NEW BRUNSWICK EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES Health and - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

NEW BRUNSWICK EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES Health and Education Research Group UNB Faculty of Education Final Report October 22, 2013

PRESENTATION FRAMEWORK • BACKGROUND • RESEARCH DESIGN • UTILIZATION AND FINANCIAL REPORTING • PRACTICES OF INTEGRATION • BENEFITS & LESSONS LEARNED • IMPACTS AND IMPLICATIONS

Background • In 2007, the Province of New Brunswick conducted an early learning and childcare consultation whereby parents indicated a need for community-based, integrated services: • “….places where they could access information, help their children get ready for school, and receive help with parenting questions” (NB Early Childhood Development Centres Pilot Project, 2009, p.5). • In 2008, New Brunswick responded to the need to improve early childhood education and care by issuing a call for proposals from communities to become Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) demonstration sites.

Intent of Demonstration • Four centres were chosen, representing both Anglophone and Francophone sectors in two urban and two rural settings. • Five additional provincial sites were funded by the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation. Four of these sites remain in operation. • The short-term goal of these centres was to provide seamless programming for children and parents through coordinating and connecting kindergarten, early learning and childcare programs, parenting support services and community resources. • The long-term goal was to impact the capacity of children to succeed in life by providing a strong foundation during the early years.

HERG Research Design • Case study methodology was employed to facilitate a systematic investigation of site experiences • The evaluation framework documented the process by which the ECDCs coordinated , connected and integrated early childhood services within an educational framework. • Methods included the application of key informant interviews , focus groups , surveys , and the Indicators of Change instrument, as well as the analysis of financial and utilization data over the three-year demonstration period.

New Brunswick Early Childhood Development Centre Initiative Logic Model Philosophy/Assumptions: Developmental perspectives, , strength-focused methods, family/community collaboration, universal access, early intervention, and Integrated service delivery Participants � Components Activities � Outputs � Outcomes� Mission� and� Goal� nt � · � · Program� Review� NB� Curricululm� Framework� for� Early� Learning� and� Childcare� and� policy� documents� � the� Provincial� Kindergarten� Curriculum� � � · · Enhanced� Increased� family� Provincial� � · Develop� · Early� shared� learning� philosophies,� goals� and� objectives� screening� tools� and� protocols� for� and� community� Demonstration� collaboration� in� Early� · Identify� and� implement� joint� opportunities� for� learning� activities� across� intervention� � attachments� Site� Teams� curriculum� Mission� -� To� Learning� programs� � � � � design� and� · Design� · Program� Environment� learning� spaces� to� meet� child� and� family� needs� learning� guides� foster� the� · Increased� school� � delivery� among� · Identify� � � and� apply� methods� for� early� screening� and� intervention� within� positive� engagement� and� � · Learning� early� child� program� processes� space� plans� academic� growth� and� McCain� - � · Develop� and� implement� mechanisms� for� monitoring� of� program� quality� � service� providers� success� supported� Early� development� · Strategy� and� effectiveness� documents� for� program� review� � Childhood� Site� of� children� · � · Enhanced� � Committees� and� their� Early� working� � · Share� strategies� for� child� care,� preschool� and� parent/family� programs� � · Protocols� for� inter-program� and� inter-agency� Childhood� � families� � relationships� · Develop� linkages� with� community� and� intervention� service� providers� in� the� information� exchange� Team� and� � among� early� provision� of� early� childhood� programming� Positive � Service� McCain� · Provide� child� hood� and� growth and joint� in-service� professional� development� activities� · Interprofessional� training� sessions� Foundation� Providers development � community� Project� of children service� providers� · Need� and� capacity� assessment� reports� Authorities� · Assess� and their community� needs� and� capacity� related� to� early� childhood� services� � � � � � · Allocate� families and� share� resources� to� support� integrated� service� delivery� efforts� · · Pooled� Increased� access� Leadership� � &� � budget� plans� · Establish� program� policies� and� practices� that� facilitate� development� of� Goal� -� To� for� families� to� � Management� � integrated� services� · Program� early� childhood� enhance� system� Health� and� policy� and� practice� documents� Structure� · Hire� and� supervise� early� childhood� staff� team� members� · Strengthened� � Education� � supports� and� capacity� to� � Research� � Group� community� and� services� respond� in� a� regional� early� Evaluation� · Ensure� · � � � program� access� � to� children� and� families� from� local� catchment� and� � Intake� screening� and� assessment� protocols� � timely,� effective� childhood� service� Coordinators� rural� areas� � · Access� and � Increased� and� integrated� � delivery� capacity� · Provide� · Inter-program� ease� of� movement� or� access� between� program� services� and� accessibility� policy� procedures� Intake� participation� of� � � � manner� to� the� activities� for� children� and� their� families� � Processes� families� and� · Enhanced� � · � · Funding� strength� and� Extend� accessibility� of� services� through� support� funding� and� program� and� support� program� documents� community� Project� Advisory� � integrated� service� fees� � � need� and� members� in� � Inter- delivery� · Use� · Program� common� intake� screening� and� assessment� forms/protocols� access� and� participation� review� profiles� of� departmental� early� childhood� approaches� · Monitor� program� reach� and� participation,� and� undertake� strategies� to� guidelines� � � Committee� � among� children� and� initiatives� address� challenges� to� accessibility� � departmental� and� Parent� and� � their� families� � community� Community� � · Parent� � and� community� survey� and� interview� service� providers� · Provide� · Engagement� opportunities� for� parent� input� in� decision-making� related� to� Strengthened� � � Other� Provincial� � instruments� � Opportunities� delivery� of� early� childhood� services� family� � Integrated� � · Invite� participation� of� family� and� community� members� in� regular� program� and� Activities and� parenting� · Parenting� Service� Delivery� program� documents� � activities� capacity� � Initiatives� � · Design� program� opportunties� for� enhancing� parenting� capacity� � · Communcation� and� promotional� materials,� · Maintain� ongoing� communication� and� connections� with� participating� � and� media� releases� families� and� community� members� � � � �

Research Areas of Inquiry • Reach and engagement • Stakeholders and staff satisfaction • Challenges and solutions • Practices of integration • Lessons learned • Developments to enhance the effectiveness • Operational costs and financial supports