Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

This section presents the ministry's goals and outlines how specific objectives, strategies and performance measures are helping to achieve these goals. The diagram below displays the linkages between government strategic goals, ministry mission, ministry goals, key objectives and performance measures.

Government Strategic Goals		Ministry Mission Our mission is to promote and develop the capacity of families and communities to: Support healthy child development; care for and protect vulnerable children and youth; and support adults with developmental disabilities.
		Ministry Goals		Ministry Objectives		Performance Measures/Indicators
A supportive social fabric. Safe, healthy communities and a sustainable environment.		1. Adults with developmental disabilities and children and youth with special needs achieve their full potential and live as independently as possible within their communities.		1. Increased choice, accessibility and flexibility for adults and their families receiving community living services.		• Per cent of new adult admissions referred to family model homes and semi-independent living rather than staffed residential resources. • Number of adults with developmental disabilities served.
				2. Increased access to early intervention and support services to assist families caring for children and youth with special needs.		• Number of children with special needs and their families that receive supported child development services. • Number of children under six with special needs receiving an early intervention therapy within three months of service request.
		2. Children and youth are healthy and safe in their families and communities.		1. Increased family and community capacity to suport early childhood development.		• Number of Aboriginal initiatives that enhance early childhood development services for young Aboriginal children and their families. • Per cent of children who enter kindergarten ready to learn.
				2. Accessible and quality child care.		• Number of regulated child care spaces available. • Number of children whose families receive a child care subsidy.
				3. A comprehensive and responsive child welfare system that promotes safety, family continuity and permanency for children.		• Number of children placed with extended family or in community as an alternative to coming into care. • Number of families referred to family support services. • Number of adoptions of children in care of the ministry.
				4. An increasingly culturally appropriate service delivery system for Aboriginal children and families.		• Per cent of Aboriginal children receiving child welfare services who are served by delegated Aboriginal agencies. • Per cent of Aboriginal children in care of the ministry who are cared for by Aboriginal families.
				5. Enhanced services for specific child and youth populations, such as young offenders, children and youth at risk for or with mental disorders, and children and youth who are commercially sexually exploited.		• Rate of youth in custody based on a proportion of all 12–17 year olds (per 10,000). • Number of children and youth served by Child and Youth Mental Health Services.
		3. Adults with developmental disabilities, children, youth, and their families are served by effective, efficient and accountable community-based service delivery systems.		1. Creation of a provincial community living authority. 2. Creation of regional authorities to oversee delivery of child and family services.		An authority established under legislation assumes responsibility for delivery of some or all community living services. Number of authorities established under legislation that assume responsibility for delivery of child and family services.

The ministry supports a broad range of services that assist adults with developmental disabilities and children with special needs to live as fully and independently as possible within their homes and communities. Some individuals with developmental disabilities may require ongoing support to enable them to participate fully in the activities of daily living. Supports for adults include a diverse range of residential models, as well as day programs, to ensure their involvement in their communities.

The ministry provides intervention and support services for children and youth with special needs and their families, which range from infant development programs to nursing support services. Children with special needs may require intensive, specific intervention, either on a short-term or periodic basis. Services and supports are intended to promote healthy development, maximize quality of life and assist families in their role as primary caregivers. Children with special needs have access to programs that are based on a family-centred approach and offer parents as much choice as possible.

The ministry is committed to working with individuals, families and communities to ensure that needs are met in the most effective and efficient manner while enhancing opportunities for greater self-determination.

The ministry is working to improve the quality of services for adults who use ministry services. By expanding individual, family and community capacity, more people will be supported safely and appropriately in the community and within their families. Family-model homes (living with a family in their home on a full-time basis) and semi-independent living settings are used wherever possible and staffed residential facilities are used only for those who need intensive support for daily living. Expanding residential living alternatives will increase choice, accessibility and flexibility for adults utilizing a community living services system and promote long-term budget and service sustainability.

Key strategies include increasing the number of family-model homes and semi-independent living settings and matching needs with appropriate resources to support more individuals.

Performance Measures:

When a residential service is required, adults with developmental disabilities are matched with the residential setting that allows them to live as independently as possible. Careful planning and decision-making to select the most appropriate residential setting for an individual, based on identified needs, enables the ministry to serve more adults with developmental disabilities within available resources.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: The first measure is a clarification of last year's measure, "percentage of individuals served in family-model homes". Two measures (satisfaction of individuals with services received and number of adults and families of children with special needs who receive direct or individualized funding) have been excluded from the service plan and will continue to be monitored internally. A second measure has been added that more appropriately links to the objective and measures residential and other services provided.

The ministry is redesigning supported child development services (previously referred to as supported child care) to provide flexible community service options that address specific family needs and promote child care choices for families of children with special needs. These options will enable children with special needs to have access to child care and community settings with other children where they can develop skills early and build school readiness. Providing accessible home and community-based services and supports offers choice and flexibility to ensure that parents are supported in caring for their children and youth with special needs.

Key strategies include: creating a range of appropriate services and supports for young children with special needs, taking into account key developmental milestones and transitions; developing a provincial system for waitlist management; and supporting the development of child care resources for children with special needs.

Performance Measures:

Supported child development services are provided to families for individual children with special needs to attend community child care settings. Monitoring the number of children with special needs and their families that receive supported child development services is an indicator of family and community capacity to support early childhood development for children with special needs.

Children with special needs receive significant benefits from early intervention services that promote physical, cognitive and communication skill development. An important component of the ministry's services to children with special needs is early intervention therapies: speech/language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Monitoring the time from when a family requests a service to when they begin receiving an early intervention service will help the ministry determine how best to distribute these resources.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: These new performance measures reflect the ministry's increased focus on early childhood development for children with special needs. One measure (percentage of children and youth with special needs that have completed transition plans) has been excluded from the service plan and will be monitored internally.

Maintaining and improving the well-being and safety of children and youth are principal outcomes for the ministry. Research and experience confirms this is best achieved in the context of family and community. While the primary responsibility for protecting and supporting the positive growth and development of children and youth rests with families, ministry services work to enhance the resiliency of children, youth and families. This is addressed by working with communities, individuals and families to build their capacity to support positive outcomes for children.

The ministry is committed to developing and supporting initiatives that will increase the capacity of families and communities to support early childhood development. All stages in life are significant, but the period from conception to school age is considered to be particularly crucial to the intellectual, social and emotional development of a child. In Canada, significant differences in developmental status exist among children by the time they enter school. Approximately one quarter of Canadian children enter school requiring further developmental support. The ministry recognizes that the quality of care children receive in the early years is critical to their success in school and in life. Our commitment is to initiate and enhance programs that increase families' abilities to provide a safe, nurturing environment for their children in order to maximize their growth and development. The long-term benefits for individuals, and society, of supporting optimal early childhood development cannot be overstated.

Research and consultation with Aboriginal communities concerning the health and well-being of Aboriginal children, youth and families indicates that a strong cultural component in services yields improvements in health and well-being. The ministry is committed to increasing the cultural appropriateness of child and family services received by Aboriginal families.

Despite everyone's best efforts, some children do not experience positive well-being. Some are born with special needs such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; some develop serious mental health problems; some are sexually exploited or are at risk for other reasons. As it is in our common interest to see the children and youth of B.C. thrive, the ministry provides services to reduce risk and to prevent and reduce the effects of these conditions. We acknowledge that some children and youth lack safe, nurturing family relationships or engage in risky or criminal behavior. When these vulnerable children are placed in our care or custody, or are engaged with our services, the ministry takes appropriate responsibility for protecting and supporting their positive growth and development.

A goal of the child welfare system is a safe and nurturing home for all children who come to the attention of the ministry. The ministry seeks a permanent family home for all children who would otherwise remain in the care of the ministry until they reach adulthood.

The ministry provides a cross-ministry leadership role in relation to planning and strengthening early childhood development services in B.C. The ministry is working to provide parents, through the early childhood development resource directory, with the information they need about early childhood development and to increase service choice and flexibility. By making strategic investments in early childhood development, children have the foundational skills to thrive and succeed in life, thereby reducing the need for more costly interventions and their significant impacts on children and their families.

The ministry is committed to investing in community-based initiatives throughout the province that are supportive of the provincial strategic plan and include a strong community investment focus. The enhancement of community resources through initiatives like Success by 6, helps to build community capacity, supports sustainable community partnerships and improves access to appropriate early childhood development services.

Key strategies include: supporting Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities to develop prevention and intervention approaches for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) to assist individuals and families living with FASD; making strategic investments in early childhood development initiatives that emphasize the prevention of physical and developmental problems that can result in long-term problems; building on existing services to support communities to integrate and enhance their early childhood development delivery systems; and supporting Aboriginal communities to develop and implement early childhood strategies to meet their needs.

Performance Measures:

One of the ministry's key efforts is to build capacity within Aboriginal communities to deliver culturally appropriate services, including those with an emphasis on early childhood and family development. The first measure reflects the ministry's commitment to providing and supporting initiatives and services that support the early childhood development needs of Aboriginal young children and their families. The second measure relates to the ministry's increased focus on early childhood development services that support children's readiness to learn.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: The first measure has been expanded to include additional early childhood development initiatives that have a specific Aboriginal focus. The measure includes the number of Aboriginal community-based early childhood development initiatives and Aboriginal Infant Development, Aboriginal Building Blocks and Aboriginal Family Resource programs. Two measures (number of new public/private partnerships to raise awareness and commitment to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder prevention and the number of community-based initiatives to prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) have been excluded from the service plan and will continue to be monitored internally. The new ready to learn measure relates to the assessment results of kindergarten-aged children in B.C.

Provincial child care investments focus on meeting the needs of families and increasing the quality in regulated and unregulated child care. Quality child care contributes to improved child development and increased school readiness. The ministry is responsible for taking a cross-ministry leadership role for child care services in the province.

Key strategies include: investing federal dollars to increase child care spaces and support parents; improving the identification of community needs when targeting investments to provide low-income families with increased access to child care; moving to a more efficient electronic child care subsidy administration system; and identifying opportunities for service improvements including increasing the quality of early childhood education and increasing the qualifications of early childhood educators.

Performance Measures:

The ministry is working to build a sustainable, accessible quality child care system by increasing child care resources, including those that meet established standards. The number of regulated child care spaces available and the number of children whose families receive a child care subsidy measure accessibility to quality child care in B.C.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: The 2004/05 performance measures for child care programs were part of the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services' Service Plan. The first measure has been revised from last year's service plan to measure "regulated" child care spaces and reflects the increase in the number of quality child care spaces in the province. The second measure is new and indicates the ministry's commitment to ensuring the accessibility of child care. Three measures have been excluded from the previous year's service plan. These measures (number of funded child care service providers, percentage of eligible centre-based providers that are funded and the percentage of licensed family providers that are funded) will continue to be monitored internally.

In moving toward a child welfare system that promotes safety, continuity and permanency, the ministry is providing more out-of-care options to keep children safe within their families and communities. "Out-of-care options" refers to alternative care arrangements with extended family or close friends for children at risk of abuse or neglect who are temporarily unable to live with their parents. Out-of-care placements build on family and community strengths and maintain the continuity of family and community relationships, contributing to better outcomes for children, youth and families served. The ministry also works with a child's extended family and others to develop a plan to keep the child safe, and to support the continuity of family and community relationships for the child. When it is not possible for a child to live permanently with parents or extended family, the ministry seeks a home for the child through adoption or other permanent out-of-care options. Relationships with the child's natural family — and, in the case of an Aboriginal child, the Aboriginal community — continue to be supported by the ministry.

Key strategies include: supporting families to keep children at home safely; expanding planning options with families to provide increased opportunities for joint decision-making and increased involvement in care plans by family and community members; increasing the use of non-court processes such as family conferencing, alternate dispute resolution processes and mediation to resolve child-protection issues; helping children in care to develop and maintain permanent family and other life-long relationships; and greater use of out-of-care options.

Performance Measures:

A key component of the child welfare system is ensuring that children, assessed as being at risk of harm, are cared for by people who know them and will maintain a life-long relationship with them and their families when they return to their parents. The first measure reflects the service delivery direction to move from ministry care arrangements to care arrangements that support and recognize the importance of maintaining the continuity of family and community relationships for children.

"Family support services" refers to supportive services provided to families that come to the attention of the ministry but whose children are not found to be at risk. These services are intended to improve family functioning and prevent problems that might lead to a child welfare investigation and children coming into the care of the ministry. Services include counselling, referrals for substance misuse or mental health treatment and parenting education. Tracking the number of families provided with support services is an indication of how well the ministry is supporting families to continue to care for their children.

The key feature of permanency planning is seeking a permanent family home for all children who would otherwise remain in ministry care until they reach adulthood. The number of adoptions of children who have been in the care of the ministry illustrates how many of these children now belong in a permanent family.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: The first performance measure is a rewording for clarity of last year's measure regarding "out-of-care placements". The second performance measure is new and reflects the ministry's increased emphasis on supporting families where a child welfare investigation is not required. The third performance measure is also new and reflects the ministry's focus on finding permanent families for children who are not able to return to live with their parents. Two performance measures (percentage of child welfare interventions that are resolved through alternate dispute resolution processes and number of service delivery sites where collaborative service approaches are in place) have been excluded from the service plan and will continue to be monitored internally.

Services to Aboriginal children and families are provided both by ministry staff and through Aboriginal agencies. Aboriginal agencies' responsibilities continue to be expanded in order to respond to child welfare concerns. The ministry is responsible for providing support and consultation to Aboriginal child welfare agencies and assisting these agencies in meeting mandatory requirements under the Child, Family, and Community Service Act.

Key strategies include: expanding the scope of existing Aboriginal agencies to increase the range of services delivered, and implementing initiatives to recruit and support foster parents as caregivers for Aboriginal children.

Performance Measures:

The ministry is working to increase the cultural appropriateness of child welfare services provided to Aboriginal children and families in B.C. and to increase the scope of services delivered to their children and families. A number of Aboriginal agencies have been "delegated" with the legal responsibility to provide child welfare services for children and families in their community. This strengthens community resources and makes culturally appropriate resources more accessible for Aboriginal children and their families. The percentage of Aboriginal children in care who are served by delegated Aboriginal agencies (rather than the ministry) is a measure of how many children are receiving culturally appropriate services.

Some Aboriginal children continue to be served by the ministry. Wherever possible, the ministry places Aboriginal children in its care with Aboriginal families, to maintain the children's connectedness with their cultural heritage, community and family. Measuring the percentage of Aboriginal children who are cared for by Aboriginal families is an indication of success in this approach.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: Both performance measures are continued from last year, although they have been reworded for clarity.

The ministry is working to provide better services for specific child and youth populations, such as young offenders, children and youth at risk of or suffering from mental disorders, and children and youth who are commercially sexually exploited. The ministry enhances services to children and youth through continued implementation of the Child and Youth Mental Health Plan. The ministry is planning to introduce Safe Care legislation and will be strengthening services for commercially sexually exploited youth, as well as providing services for children and youth in conflict with the law.

Key strategies include: expanding community-based mental health treatment and support services; providing early intervention and support resources in schools to help children and youth develop healthy coping skills; implementing new services for youth who are commercially sexually exploited; and continuing to use innovative, non-custodial approaches like community-based alternatives to custody for youth in conflict with the law.

Performance Measures:

Monitoring and reporting on the rate of youth in custody is a standard measure across Canadian provinces and territories and indicates the use of one of the justice system's responses to youth crime.

Measuring the number of clients served by Child and Youth Mental Health Services measures access to services for this population, which is a primary focus of the Child and Youth Mental Health Plan, implementation of which is to begin in 2005/06. Improved access will support earlier identification and treatment of children and youth who are at risk of, or have, a mental disorder, thereby reducing the severity and consequences of mental health problems.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: The second performance measure has been added to coincide with the implementation of the Child and Youth Mental Health Plan. For more information on the plan, see the website at: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/mental_health/mh_publications/cymh_plan.htm#about.

The ministry is committed to the development of authorities that will bring decisions regarding services closer to those who use them. The ministry believes adults with developmental disabilities, children, youth, and their families are best served through a community-based service delivery system. Safety, service quality and accountability are paramount considerations in developing effective, efficient service delivery systems.

The ministry continues to work in partnership with the Interim Authority Community Living British Columbia (IACLBC) to establish a permanent, provincial authority — Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) — that will assume responsibility for the provision of community living services. The ministry is working in partnership with Aboriginal communities to establish five Regional Aboriginal Authorities that will take responsibility for services to Aboriginal children and families.

The ministry continues to make improvements to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of services and service system. This work requires strong partnerships and collaborative relationships with the ministry's stakeholders and community partners to achieve the service plan's goals and objectives. This includes improving contract management and financial practices with ministry staff and service providers. The ministry will continue to focus on improving the ministry's project management and monitoring and accountability systems, including quality assurance mechanisms such as accreditation, audits and reviews.

The ministry's move to community governance will shift the planning and management of programs and services closer to recipients and increase the ability of those programs to respond appropriately to individual needs. A community living authority, once established, will be accountable for the quality and effectiveness of services and management of public funds. Processes will be established to address the authority's responsibilities to individuals who require services and to their broader communities. Legislation has been passed that provides for the establishment of the authority and for its assumption of responsibility for service delivery. Work is continuing with the IACLBC to transfer services in 2005/06.

Key strategies include developing accountability requirements and measures for the new provincial authority and supporting the development of CLBC.

Performance Measure:

The authority will be responsible for a service delivery system that meets strict accountability requirements for effectiveness, quality, efficiency and financial management. The new provincial governance authority for community living services, CLBC, will be established in 2005/06. The authority will be considered established when it assumes responsibility under legislation for service delivery. Performance measures for subsequent years will be determined in partnership with CLBC.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: The previous performance measure, "number of authorities established," has been split into two measures (see also the performance measure for Objective 2).

Implementation of regional authorities will focus first on the establishment of the Aboriginal authorities. The five Regional Aboriginal Authorities, once established, will be accountable for the quality and effectiveness of services and the management of public funds. The authorities' responsibilities to individuals who require services, and to their broader communities, will be addressed as part of the accountability requirements placed on the authorities.

Key strategies include: partnering with Aboriginal communities to enhance Aboriginal capacity for service delivery; increasing cultural awareness; hiring and training Aboriginal staff; and implementing a jointly developed plan to achieve five Regional Aboriginal Authorities.

Performance Measure:

The establishment of the Regional Aboriginal Authorities will occur in 2006/07, followed by the Regional Authorities for non-Aboriginal child and family services in 2007/08. The authorities will be considered established when they assume responsibility under legislation for the delivery of some or all services. Authorities will be required to meet accountability requirements.

Changes to performance measures from the previous service plan: The previous performance measure "number of authorities established" has been split into two measures (see also the performance measure for Objective 1).