Building Early Years Community Systems Joanne Schroeder – Comox Valley Child Development Association, BC, Canada Pippa Rowcliffe – Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Canada

The Early Development Instrument Physical health and well-being Social Competence Emotional Maturity Language and Cognitive Development Communication Skills Child Vulnerability – A Compelling Reason

% EDI VULNERABILITY PROVINCIAL TRENDS IN EDI VULNERABILITY

% EDI VULNERABILITY PROVINCIAL TRENDS IN EDI VULNERABILITY

Children in Context …….in community and in neighbourhoods

Local school authorities Non Profit Sector & Community Organizations Health Ministry for Children & Family Education Child care Family Supports Public Health School Based Early intervention Local government Fragmentation

Thinking like a system…… Structure and governance of the institutions

Being a Systems Thinker See the Whole Look for Connections Change Perspective Be Prepared to be Wrong Anticipate Unintended Consequences Embrace Ambiguity Finds Leverage

3 Strategies – Different but Linked Early Years Collaboratives Neighbourhood Based Initiatives Early Years Hubs Lessons Learned

Early Years Collaboratives A Brief History Successes and Challenges The Comox Valley Example

A Brief History 2000: three communities designated as Learning Sites 2002: Sites had grown to : Provincial Success by 6 Today: Over 140 tables throughout the province.

Successes Increased awareness of the early years Non traditional partnerships Aboriginal and First Nations engagement Hundreds of new direct service projects Community capacity to receive and use data

Local school authorities Private and Community Funders Health MCFD Education Child care Family Supports School Based Early intervention ECD TABLE Challenges Public Health

Challenges Uneven funding Lack of provincial framework Lack of commitment from key public partners Diverse capacity of coordinators Too much responsibility nested in coordinator role

Our Comox Valley experiment Success By 6 Coordinator Early Years Interagency Council Father’s Involvement Network School District 71 /Early Learning Committee Family Literacy Outreach Advisory Council Parentin g Perinatal Committee Aboriginal ECD Council

Comox Valley Early Years Collaborative now Municipal and Regional Business Interested Citizens Parents

Role of Collaborative Purpose: Engage the community to strengthen and enhance the early years supports and services in the Comox Valley towards of our vision of children and families thriving. Provides an overarching structure to link existing groups and provides a place for new, non-traditional partners to join. Contributes to a strategic plan with specific goals and timelines. Champions the early years throughout the community. Meets 3 -4 times per year

The Leadership Team (CVEYLT) Membership includes, but is not limited to, senior managers from public and non-profit early years organizations. Membership is reviewed annually by the Collaborative. Tasked with implementing the strategic priorities/activities identified in the early years plan. Allocate early years funding based on early years strategic plan and emerging priorities/opportunities. Guides the work of Success by 6 and the Early Years Centre. Accountable to the Collaborative. Communicates within their organizations about the work of CVEYLT Decision by consensus. Meets monthly.

Neighbourhood Based Early Years Initiatives Place matters – the quality of our communities and neighbourhoods matter We have the collective power to change the lives of children and families

A Partnership……

Guildford West Surrey, BC Coquitlam River Port Coquitlam, BC

Community Champions & neighbourhood Events Peer Learning & Support Programs that fit community needs Community. Planning & Engagement A Neighbourhood community development process…….

Successes of a Neighbourhood Early Years approaches A focus on community identified needs Communities participate, lead and own the intervention Engaging parents and families directly Adequate funding Effective relationships and coalitions between stakeholder groups

Challenges of a Neighbourhood Early Years approaches Time required to get going and funder expectations Significant size of funding creates demand for immediate results Complexity of evaluation Finding balance between an effective community engagement process and demands for new programs Confused leadership structure

Early Years Centre (could be in a school, recreation centre, child development centre, mobile, virtual, store front, local non-profit) StrongStart and Ready, Set, Learn initiatives including supports for kindergarten transitions Child care information for parents, referrals, and in some cases, on site child care Parent and tot drop in programs including family resource programs, building blocks, Mother Goose Public Health dental, vision, hearing screening; immunization; pre/post natal support Targeted intervention including (Aboriginal) Infant Development and (Aboriginal) Supported Child Development To date – 12 Early Years Centres Test Sites Early Years Centre …a “one stop shop” for parents/young children to access a range of information, referrals, advice, programs and services across the early years…

Working together: collaboration as a foundation

Service Coordination and Integration

Success: Improved early years information for parents and range of services

Success: Increase service access by paying attention to barriers

Success: Co-location of services builds relationship & trust

Potential for increased fragmentation Small funding amounts Political and historical context Defining clear roles and responsibilities Some Challenges…..

Mindset Shift Trust Some global lessons…… Relationships, relationships, relationships…. Engage

Allow time for a truly collaborative, team approach

Work toward a common vision and goals – put children and families at the centre

A shared leadership and responsibility approach – build commitment from the start

TIME RelationshipsLeadershipProcessesStructuresShared Vision

Thank you!! Joanne Schroeder – Pippa Rowcliffe – Partner Organizations United way of the Lower Mainland – Social Planning and Research Council of BC – Early Years Office, Government of British Columbia – Comic Valley Child Development Association – Human Early Learning Partnership, UBC – early learning.ubc.ca