October 19, 1999

To: Community Services Committee

From: Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services

Subject: Parenting Programs Funded by the City of Toronto

Purpose:

This report provides an overview of parenting programs available within the City, and outlines strategies to preserve them.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

No additional City funds are being requested.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that this report be received for information.

Council Reference/Background/History:

On May 19, 1999 the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee reviewed the findings of "The Early Years Study", prepared by Dr. Fraser Mustard and Ms. Margaret McCain. The Committee directed that the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services provide information concerning the current number of parenting programs available and identify how these programs might be supported. In addition, the department was asked to explore the availability of provincial funding to cost share pilot projects related to parenting programs.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

In April, 1999 the Provincial Government released "The Early Years Study", which acknowledges parenting programs as a key factor in preparing Ontario's young children for school, career and lifetime success. The Premier in the 1999 Provincial budget announcement endorsed the

McCain/Mustard report. On October 7, 1999 the Ontario Government announced the location of five early child development pilot projects to demonstrate and test models of child development and parenting. The five demonstration sites include: South East Grey, London, North Bay, York Region and Ottawa Carleton. Unfortunately, Toronto was not chosen as a demonstration site despite the abundance of excellent child development and parenting support programs available in this community.

An Overview of Parent Support Programs in Toronto

There are a range of parenting programs in Toronto which receive public funding. These services are described below:

(1) Children's Services Division

The City has a long history of funding child care centres. The Children's Services Division currently provides funding to more than 760 child care programs through fee subsidy and wage subsidy agreements. Child care programs include: licensed group centres, nursery schools, parent co-operatives and home child care. Licensed Child care programs have always played a critical role in both child development and parent support.

As of July 1, 1999, the Provincial government transferred the service system management of 35 Family Resource Centres to the City of Toronto, as part of the realignment of provincial/municipal services of child care to the City. Of the 35 Family Resource Centres 33 have a child development/parent support component. These Family Resource centres provide one or more of the following parent/caregiver support programs: caregiver education, respite and relief, playgroups, drop in, child care registry and resource lending library. A total of $2.9 million (gross) is provided to these Family Resource programs. This expense is cost shared with the Province 80:20.

Family resource centres provide both parent-oriented and child-oriented activities. They have a mandate to provide family focused caregiver support and education. Family resource centres work in collaboration with other funded agencies to ensure they provide optimal support to children and parents. Collaboration includes partnerships with Public Health, United Way, Children's Aid Societies, and Legal Aid to name a few. The family resource centres illustrate that many of the recommendations from the "The Early Years Study" are already being practiced within this community.

(2) Community Services Grants Program (C.S.G.P.)

In 1999, the Community Services Grants Program (C.S.G.P.) provides 31 organizations with a total of $713.0 thousand in support of family resource programming. In addition 6 organizations receive funding totaling $60.9 to deliver parenting supports such as discussion groups, parent relief and parenting workshops. These expenditures are not cost shared by the Province.

Twenty-four of the 35 family resource centres are funded by both Children's Services and C.S.G.P.; and 7 family resource centres are funded only by the C.S.G.P.

(3) Toronto Public Health

Toronto Public Health provides families with a broad range of parenting programs cost shared 50:50 with the Ministry of Health. The Reproductive Health program supports healthy pregnancies by addressing issues such as adequate nutrition, smoking cessation and exposure to second hand smoke, physical activity, avoidance of alcohol, stress reduction, the benefits of a support system and access to prenatal care. Child Health programs which aim to promote the health and development of children and youth, address postpartum adjustment to parenting, breastfeeding promotion and support, parenting skills, family function, maternal-infant attachment, coping skills, stimulation and play, immunization, safety, nutrition, dental health and physical activity. Toronto Public Health works with families, child care providers, family physicians, Boards of Education staff, and other community agencies, coalitions, and networks to provide a continuum of services that includes individual home visiting, telephone counseling, small group education, peer support, professional training, and community wide education.

Toronto Public Health also receives $10.8M annually to provide the Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program. This 100% Ministry of Health funded program is guided by the knowledge that a safe and nurturing environment, adequate nutrition and secure mother-infant attachment is directly linked to a child's development and the recognition that all families benefit from parenting information and support. This program provides one to one support to high risk expectant mothers, telephone and home visit follow-up to the 35,000 women who give birth in Toronto each year and intensive individual family support and service co-ordination to approximately 2,000 high risk families during the first six years of their child's life. Planning and service delivery are done in collaboration with a wide range of city and community agencies.

(4) Social Services: Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP)

MSCC announced the Learning, Earning and parenting (LEAP) Program on March 5, 1999, as a targeted strategy of the Ontario Works Program. LEAP is a mandatory provincial program that will be delivered by municipal Ontario Works delivery agents. LEAP is targeted toward young parents, on social assistance between the ages of 16 and 21, and provides top-up funding for a range of supports that allows them to meet their educational, employment and parenting objectives.

LEAP participants will have access to a variety of programs (e.g. parenting courses) that will allow parents and caregivers to meet and learn about child and family development. These programs and services will be provided through the existing community based social services sector and through the wide range of provincially funded health, educational and mental health services available.

LEAP participants can enter this network of services through a range of paths, including self referrals, or referrals from health care professionals, Public Health programs (e.g. Healthy Babies, Healthy Children), child protection services, Toronto Social Services and Toronto Children's Services.

The recently released "Toronto Report Card on Children, 1999" maps the current range of parent support programs available throughout the community. While there are varying types of parenting programs in Toronto all share the same underlying goal " to assist parents and caregivers in their parenting role which will improve the outcomes for their children".

(5) School Boards

In addition to parent support programs receiving City funding, the Boards of Education also provide programs, which support parents. The Toronto District Board of Education provides both family centres and parenting and family literacy centres. Family Centres are designed for parents/caregivers of infants and preschool children. A qualified instructor helps adult participants enhance their skills in meeting the demands of raising young children. Parenting and family literacy centres assist parents/caregivers in preparing their children for school through the school readiness to learn program. These programs differ from the family centres in their emphasis on family literacy.

Strategies for Maintaining Programs Providing Parent Support

The City can continue to encourage parent support programs within this community by maintaining its funding support through the various mechanisms discussed in this report. It can also advocate with other levels of government to maintain and enrich their funding support. In parallel to the demonstration research being funded by the province in response to the McCain Mustard report, the City can ensure that it's own "seamless day pilot projects" being planned in partnership with the Atkinson Foundation include parent support services as a critical component for testing. And finally, in the new Child Care Service Plan being developed in 2000, the City can ensure that Family Resource Centres and other community based programs providing parent support services are integrated and included in the local service audits and negotiated neighborhood action plans.

Conclusions:

This report provides an overview of existing parent support programs available within the City and highlights those that currently receive some level of public funding support. Strategies available to the City to maintain and enhance the efficiency of these programs within the community are also proposed.

Contact Name:

Karen Gray Susan Makin

Children's Services Consultant Regional Director, North Region

Children's Services Division Toronto Public Health

Tel: 397-1465 Tel: 392-1560 Ext. 87026

General Manager Children's Services Division

Commissioner, Community and Neighbourhood Services Department.