2003/04 -- 2005/06 Service Plan -- Ministry of Children and Family Development

Ministry Goals, Objectives and Strategies, Performance Measures and Targets — Continued

GOAL 2 — TO IMPROVE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO PROTECT AND SUPPORT CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Children can experience an enhanced quality of life through the support of their families and caring communities. Changes underway in this core area are maintaining sensitivity to the needs of families, and priority will continue to be placed on early childhood development and family development services. The ministry will work in partnership with families and communities to create a model that will better meet the needs of children by increasing a family’s capacity to care for its children through family development programs. Also important is the provision of community-based services for youth most in need, including those who are at-risk and/or requiring rehabilitative resources. The above-noted goal has been slightly revised from the last Service Plan, reflecting progress in the transition to community-based governance.

Core Business Area: CHILD AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT

(includes Early Childhood Development and Children and Youth with Special Needs)

Objective 2.1: To promote early childhood development as a key strategic investment.

Strategies

2.1.1 Build community capacity to develop and deliver co-ordinated early childhood development supports and services that are based on community composition and needs.

2.1.2 Support Aboriginal communities to work in partnership to develop and implement early intervention strategies that meet their needs.

2.1.3 Enhance parental education initiatives to assist parents in having opportunities to make the most of their children’s development.

2.1.4 Develop partnerships with the private/non-profit and community sectors to broaden community involvement and capacity for early childhood development initiatives.

2.1.5 Focus community on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a preventable birth defect.

Photograph of baby.

Performance Measures and Targets

Measure	Baseline	2002/03 Base	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
Number of public/private/community partnerships to promote early childhood development initiatives¹	1 (2001/02)	2	4	6	8
Number of Aboriginal communities with early childhood development programs	25 communities (2001/02)	29	30	35	40


1	This is a new measure that has been introduced for the 2003/04 – 2005/06 Service Plan.

Objective 2.2: To target evidence-based, individualized services to those children with special needs and their families who most require them.

Strategies

2.2.1 Review all programs and services to ensure that limited resources are committed to science-based interventions.

2.2.2 Develop the capacity of families to support their children with special needs by moving to a focus on family development services.

2.2.3 Target family development programs for children with developmental disabilities to those clients in greatest need.

2.2.4 Increase choice by introducing individualized funding to families.

2.2.5 Refocus existing programs to better meet the needs of Aboriginal children with special needs.

Performance Measures and Targets

Measure	2002/03 Base	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
Percentage of children with special needs receiving ministry-funded services that are receiving direct or individualized funding¹	N/A New measure for 2003/04	Establish baseline	Increase from baseline; target TBD	Increase from baseline; target TBD


1	This is a new measure that has been introduced to the 2003/04 – 2005/06 Service Plan.

Objective 2.3 To promote the capacity of families to care for their children.

Strategies

2.3.1 Review family development programs to ensure that limited resources are committed to programs that show evidence that they increase a family’s capacity to care for its children; and, for those children who must be in care, maximize the use of extended family care or foster family care.

2.3.2 Refocus tools and supports to increase the role of the family in addressing identified risks to a child in ways that keep children within their immediate and extended families, including implementation of a new family conferencing model as an alternative to children coming into care by court order.

2.3.3 Target funding for services to families with the greatest need by introducing individualized funding for non-protective developmental services.

2.3.4 Work in partnership with Aboriginal communities to promote the development of supports and services within Aboriginal communities.

2.3.5 Encourage partnerships with communities to promote the development of community level supports and services and explore potential opportunities for fundraising initiatives that might arise.

Performance Measures and Targets

Measure	Baseline	2002/03 Base	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
Rate of children in care (per 1,000 children under 19 years of age)	11 per 1,000 (2000/01)	10 per 1,000 2002/03 Service Plan target	9.5 per 1,000	9 per 1,000	9 per 1,000

Objective 2.4: To improve the safety and well-being of children and youth receiving guardianship services.

Strategies

2.4.1 When children come into government care, focus planning on family supports to safely return the child to the family or community as soon as possible.

2.4.2 Maximize the use of family foster care, which will also reduce unit costs.

2.4.3 Increase permanency options for children in continuing care by allowing the courts to rescind continuing custody orders and grant guardianship to extended family or other significant adults.

2.4.4 Transfer guardianship of Aboriginal children in care to Aboriginal agencies.

2.4.5 Provide supports to families who wish to adopt, to facilitate increasing the number of adoptions of children in care.

Performance Measures and Targets

Measure	Baseline	2002/03 Base	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
Number of children in care adopted per fiscal year¹	162 (2000/01)	250 2002/03 Service Plan target	250	300	300
Percentage of Aboriginal children in care served by delegated Aboriginal agencies²	20% (2002/03 projection)	20% (2002/03 projection)	46%	47%	50%


1	Baseline has been revised since the 2002/03 – 2004/05 Service Plan (raised from 150 to 162).
2	The measure has been slightly reworded since the 2002/03 – 2004/05 Service Plan (from “Percentage of Aboriginal children in care served by Aboriginal agencies”).

Objective 2.5: To facilitate the community-based rehabilitation of youth in the justice system.

Strategies

2.5.1 Provide treatment services, within available limited resources, to assist in the rehabilitation of youth within the justice system.

2.5.2 Provide essential community-based alternatives to custody in order to promote the rehabilitation of youth and minimize reliance on expensive custodial resources.

2.5.3 Maintain specialized treatment and community-based services.

2.5.4 Implement a program of family group conferencing.

Objective 2.6: To improve the functioning of high-risk youth in the community.

Strategies

2.6.1 Work with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General to consider appropriate measures to fight child prostitution and youth crime, including the provision of enforcement measures regarding those who solicit and/or exploit youth.

2.6.2 Continue to use youth agreements, and refocus other programs and services such as youth outreach, to better target and meet the needs of at-risk youth, while reviewing potential alternative measures for future development to meet their needs.

Performance Measures and Targets

Measure	Baseline	2002/03 Base	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
Rate of youth in custody based on a proportion of all 12 – 17 year olds (per 10,000)	9.0 (fiscal 2000/01)	Maintain at 9.0 or lower 2002/03 Service Plan target	Maintain at 9.0 or lower	Maintain at 9.0 or lower	Maintain at 9.0 or lower

Objective 2.7: To establish co-ordinated, community-based mental health services for children and youth.

Strategies

2.7.1 Implement a child and youth mental health plan.

2.7.2 Develop and implement inter-ministry policies and protocols for the transfer of children and youth with mental health problems from hospital to community-based services.

2.7.3 Develop and implement inter-ministry policies and protocols to provide for more effective transition of clients from child and youth to adult mental health services.

Performance Measures and Targets

Measure	2002/03 Base	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
Number of children and youth receiving community child and youth mental health services (MCFD staffed mental health service providers only)¹	Baseline to be established Approx. 11,100 children and youth (2001/02)	12,000	13,000	17,000

Baseline to be established in 2002/03, as per the 2002/03 – 2004/05 Service Plan. This baseline excludes data from the ministry’s contracted agencies and community child and youth mental health service providers. MCFD staffed service providers served approximately 11,100 clients in 2001/02 and comprised approximately half of the total budget. An increase in clients served, initially through the ministry and then through regional authorities once established, is anticipated through implementation of the Child and Youth Mental Health Plan.