G.3. What needs to be included as essential services and programs?

G.3.a. General Comments

• We need child centred services.
  • Prenatal services
  • Universal quality child care
  • Early language development
  • Early remediation programs
  • Kindergarten
  • Comprehensive child care system
  • extended hours
  • Children's mental health services
  • Child advocate
  • Access to specialty services; i.e. Speech therapy, occupational therapy
  • More special needs instructors in the schools in the early years

• We need family centred services.
  • Literacy development programs for children and parents at the community level
  • Family support education
  • Employment enhancement and support services for parents
  • Opportunities for life long learning
  • Family resource centers for all age levels within the family ( young people don't always have a space to call there own )
  • Support services that are available during evenings and weekends
  • Community support systems for parents
  • Income support to ensure basic needs are met.
  • Parenting skill development programs and courses

• We need community centred services.
  • Legal/Judicial - family law support services
  • Sufficient income - guaranteed adequate income
  • Low income housing - affordable housing for families
  • Universal community recreation programs, including such things as arts, drama, music, and other creative activities ( not just sports ).
  • Transportation subsidy - support to allow children and families to access programs
  • Programs that fund and support community capacity building
  • Self esteem programs and personal skill building activities for adolescent and youth (school based, recreation, etc)
  • Programs designed to foster cultural awareness and multi-culturalism; i.e. aboriginal

• Awareness, Communication and Education is important.
  • Participants questioned whether client groups are aware of the services/supports which exist, and, whether they know how to find/access available programs. Participants also wondered whether the client groups, even if they knew such programs/services existed would feel comfortable accessing them. Access to these supports, they said, must be made "user friendly" for the client group. There should be national access to information about all programs, services, organizations (i.e. currently, families have to try twelve different phone numbers to find help).
  • Transparency and awareness of services is key.

• There will be a high need for a coordinated approach, collaboration, and shared leadership in setting up service delivery structures and approaches. Service coordination - essential services to children and families need to be better integrated at the community level

• In order to be able to provide services to families, service providers at the community level need to be supported with adequate funding, training, specialized equipment, and other supports. In particular, service providers (e.g. Early childhood development staff, childcare workers, family support workers) need to be valued and supported with appropriate financial compensation ("put our money where our mouth is").

• Collaborative partnerships must be establish among/between all the key service providers and players involved; parents must be supported to assume a vital role in these partnerships. Create a community-based model to systematically identify and share existing community resources; this model should provide parents with a primary role in the model, and this role would be supported by collaborative partnerships with key service provider groups.

• There should be a statement saying that economic well-being is necessary but not sufficient for child health. There is a need to put dollars towards economic well-being because it's the big problem.

• We need affordable housing that is safe, clean, and other environmental issues must be considered; population needs to be dispersed, rather than creating low income communities.

• Material and/or physical supports need to be in place for children and their families before it is possible for them to deal other social and/or emotional needs.

• A holistic approach to education is important.

• During the forum, our group brainstormed a list of essential services, prior to examining the list that is offered here. We concluded that the three most important services are the basic necessities of food, shelter, and health care. These three essential services should be considered first. The following is a list of other services that should be considered after these three have been taken care of:
  • Nutrition
  • Housing (housing that is accessible and not over-crowded)
  • Health Care (there should be affordable and accessible health care, including: dental care, physiotherapy, speech therapy, and licensed psychological treatment)
  • Income Support for Parents (there should be more support for young parents and single mothers)
  • Licensed Child Care (child care that is affordable and accessible)
  • Education (schools should be able to meet the needs of kids / children should have access to libraries and books that are written in their first language / people should be able to access educational services within their own communities)
  • Family Literacy Programs (there should be more support for family literacy programs)
  • Recreation (children and youth should have access to recreational facilities, playgrounds, and organized leisure activities)
  • Support for Youth Employment (students should have access to programs that will train them to become entrepreneurs)
  • Sports and Services for Children with Disabilities

G.3.b. Specific Comments

Income support to parents, particularly those with inadequate earnings and/or with children with extraordinary needs, including children with disabilities or chronic or acute health problems.

• Take out "those with inadequate earnings" replace with additional support for families with kids with extraordinary needs.
• There is a growing gap between poor and well to do families; any serious effort to address child/family needs will have to deal with this disparity. There needs to be some clarification with respect to "income support"; there must be a way to ensure/provide adequate income for all children and families.
• Material/physical supports need to be in place for children and their families, before it is possible for them to deal other social and/or emotional needs.

b) Employment Support

Employment support, including parental leave, that allow parents to better balance the demands of work and family over the course of the work day and year.

• End the sentence at family, and add "and flexible childcare option".
• Employment standards should ensure workplace flexibility for families.
• Use the term "family friendly" workplace
• Encourage employers to be family friendly and offer flex time to care for children, parents, etc.
• Income support and employment support
• Should be a statement saying that economic well-being is necessary but not sufficient for child health. Need to put dollars towards economic well-being because it's the big problem
• Call this "family friendly policies".

c) Preventative, Community-Based Health Services

Preventative, community-based health services, including disease prevention and wellness promotion.

• A prevention focus must be in place as well; the risk factors that can cause many of the difficulties that families and children encounter are now well known. We can put prevention programs in place if we have the will.
• Consider a new title: community-based health and wellness services.
• This needs to include nutrition.
• The range of services available should allow for a holistic approach to health, and access to alternate health options.
• This is missing mental health services and early intervention services.
• The pre-natal, pre-conception piece needs to be explored.
• Is cognitive and spiritual development included in social well being? With all the focus on motor and recreational skills, where does the development of one's spiritual side come in

d) Childhood Development Services

Childhood development services for both pre- and school-aged children that augment their physical, emotional and social well