March 2, 2000

  To: Community services Committee

From:Commissioner, Community and Neighbourhood Services

Subject:Community Participation Innovation Fund

Purpose:

To inform Committee about the Ministry of Community and Social Services Community Participation Innovation Fund and its impact on the Social Services Division's year 2000 budget request.

 Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Toronto Social Services (TSS) has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Community and Social Services under the Community Participation Innovation Fund. The Ministry has allocated $10 million in its 2000 fiscal year (April 1, 2000 to March 31, 2001) to fund proposals submitted by municipalities. All approved proposals will be funded at a 100% provincial cost share. In anticipation that the Ministry will approve viable municipal proposals, $4 million gross/$0 million net has been provided for in the Division's year 2000 budget submission.

Recommendations:

"It is recommended that this report be received for information."

Background:

On November 22, 1999, the Minister of Community and Social Services (MCSS), John Baird, announced a number of initiatives aimed specifically at Ontario Works. The purpose of the initiatives is to rapidly increase placements available to Ontario Works clients under the Community Participation (CP) component of the program.

Identified collectively as the Welfare-to-Work Action Plan for Workfare Community Placements, the changes include doubling municipalities' CP targets, establishing new financial incentives and sanctions for municipalities related to achieving designated targets, and providing increased funding flexibility in the OW program. The implications of these announcements for the City's Ontario Works delivery system were briefly discussed in a previous report to Community Services Committee entitled "Provincial Changes to Ontario Works, dated November 25, 1999.

The Minister's November 22, 1999 announcement also stated that a Community Placement Secretariat would be rapidly established to implement the overall Action Plan, promote community placements and administer the CP Innovation Fund.

Totaling $10 million dollars, the CP Innovation Fund is intended to assist municipalities to meet their expanded CP targets. The aim is to fund new and non-traditional initiatives that will generate value added placement opportunities for OW clients. The funds are to be used for one-time start-up and related costs of establishing new placements. Ongoing costs of maintaining these placements are to be managed within the municipality's OW budget.

General guidelines governing the Innovation Fund were released on November 22, 1999. All proposals must make a clear business case for the funds sought, with the emphasis on achieving rapid increases in CP placements. Delivery agents were requested to propose how they could use Innovation Fund allocations to rapidly increase placements in their communities. The Province cost shares at 100% all funding provided to delivery agents under the Innovation Fund.

Comments:

Consistent with its long-standing approach to community-based service delivery, TSS promoted the Innovation Fund to a range of non-profit organizations. Specific proposals were requested from interested organizations delineating the type and number of CP placements that could be created with appropriate funding.

Over 40 creative proposals were received, both from agencies that currently provide CP placements, as well as from new organizations. The proposals were reviewed by TSS to assess whether they met basic criteria established by the Province related to project costs, to the number of placements and to the ability to rapidly create the projected placements.

In line with Provincial requirements, TSS' submission, incorporating proposals from community organizations, was subsequently forwarded to the Ministry on February 15, 2000. The overall submission is now being reviewed by the Community Placement Secretariat. Approvals for specific proposals will then be granted based on the Secretariat's review criteria.

It is anticipated that the Ministry approval process will be completed prior to April 1, 2000. Upon confirmation of approved proposals, TSS will enter into service agreements with the appropriate organizations in order to flow the funding they require to develop placements. Funding will be administered and delivery standards assured through the established Skills Development Option (SDO) and Employment Placement (EP) contract management processes. Existing mechanisms will be modified to monitor placement activity and ensure compliance with OW Directives governing CP.

Conclusions:

TSS welcomes the interest and creativity demonstrated by the community, and looks forward to offering additional opportunities to augment the services available under the Ontario Works program in Toronto. The Division will enter into service agreements with non-profit organizations whose proposals were approved by the Secretariat. Contracts will be administered in accordance with provincial and municipal contract standards.

In anticipation that the Secretariat will approve TSS' submission, $4 million gross/$0 million net has been provided for in the Division's year 2000 budget submission. Funds will be released to municipalities by the province after April 1, 2000 and must be spent before the conclusion of the Province's 2000 fiscal year end.

Contact:

Heather MacVicar

General Manager, Social Services Division

Telephone:392-8952

Fax:392-8931

Email:hmacvic@toronto.ca

 General Manager, Social Services Division

 Commissioner, Community and Neighbourhood Services