinate Programs, Services:
- Regional specialists have been hired, the Schools Plus pilot projects are under way within four school board regions, and the WRAP pilot projects are up and running in four sites.
- These initiatives are aimed at strengthening relationships among all those who provide services for children, youth, and families, co-ordinating related programming, offering this programming at convenient times and places, and identifying gaps in programs and services.
Improve Access, Close Gaps:
- More information is available to children, youth, and families through HelpZone.ca and the Kids’ Help Phone—Canada’s only toll-free, 24-hour, bilingual and anonymous help line for children and youth.
- Five youth navigators and case planners have been hired and are working with at-risk youth.
- The new Family and Youth Services section at Community Services has created program areas, including prevention, youth services and supports, and volunteer initiatives. Training in youth leadership and engagement, as well as family support and intervention, has also been provided.
- The Child Welfare Mental Health pilot project at the IWK is up and running, with a goal of enabling more timely access for mental health services to children, youth, and families involved in child welfare services.
Engage Youth, Promote Shared Accountability:
- A Place to Belong pilot projects are under way in eight communities, in partnership with community organizations who have been able to expand existing programs and add new ones. The goal is to engage youth in positive activities that enable them to build self-esteem and develop social, life, and career-related skills.
- The Leaders of Today Provincial Youth Network has been established, with the third networking and organizing conference held this year. A Lunch and Learn series, with experts in the field of youth engagement, was also held.
- A provincial crime prevention strategy was launched, with a number of initiatives, such as a Community Crime Prevention Fund and the Halifax Attendance Centre, having direct links to Our Kids Are Worth It.
We have also updated the statistics reported a year ago as measures toward our goals and expected outcomes. While it is unrealistic to expect significant progress linked to a strategy within one year, we can get where we are going only if we continue to remind ourselves of our destination and signposts along the way.
Beyond statistics, the best evidence of our progress may be what people are saying— parents, educators, child care operators, family resource centre staff, doctors, and young people themselves.
- "Happy, active children, and happy staff!!!"
- "We are excited about the enhanced services and new possibilities."
- "… parents are indicating satisfaction, particularly with the convenience of receiving care in their own homes at times that work for them."
- "Our community has been ready for this innovative kind of service for some time."
- "The Leaders of Today conference was an amazing experience, all of us youth putting our minds together to create something so powerful."
Perhaps what Robert Wright, Executive Director, Child and Youth Strategy, says gives us the best reason to expect continuing progress. "The prevalent attitude among virtually everyone I have encountered is a passion for doing their very best to support children, youth, and families."
No question, we have a lot of work ahead—but with so many people, with that kind of passion, we are bound to reach our goals. Our kids are worth nothing less.
Read more in Our Kids are Worth It - First Year (PDF).
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