Children and Youth with Support Needs
Overview
Who: The Ministry of Children and Family Development
What: Comprehensive approach to design an effective system of services for children and youth with support needs
Where: Province-wide
Why: To inform the path forward for developing a new, effective system of services for children and youth with support needs
How: Online, written submissions, speaker series, and more
Engagement summary
The Province collected feedback as part of its overall work to design an effective system of services for children and youth with support needs. This engagement was inclusive of families, service providers, advocates, experts, those with lived experience, First Nations, and Indigenous Peoples.
The Province organized its tasks into three categories to inform future children and youth with support needs (CYSN) services:
- Engagements: re-engage in meaningful dialogue with multiple audiences on the future of CYSN services in B.C.
- Reports and research: compile and analyze evolving research to identify themes, recommendations, and learnings
- Learning and doing: program enhancements, co-developed Indigenous-led services, and implementation of four pilot Family Connections Centres, with an opportunity to learn from these activities and better understand their impacts
The information gathered from these categories will inform the path forward. This will involve the Ministry of Children and Family Development, working closely with the Ministry of Health, Indigenous peoples, key partners, and people with lived experience, to consider and codesign a service model that can better serve families in B.C.
How people participated
There were numerous engagement initiatives for different audiences and partners – including:
- Families and people with lived experience
- First Nations Rights and Titleholders
- Urban Indigenous, Métis, and historically underrepresented groups
- Service providers and sector partners
Learn more about the different engagement pathways
First Nations Rights and Titleholders engagement
The Province engaged in a co-development process with First Nations Rights and Titleholders. This included an engagement process to explore First Nations Rights and Titleholders’ vision for their children, families and communities. Learn more about the engagement.
Community partner engagement
The Province collaborated with community partners that have experience with local communities and established relationships across B.C. Together they engaged in meaningful dialogue about the future of CYSN services. Read the community partner reports
Online discussion
People in B.C. shared their thoughts and perspectives through open discussions on important topics related to CYSN services. Topics included:
- Parents and Professionals Plan
- Increasing behavioural complexity and needs of children and youth with neurodevelopmental disorders
- BC Association of Child Development and Intervention’s (BCACDI) Service Delivery Transformation proposal
- Ministry of Education and Child Care’s Inclusive Child Care Strategy
Online feedback form
People were invited to share their perspective and experiences through a short feedback form that asked: When thinking about what you need from a new system of services for children and youth with support needs, what is most important?
Written submissions
All people in B.C., including families, service providers, organizations, professionals, and Indigenous communities were invited to submit their ideas for what a new effective system of CYSN services should look like in B.C. Read the proposals submitted by community partners
Symposium speaker series
From November to December 2023, a speaker series was held to connect participants to experts and provided opportunity to learn more about the evolving concepts that impact service delivery.
Read the summaries:
- Trends related to children and youth with medically complex support needs: English, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Punjabi
- Key components of an effective system of services: English, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Punjabi
- Individualized funding: A review of the international research literature: English, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Punjabi
- Mental health needs of children and youth with support needs: English, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Punjabi
- Inclusion, quality of life and community networks of support: English, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Punjabi
- Increasing behavioural complexity and needs of children and youth with neurodevelopmental disorders: English, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Punjabi
CYSN Pilot Evaluation
MNP LLP, a business consulting and advisory firm, in partnership with the Social Planning and Research Council of BC conducted an evaluation of the pilot approach to CYSN services in four areas in the province. The results of the evaluation will be shared at a later date.
Next steps
The Province is committed to working with Indigenous peoples, key partners and people with lived experience to realign and improve services for children and youth with support and mental health needs.
A report detailing what the Province learned from engagement will be shared at a later date.
What the Province heard through engagement and the results of the CYSN pilot evaluation will help inform the path forward.
Related engagements
