NLIS 2 June 18, 2001 (Health and Community Services) (Human Resources and Employment) (Education) $36.6 million for early childhood development initiatives Thousands of children and families in every region of Newfoundland and Labrador will benefit from an announcement made by the provincial government in St. John's today. Gerald Smith, Acting Minister of Health and Community Services and Minister of Human Resources and Employment, Judy Foote, Minister of Education, and Yvonne Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the health minister, provided details on the first year of a $36.6 million, five-year early childhood development (ECD) initiative. This is the first federal/provincial/territorial comprehensive program under the National Children's Agenda which will build on the solid foundation already in place in this province for children, families and their communities. This province's program, Stepping into the Future, has been designed specifically to meet the needs of Newfoundland and Labrador, and is a result of consultation with early childhood stakeholders.
"These priority areas have been determined after much work within our own provincial government, within other government jurisdictions and in consultation with key stakeholders in the early childhood development community," said Ms. Jones. "I want to express thanks to the community leaders who participated in making this process a viable one."
Governments further agreed to being accountable to the public. Work has already begun on a shared framework and the development of comparable indicators. In fall 2001, jurisdictions will report on baseline data and report annually thereafter on the result of their investments.
In the summer 2000, the Department of Health and Community Services led an ECD Interdepartmental Reference Group with a mandate to assist in the identification of priority areas for the ECD funding. One of the key activities of the group was the development of a process for involvement of a broader stakeholder group. Stakeholder consultation was held in October 2000 and included input from approximately 80 individuals across the province having interest in the early childhood period. Five key themes emerged from the priority-setting session, as follows
The next phase of the ECD initiative will involve implementation of each service component, evaluation design and monitoring of progress. The Department of Health and Community Services will continue to take responsibility for managing the administration of the ECD initiative and will work in partnership with other provincial departments, regional and community partners, and the federal government. The role and input of key stakeholders will be critical during the implementation phase as the design and delivery mechanisms of the funded components are addressed. For further information on the ECD initiative, please contact: Project Manager, ECD Initiative Department of Health and Community Services Confederation Building, West Block P.O. Box 8700, St. John's, NF A1B 4J6 (709) 729-2959 (t); (709) 729-5824 (f); Rsmyth@gov.nf.ca (e-mail) Stepping into the future - Fact Sheet Child Care Services Child Care Subsidies: The Child Care Services Subsidy program provides financial assistance for families to access regulated child care services for their children. Regulated child care services include centre-based and family home child care. Families may utilize child care for a number of reasons including employment and training for parents and developmental opportunities for children. Families who apply for subsidy must meet financial eligibility based on an income test. The subsidy program has grown significantly in recent years with a current budget of over $5 million annually. Early Childhood Development funding will provide a further increase of $1 million in 2001-2002 and will grow to $1.3 million over the course of the five-year funding period. Early Childhood Educators - Educational Supplement: The province recognizes the important contribution of trained Early Childhood Educators in their role of providing quality care to young children. The Child Care Services Act and Regulations require that staff who work within licensed child care centres meet minimum educational qualifications for the level of responsibility each staff member holds. Financial support for individuals currently employed, who require educational upgrading, has been funded by the province by way of subsidized courses. Substantial Early Childhood Development funding will be provided in the form of an educational supplement to Early Childhood Educators with Level I and/or Level II certification working within licensed child care centres. The cost of this initiative will be $790,000 in 2001-2002 and increase to an annual amount of approximately $1.8 million by 2004. The details of the program administration will be developed based on consultations with relevant stakeholders. Equipment Grants to Family Home Child Care: The province now has the ability to regulate family home child care. This provision within the Child Care Services Act is an important element in the evolution of child care in this province and contributes to the range of child care services available for families. Appropriate play materials and resources are important in any child care service. In recognition of this, the province reinstated annual equipment grants to licensed child care centres through the National Child Benefit Initiative. Early Childhood Development funding provides the opportunity for regulated family home child care providers to access equipment grants. The cost of this initiative will be $20,000 in 2001-2002 and growing to $70,000 in year three. Professional Support: Access to professional support on child care services is an important resource at community, regional and provincial levels. Individuals and community groups often rely on Health and Community Services personnel to provide an array of professional services related to programming and administration of child care. Commencing in fiscal year 2001-2002, funding of $400,000 will further strengthen child care professional supports in the province. For more information, call: (709) 729-2668. Stepping into the future - Fact Sheet Family Resource Programs and Healthy Baby Clubs Family Resource Programs: Family Resource Programs are positive examples of community-based initiatives that provide a variety of programming for young children and their families. Programs are often delivered from resource centres, offering information and activities for children and family members. Programs are designed with participants in mind and aim to strengthen the capacity of partners and communities to provide supportive learning environments for all involved. Currently the provincial government provides $1.15 million to eight Family Resource Programs in Newfoundland and Labrador. These programs add to the array of existing Family Resource Programs in the province made possible through various other funding sources. Early Childhood Development funding will see the establishment of new programs in the province and increased support for existing programs. Early Childhood Development funding for 2001-2002 is $845,000 and will increase substantially in Year 2 as programs evolve. The new programs will be located in areas of the province where need, interest, and community capacity are demonstrated. A process for the selection of areas for new sites will be identified later this year utilizing existing data and in consultation with regional community partners. Healthy Baby Clubs: Healthy Baby Clubs are pre- and post-natal support programs designed to promote healthy pregnancy and birth. Programs include a mix of peer and professional supports to expectant women and women with newborns who may require increased support. Programs provide information and positive strategies on ways to achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles. Healthy Baby Clubs currently operate from several existing Family Resource Programs in the province and are funded by various sources. During fiscal year 2001-2002, $325,000 of Early Childhood Development funding will go toward enhancing Healthy Baby Clubs in five family resource programs operating in the province, including:
Stepping into the future - Fact Sheet Early Intervention Services for Children with Disabilities Early Intervention Services: Home-based early intervention services for young children with developmental delays and disabilities has been demonstrated to make a significant difference to child development outcomes and improve quality of life factors for families. The province currently supports an array of services and programs for children with disabilities. Early Childhood Development funding will build on professional and para-professional home-based early intervention services to families of children with developmental delay/disabilities and behavioural concerns. Specifically, the initiative will support seven new Child Management Specialist positions throughout the province, a Developmental Psychologist position at the Janeway Child Health and Rehabilitation Centre, and provincial consultation services. This increased regional and provincial resource capacity will support children and families wait-listed for early intervention services. Funding will also provide direct resources to families of children with Autism who require home therapy to further assist their children. Autism Services: Increased funding will build on the Autism Pilot Project currently available in the province, absorbing the current wait-list for these services and supporting a comprehensive Autism Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador. It is estimated the new funding will increase services to children with Autism to 65 in 2001-2002, and 95 children per year commencing in 2002-2003. Overall, funding will focus on providing additional supports to existing programs and build on the current infrastructure. Start-up funding in 2001-2002 for these combined services is $957,500 and will increase in subsequent years. For more information regarding this initiative please call (709) 729-3550. Stepping into the future - Fact Sheet Early Childhood Literacy Programs and Transition to School Early Childhood Literacy Programs: Words to Live By: A Strategic Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador 2000 states that "all children will benefit from access to high quality early childhood programs which contribute to their physical, intellectual, social and emotional well-being". Early childhood educators have stressed the importance of age-appropriate language and play to later literacy development. At present, early childhood literacy programs are mostly offered on an ad hoc and/or short-term basis throughout the province. The Early Childhood Development initiative will strengthen the capacity for delivery of early childhood literacy programs. Transition to School: This initiative will provide increased support for children and families prior to the Kindergarten year. The Transition Year Program will help children and families become comfortable with the school environment during the pre-Kindergarten year. This initiative is seen as an important step in assisting parents in their distinct and valuable roles of supporting children's education and literacy development. Combined with increased support for Early Childhood Literacy Programs, the Transition Year Program will build on the continuum of initiatives and services available from birth to school entry to provide young children and families with the best possible start on the road to lifelong learning. Work has already begun on the transition year model and details concerning both initiatives will be available by the fall 2001. These combined initiatives will receive approximately $360,000 of Early Childhood Development funds in fiscal year 2001-2002. For more information, call (709) 729-6185. Stepping into the future - Fact Sheet Mother Baby Nutrition Benefit The Early Childhood Development will invest $210,000 in the fiscal year 2001-2002 to provide funding to see the introduction of a new nutritional benefit that will be available to all low-income expectant mothers and families with children under the age of one year. The purpose of the allowance is to provide extra funding to support the additional nutritional needs during pregnancy and throughout the child's first year of life. Presently, for families/single women in receipt of Income Support, the Department of Human Resources and Employment provides a Mother Baby Food Allowance of $45 a month to expectant women which is continued until the child's first birthday. There are currently approximately 1,450 recipients in receipt of this benefit across Newfoundland and Labrador, at a cost of approximately $780,000 per year. Beginning in the fall 2001, this nutritional supplement will be moved out of the Income Support Program and, when combined with the Early Childhood Development funding, will provide a benefit of $45 per month to all single expectant mothers or low-income families with children under the age of one year with income less than $21,744 annually. This income level matches the maximum income parameter of the Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit. Families in receipt of Income Support presently receiving the Mother Baby Food Allowance will continue to receive the same amount paid separately through the MBNB. The advantage for these families is that when they leave Income Support, they will continue to receive this extra benefit. Details on how to apply for this benefit will be announced in the coming months. Expanding the Mother Baby Nutritional Benefit outside of the Income Support will mean an additional 500 to 600 low-income families will be eligible for this benefit. For further information please feel free to contact Work Info Network 1 800 563-6600 or if calling in the St. John's area call (709) 729-6600. 2001 06 18 10:30 a.m. |
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