Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

Overview

Ministry Goals

This section presents the ministry’s goals and outlines how specific objectives, strategies and performance measures are helping to achieve these goals. The ministry’s goals focus on the long-term outcomes, relating to health, safety, and individual and community capacity, that we envision for B.C.’s children, youth, and their families. Brief descriptions of key initiatives and activities the ministry is undertaking to achieve its goals and objectives are provided. One of the ways that progress towards goals and objectives is tracked is through monitoring and reporting on performance measures. For each performance measure, baseline data are provided along with annual performance targets for the next three years.

Service plan goals, objectives, strategies and performance measures will continue to develop over time as the ministry’s needs, resources and priorities change and as new and better performance information becomes available. The ministry evaluates its performance measures to ensure they are meaningful, reflect key ministry priorities and focus on the desired outcomes for the individuals receiving services. The ministry continues to collect, monitor and make available additional statistics⁶ and reports on trends and outcomes associated with services provided to children, youth and families. For a full description and rationale of changes to the ministry’s performance plan please refer to the annual Service Plan Reports⁷ published at the end of June.

6	http://www.gov.bc.ca/mcfd.
7	http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/annualreports/cfd/default.htm.

Linkage to the Five Great Goals

The ministry supports government’s Five Great Goals for a Golden Decade:

1. To make British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.
2. To lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.
3. To build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors.
4. To lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management, bar none.
5. To create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

The ministry supports the Five Great Goals, with emphasis on the first three Great Goals, through its work in areas such as child protection, early childhood development, child and youth mental health, and child care, including services to children and youth with special needs.

Specifically, the ministry:

• contributes to Great Goal 1 through early childhood development and child care programming;
• contributes to Great Goal 2 through initiatives designed to promote healthy living for vulnerable children, the promotion of healthy living through child care centres, and programs for youth in community centres, such as life skills training;
• supports Great Goal 3 through:
• utilizing current best practice research to inform the delivery of child welfare services;
• implementing the Child and Youth Mental Health plan;
• participating in a cross ministry initiative for services to children and youth with special needs to deliver services in an integrated way to children and families; and
• implementing initiatives to assist youth at risk.
• is committed where possible to supporting Great Goals 4 and 5 through our programs and initiatives.

Cross Ministry Initiatives

Effective cross ministry partnerships are essential for the successful implementation of the initiatives directed at realizing government’s Five Great Goals and overall strategic direction. The ministry:

• plays a key role in the development of StrongStartBC; a government plan that will bring together the initiatives of a number of ministries to work together to improve outcomes for B.C.’s children;
• partners with the Ministries of Health and Education on early childhood development programs and for the implementation of the Child and Youth Mental Health plan;
• is partnering with the Ministry of Education to support early learning opportunities designed to improve children’s readiness to learn, including the Literacy initiative;
• is involved with the Ministries of Education and Health in the ongoing development of an integrated approach to services for children and youth with special needs, and is contributing to the development of a cross government disability strategy led by the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance;
• is participating with other ministries in relation to youth Crystal Meth strategies;
• is working with Aboriginal communities to increase supports for vulnerable Aboriginal children and their families; and
• is working to support data sharing with other ministries and government organizations through Integrated Information Systems.

Performance Plan

Maintained and improved safety and well-being of children and youth are principal outcomes the ministry works toward for vulnerable children and youth in B.C. The ministry remains current with national and international research on the most effective approaches concerning child welfare. Research and experience confirms that maintaining and improving the safety and well-being of children and youth is best achieved in the context of family and community. Research, including studies by G.Vaillant and E. Werner,⁸ has shown that resilient high-risk children and youth usually have a close bond with an emotionally stable person, enabling them to receive sufficient nurturing and establish a sense of trust.

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

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

The performance measure for Objective 1.1, concerning the rate of recurrence of neglect and/or abuse by family, will be used to directly measure the progress towards Goal 1. The other performance measures under Goal 1 assess progress toward the objectives, which in turn support this goal.

8	Vaillant, G.E. (1993). The wisdom of the ego. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Werner, E.E. (1995). Resilience in development. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 4 (3), 81–85.

The ministry envisions a child welfare system that promotes safety, continuity and permanency. To support this direction, the ministry is providing more out-of-care options to keep children safe within their families and communities. “Out-of-care options” refer to alternative care arrangements with extended family or close friends for children at risk of neglect or abuse who are temporarily unable to live with their parents. Out-of-care options build on family and community strengths and maintain the continuity of family and community relationships, contributing to better outcomes for the 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.

Strategies

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; and increasing the use of non-court processes such as family conferencing, alternate dispute resolution and mediation to resolve child protection issues.

Performance Measure

Child safety is a ministry priority and a key element in the child welfare system. To ensure that children are safe in their communities and with their families, service delivery priorities include strengthening relationships between child welfare and community-based support services to increase early intervention and prevention activities. Priorities include implementing new options for responding to child protection reports that provide intensive support services as an alternative to investigations, as well as the assessment of strengths, needs, and risks for children and families.

The measure “Rate of recurrence of child neglect and/or abuse by family” describes the proportion of families who neglect and/or abuse their children within 12 months of a previously confirmed incidence of child neglect and/or abuse. For this measure, abuse is defined as physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Recurrence is measured over a set period of time and is potentially an indication of an ongoing problem which may signal the need for increased intervention services. This measure is directly linked to the outcome of ensuring child safety in the communities and with their families.

Targets

Monthly and fiscal trends, practice shifts, and the focus on reducing the neglect and abuse of children have been factored into establishing targets for this measure.

1	Data Source: the Management Information System (MIS) and the Social Worker Information System (SWS).
2	This measure, baseline and targets are subject to change as per ongoing improvements in methodology, definitions, and the collection and interpretation of data.

When it is not possible for a child to live permanently with their 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.

Strategies

Key strategies include: helping children-in-care to develop and maintain permanent family and other life-long relationships; and increasing the use of options to enable extended family and others significant in a child’s life, to care for children outside of foster care.

Performance Measures

One of the key elements of the child welfare system is placing children with 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. The measure captures the use of the different options for keeping children out-of-care or for children leaving care through placements with kin or a person with significant ties to the child.

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. This is a priority of the ministry, and between April 1, 2002 and March 31, 2005, 990 children-in-care of the ministry were placed into permanent homes. The number of adoptions of children who have been in the care of the ministry illustrates how many of these children now belong to a permanent family. The level of adoption activity has increased since June 2002.

As of March 31, 2005, there were an estimated 818 children registered for adoption with another 430 in the process of being registered. There were 292 families with approved home studies as of March 31, 2005. The measure “Per cent of children available for adoption who have been placed” indicates the number of children who are placed for adoption within a fiscal year as a percentage of all the children-in-care who are legally available for adoption and have a plan for adoption. In the fiscal year from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005, 308 children were placed for adoption.

Targets

The targets for the first measure were established based on forecasts, historic use and trends in intakes and admissions. The targets for the second measure were set with consideration to other strategies and initiatives in the ministry. As a result of other initiatives, such as reducing the overall numbers of children-in-care, there are smaller numbers of children each year for whom adoption will be an option. Targets for both measures were also based on consultations with MCFD regions based on practice experience.

1	Data Source: Management Information System (MIS) and the Social Worker Information System (SWS).
2	Data Source: The Adoption Management System (AMS).

In order to improve outcomes for Aboriginal children and families, the ministry is working to increase the cultural appropriateness of services provided to Aboriginal children and families in B.C. This includes services provided directly by the ministry and efforts to increase Aboriginal capacity for service delivery. As of December 31, 2005, 23 Aboriginal agencies have been delegated with the legal responsibility to provide a range of child and family services in their community. This strengthens community resources and makes culturally appropriate resources more accessible for Aboriginal children and their families. The ministry is also working with delegated Aboriginal agencies to increase the scope of services they provide. The ministry supports and consults with delegated Aboriginal agencies, assisting these agencies in meeting mandatory requirements under the Child, Family and Community Service Act. Regions are working to establish Aboriginal service teams and to contract with community-based Aboriginal agencies to deliver services to Aboriginal children and families.

Strategies

Key strategies include: developing new delegated Aboriginal agencies and expanding the scope of existing Aboriginal agencies; implementing initiatives to recruit and support Aboriginal foster and adoptive parents; increasing cultural awareness of ministry staff; hiring and retaining Aboriginal staff; and allocating funding from the Child and Youth Mental Health Plan for the development of specific Aboriginal child and youth mental health services.

Performance Measure

The ministry supports the development and expansion of delegated Aboriginal agencies in order to provide Aboriginal children and families with services that are more consistent with their culture. The per cent of Aboriginal children-in-care who receive services from delegated Aboriginal agencies is a measure of the proportion of children-in-care who are receiving culturally appropriate services.

Targets

The targets for the measure “Per cent of Aboriginal children-in-care who are served by delegated Aboriginal agencies” are based on the anticipated continuation of the success of strategies to safely transfer children-in-care of the ministry to delegated Aboriginal agencies.

1	Data Source: The Management Information System (MIS) and the Social Worker Information System (SWS).

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 sexually exploited. The ministry continues to enhance services to children and youth through implementation of the Child and Youth Mental Health Plan, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. MCFD has strengthened services for high-risk youth, including those who are sexually exploited through the provision of individualized services in response to a youth’s need and through funding additional safe house/emergency shelter beds. The ministry continues to provide a broad range of community-based services for youth in conflict with the law.

Strategies

Key strategies include: continuing to use innovative, non-custodial approaches like community-based alternatives to custody for youth in conflict with the law; expanding community-based mental health treatment and support services; providing prevention, early intervention and other resources to schools to help children and youth manage anxiety and depression; and providing services for youth who are homeless and/or sexually exploited.

Performance Measure

Monitoring and reporting on the rate of youth in custody is a standard measure across Canada, allowing for inter-jurisdictional comparison, and indicates the use of one of the justice system’s responses to youth crime. The measure is the annual average of the daily population of youth (aged 12–17 years) in custody per 10,000 as a proportion of all 12–17 year olds in B.C. The measure gauges the degree to which the youth correctional system relies on incarceration and indicates effectiveness of community-based alternatives to custody. The number of youth in the justice system is declining, demonstrating progress toward the desired outcome of reducing youth involvement in the criminal justice system and providing treatment services and community-based alternatives to custody, when appropriate. Currently, British Columbia has the lowest youth custody rate in Canada.

Targets

The targets are based on historical and demographic trends in British Columbia. Fluctuations in factors that affect youth custody rates, such as crime rates, account for the low baseline as compared to the targets. Although the overall numbers of youth in custody have declined, the needs profile of youth in custody has increased. Diverting youth with low needs and minor offences to community justice programs has left a greater concentration of youth in custody with high needs (e.g., Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and mental health) and more serious offence histories.

1	Data Source: The Management and Analysis Reporting System (MARS) and B.C. Stats.

Supporting children and youth, including those with special needs, to achieve their full potential is the ministry’s second goal; the realization of which will contribute toward the government’s Great Goals that focus on literacy, healthy living, and support for children and youth at risk. The ministry recognizes that the quality of care that children receive in the early years is critical to their success in school and in life.

All stages in life are significant, but research confirms that the period from conception to school age is particularly crucial to the physical, intellectual, social and emotional development of a child. In Canada, significant differences in developmental status exist among children by the time they enter school. Seventy-five per cent of B.C.’s children enter school ready to learn, which means that one quarter of B.C. children are developmentally vulnerable when they enter school. Early childhood development, early learning and child care programs encourage healthy and optimal development of children and lead to better outcomes for individuals, families and communities. The ministry is committed to developing and supporting initiatives that will increase the capacity of families and communities to support early childhood development. Cross government partnerships and cooperation are key components of our commitment. By working with our ministry partners, including the Ministries of Education and Health, and with the support of families, communities and service providers, young children will have every opportunity to thrive.

The Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Bilateral Agreement-in-Principle with the federal government provides federal funding to enhance early learning and child care in British Columbia for children under the age of six. Our commitment is to initiate and enhance early learning and child care programs, in order to maximize children’s growth and development and increase families’ abilities to provide a safe, nurturing environment for their children. Our ministry and the Ministry of Education, in partnership with families, will continue to strengthen linkages between and among early learning, child care and early childhood development initiatives to improve school readiness and school performance.

The ministry supports a broad range of services that assist children with special needs to live as fully and independently as possible within their homes and communities. The ministry provides access to intervention and support services for children and youth with special needs and their families, which range from infant development programs to nursing support services. C hildren with special needs may require intensive, specific intervention, on a short-term, periodic or long-term basis. Services and supports are intended to promote healthy development, maximize quality of life and assist families in their role as primary caregivers. Families of children with special needs will have access to programs that are based on a family-centred approach and support parents’ choice. Community Living BC is responsible for the provision of services to children with developmental disabilities, over age 6, except for children with continuing care orders, who remain the responsibility of MCFD.

A performance measure that will be used to directly assess the ministry’s progress towards Goal 2 is: “Per cent of socio-economically disadvantaged children at age-appropriate grade level”. The performance measure for Objective 2.1 concerning the per cent of children who enter kindergarten “ready to learn” will also be used to directly measure the progress towards Goal 2. The other performance measures under Goal 2 assess progress toward the objectives, which in turn support this goal.

Performance Measure

This new measure, “Per cent of socio-economically disadvantaged children whose grade level matches their age,” relates to the government’s priority that disadvantaged children and children at risk have the best system of support. It represents the per cent of school aged disadvantaged children at a grade level that matches their age as reported on September 30th of a school year. It measures how well socio-economically disadvantaged children are keeping up in school and is a good measure of whether the system of support for disadvantaged children is generating desired outcomes. By adopting this measure, B.C. is taking on a leadership role within Canada by reporting on whether disadvantaged children are attending school at the grade level that matches their age. Over the next ten years, B.C. will work towards eliminating the gap between socio-economically disadvantaged and other children.

Targets

Targets for the measure reflect the government’s 10-year commitment to eliminate the gap between socio-economically disadvantaged and other children with respect to grade-level and children’s age. Targets are set at a one per cent increase per year for the next 10 years; the baseline is 86 per cent in 2004/05.

1

Measures educational outcome inequality by socio-economic background. Socio-economically disadvantaged children are those that are in one or more of the following categories in the 12 month period October–September: Children-in-Care (MCFD); Children in out-of-care placements (MCFD); Children of Income Assistance recipients (MEIA); Children in the Home of a Relative (MEIA); Individuals with youth agreements (MCFD); and Children under supervision orders (MCFD).

The ministry is working in partnership with other ministries, including the Ministries of Health and Education, to plan and strengthen early childhood development services in B.C. Government is working to provide parents with the information they need about early childhood development and to increase service choice and flexibility. Our ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to plan an overall approach to early learning and child care. These efforts will support government’s goal to make B.C. the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent. By making strategic investments in early childhood development, children will have the foundation skills to thrive and succeed in life. Government is partnering with the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP),⁹ an interdisciplinary research institute in early childhood development including four of B.C.’s universities: Simon Fraser University; University of British Columbia; University of Northern British Columbia; and the University of Victoria. The HELP database provides information for some of the ministry’s performance measurement activities.

The ministry is committed to investing in community-based initiatives throughout the province that are supportive of the Five Great Goals and include a strong community investment focus. The enhancement of community resources through current initiatives like Success by 6 and Children First¹⁰ helps to build community capacity, supports sustainable community partnerships, and improves access to appropriate early childhood development services. In particular, the ministry is committed to providing and supporting initiatives and services that support the early childhood development needs of young Aboriginal children and families.

9	For further information about HELP please see: http://www.earlylearning.ubc.ca.
10	Please see: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_childhood/index.htm.

Strategies

Key strategies include: implementing, with ministry partners, a cross government strategy to support children under age six and their families to optimize early childhood development outcomes; building capacity within Aboriginal communities to deliver culturally appropriate services, and supporting Aboriginal communities to develop and implement early childhood development strategies to meet their needs.

Performance Measure

The measure “Per cent of children who enter kindergarten ‘ready to learn’” relates to government and ministry priorities for early childhood development services that support children’s readiness to learn using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). The EDI is an assessment tool of students’ “readiness to learn” administered by teachers. Kindergarten teachers rate students on performance in five major domains: physical health, language/cognitive skills, social competence, emotional maturity, and communication and general knowledge. Through the use of the EDI, this measure provides a comprehensive picture of the status of B.C. children’s school readiness. Provincial baseline data from 2004/05 show that 75 per cent of kindergarten students are “ready to learn”, however, this indicates that 25 per cent of B.C. kindergarten children are developmentally vulnerable when they enter school. Progress regarding this measure will be reported in the ministry’s annual service plan report for 2007/08, as the provincial level assessment data for this measure is collected over a three-year period.

Targets

The targets for this measure were selected based on an estimate of the impact of strategies intended to increase the integration and effective deilvery of programs, as well as the anticipated additional government resources for infant development and child care. Targets will be adjusted as more is learned about the impact of public resources on the 75 per cent baseline.

1	Data Source: HELP http://ecdportal.help.ubc.ca/findedidata.htm.

British Columbia is committed to giving children opportunities to be safe and secure; to be physically, mentally and emotionally healthy; and to be effective learners. B.C.’s vision is to help children become the best they can be physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally. Providing access to quality early learning and child care supports this vision. Accordingly, provincial child care investments will focus on meeting the needs of families and increasing the quality of child care. Research indicates that quality child care contributes to improved child development and increased school readiness.

Government is committed to supporting quality, sustainable and safe child care services so that parents may choose from a range of child care options that meet the diverse needs in their communities. Increasing child care resources and government support for child care helps to make child care more accessible and affordable for parents. The availability of child care is a key need of many families in B.C.

Strategies

Key strategies include: building additional child care spaces; moving to a more user friendly and efficient electronic child care subsidy administration that is supported by new community outreach services available to parents; working with the Ministry of Education to strengthen linkages; and identifying opportunities for service improvements.

Performance Measures

The child care sector in British Columbia is complex and MCFD is one of many contributors to B.C.’s child care system. Providing a complete picture of B.C.’s child care sector through performance measure data is challenging: there are many informal child care arrangements, some providers choose not to participate in provincially funded programs, and the number of spaces approved for MCFD funding fluctuates according to the changing child care needs of families, and time of year. Therefore, MCFD will be reporting on a number of child care measures in its service plan to provide a more complete picture of child care in B.C. These measures include:

1. “Number of Licensed spaces approved for CCOF funding.”

Child care capacity and supply are measured by the total number of Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) approved spaces. This measure will be calculated in two different ways: the cumulative total number of spaces and the average monthly number of spaces. The average measure is a new measure in the service plan and represents the average number of licensed child care spaces the ministry commits to fund each month under CCOF.

2. “Number of new licensed child care spaces funded under the Capital Funding Program.”

This new measure counts the number of new spaces created each year by major capital projects funded under the Child Care Capital Funding Program and will reflect the impacts of new federal child care funding.

3. “Number of children whose families receive a child care subsidy.”

Child care subsidies assist low and moderate income families with the cost of child care so they may pursue employment, education or other community activities, such as volunteering. Subsidies also support early childhood development by assisting families in accessing quality child care. This measure counts the average number of children whose families receive a child care subsidy per month. The number of subsidies in any given year depends on the number of families that apply. Currently, all eligible families who apply for child care subsidies receive funding. In 2005/06 it is anticipated that an average of 22,000 children’s families in B.C. will receive child care subsidy each month. As of December 2005, the families of a total of 41,693 children have received child care subsidies in 2005/06. Of those, 12,396 (approximately 30 per cent) were new to the child care subsidy program.

Targets

Performance measure targets reflect new funding available under the 2005/06–2009/10 Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreement-in-Principle. Figures for 2005/06 have been revised as shown below, due to the implementation of an improved methodology to assess and set child care targets and more accurate information from a new information Datamart system. The total number of licensed spaces approved for CCOF funding in 2005/06 is forecast at 79,000. The 2005/06–2007/08 Service Plan Update September 2005 identified a target of 85,000.

The child care subsidy targets reflect the expected uptake of the subsidy program. The new system eliminates double counting of children receiving child care services that was inherent in the previous information system, and arrives at a more accurate count of children whose families receive child care subsidies. The refinements in the information system have resulted in a revised baseline and targets, including a restated target of 22,000 for 2005/06.

1	The CCOF measure may be assessed and/or changed in the next service plan to more accurately reflect government’s support for regulated child care providers. The baseline and targets are subject to change due to ongoing improvements to the data reporting systems.
2	Data Source: CCOF Datamart System.
3	Data Source: Capital Funding Program Statistics, MCFD.
4	Data Source: MCFD Historical Datamart System for Subsidy.
5	Targets reflect funding consistent with the 2005/06–2009/10 ELCC Bilateral Agreement-in-Principle.

The ministry provides a range of intervention and support services for children and youth with special needs and their families. Over the next two years, MCFD will commit new resources to increase access and reduce waiting times for infant development programs, early intervention therapies, school-aged therapies, supported child development and respite services. New investments will also improve services for children with complex health needs, children with sensory impairments and children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and other complex developmental behavioural conditions. The ministry is working collaboratively with the Ministries of Health and Education to improve the integration of services in B.C. for families of children and youth with special needs, including children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Strategies

Key strategies include: new investments in key intervention and support programs; development of new evidence-based services; development and implementation of retention and recruitment strategies for paediatric therapists and interventionists; and improved cross government planning and co-ordination of provincial and community-based services.

Performance Measures

Children with special needs receive significant benefits from early intervention services that promote physical, cognitive, social, emotional 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 therapy service to when they begin receiving an early intervention therapy service will help the ministry to measure access to these services.

Supported Child Development (SCD) Services are provided to children with special needs to assist them in participating in community and child care settings. There are two components to SCD: a consultation service and extra staff supports. Monitoring the time from a request when an individual support plan is completed to when a child begins receiving extra staff supports, will help the ministry to assess how well we serve families and to determine how best to distribute resources.

Targets

The baseline and targets for early intervention therapy were set based on data from January 2005 to March 2005. For the supported child development measure, data system development, collection, analysis and methodology is currently in progress. Data from all 5 regions will be available by the end of fiscal 2005/06, in order to establish the baseline for this measure. Targets will be established, taking into consideration historical trends and factors such as human resources availability; practice standards; the availability and cost of spaces, and the demand for the program as determined by population changes and increased awareness of the SCD program. This information will be reported online at www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/early_childhood/index.htm and in the ministry’s 2006/07 Annual Service Plan Report.

1	Supported child development services and early intervention therapies are reported separately. The same children may be waiting for both services at a given time. In addition, this measure is subject to change due to ongoing refinements in service delivery definitions and the methods information is captured and measured.
2	Data Source: Sample survey and regional reporting.
3	Wait time is defined differently for EIT and SCD. For EIT, wait time refers to the time from when a family requests a therapy service to when they begin receiving an EIT service. For SCD, wait time represents the time from when an individual support plan is completed to when a child begins receiving extra staff supports.

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

The ministry is working in partnership with Aboriginal communities to establish regional Aboriginal child and family development authorities that will take over responsibility for services to Aboriginal children and families. This partnership with Aboriginal communities is based on existing relationships and on new approaches to build effective working relationships.

The ministry continues to make improvements in increasing the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of services and service systems. This includes improving contract management and financial practices with service providers. This work requires strong partnerships and collaborative relationships with the ministry’s stakeholders and community partners to achieve the ministry’s goals and objectives. 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 is continuing to pursue the creation of regional Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal child and family development authorities for the delivery of MCFD services. These authorities, once established, will be accountable for the quality and effectiveness of services and the management of public funds. These authorities’ responsibilities to individuals receiving services, and to their broader communities, will be addressed as part of their accountability requirements.

Strategies

Key strategies include: development of enabling legislation; focussing on the implementation of a plan jointly developed by Aboriginal communities and the ministry, to establish regional Aboriginal child and family development authorities, including a phased-in plan for the transfer of responsibility consistent with readiness and capacity. The ministry, at the same time, plans to work on the development of non-Aboriginal child and family development authorities.

Performance Measure

The establishment of the regional Aboriginal child and family development authorities is expected to occur in 2006/07, followed by the regional authorities for non-Aboriginal child and family services in 2007/08. The authorities will assume responsibility under legislation for the delivery of services over time.

Targets

There are five MCFD regions in B.C., therefore the targets represent the establishment of both an Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal child and family development authority in each region.

1	Data Source: N/A.

Seventy-five per cent of ministry services are delivered through contracted services. The ministry seeks to improve the accountability of these contracted services in order to encourage socially and fiscally responsible management of community-based social services. The ministry is implementing performance-based contracts with contracted agencies and community organizations to improve service quality and ensure the most effective use of available resources.

As part of the ministry’s quality assurance activities, the ministry requires that all ministry contractors that provide services to the public and have total annual contracts of $500,000 or more achieve third party accreditation by September 2006. The ministry will also support contractors that receive less than $500,000 in annual funding in the accreditation process.

Accreditation ensures that agencies have conformed to a set of best practice standards developed by consumers, clients, stakeholders and international organizations. Accreditation standards require the development of an outcome measurement system that collects feedback and evaluates satisfaction of persons served, the family of persons served and stakeholders. The outcome measurement system ensures that planning decisions are made on evidence of client satisfaction, efficiency, effectiveness and access to services.

Strategies

Key strategies include: implementing improvements to strengthen contracts; implementing enhancements to contract information systems and tools; providing accreditation training, support and advice to contractors to assist them in achieving and maintaining accreditation; and expanding the network of agency mentors to assist other agencies in the accreditation process.

Performance Measure

The performance measure “Per cent of agencies, that are required to be accredited, that achieve accreditation” assesses the proportion of agencies who achieve accreditation as a percentage of those who are required to be accredited. As of January 31, 2006, 220 agencies are required to achieve accreditation prior to September 2006 and an additional 40 are participating voluntarily in the accreditation process.

Targets

The targets were selected based on the required timeframes and the contractors’ feedback as well as the desired outcome of all required contracted agencies achieving accreditation by 2007/08.

	Data Source: Accreditation database and reporting from agencies.

Ministry Performance Plan Summary