Integrated Service Planning for the
Prenatal-to-12
Child and Family Service System
A Blueprint for Municipal Service Managers
May 2010
Who is OMSSA?
The Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA), represents Ontario’s 47 Consolidated
Municipal Service Managers and District Social Services Administration Boards (CMSMs and DSSABs),
supporting the effective provision of human services across the province. OMSSA’s mandate is to make
positive, progressive change in the areas of social housing, homelessness prevention, social assistance,
employment services, and early learning and child care services.
Human services integration. OMSSA is committed to the principles of human services integration,
which we define as a system of services that is coordinated, seamless, and tailored to the needs of people
so they can maximize their potential, enhance their quality of life, and contribute to their community.
Investing in people makes sense. OMSSA believes that investing in people will help to create healthy
and safety, recreation and leisure, and cultural expression. The stronger our social infrastructure—the
system of social services, networks, and facilities that support people and healthy communities—the
greater the opportunity for all Canadians to contribute socially and economically. Investing in people
means enabling individuals to contribute to their full potential. Investing in people means working
towards a society that thrives economically, socially, culturally, and politically.
Poverty reduction. At a time of economic uncertainty in Canada and across the globe, a comprehensive
strategy to reduce poverty among all Canadians will build a foundation of economic certainty,
confidence, and sustainability into the future. Reducing poverty strengthens individuals and families,
helps our schools and businesses, and gives more people the opportunity to make meaningful
contributions to our society. Poverty reduction must emerge from the investments in affordable housing,
improvements in economic security, and expansion of early learning and child care opportunities.
Through these efforts, poverty reduction will improve the quality of life for all Canadians, thus
strengthening Canada’s overall prosperity.
Development of the Blueprint
The development of this blueprint was funded in part by the Atkinson Foundation. It was composed by
a working group of municipal service managers based on best practices and lessons learned. Other
OMSSA members provided input at the OMSSA Fall Training Seminar and at an OMSSA Children’s
Services Network meeting in December 2009. As well, the Working Group shared a draft of the Blueprint
with a group of partners representing those sectors most likely to work with municipal service managers
on the Integrated Service Planning process.
Members of the OMSSA Working Group were:
Brenda Bax, City of Hamilton
Carmen Oullette, City of Greater Sudbury
Cathy Elliott, Regional Municipality of York
Evy McDonagh, County of Huron
Francine Riopelle/Michel Prevost, City of Ottawa
Grace Mater, City of Hamilton
Greg Bishop, County of Simcoe
Janine Mitchell, City of Kawartha Lakes
Judy Mulvihill, County of Renfrew
Karen Gray, City of Toronto
Lynne Livingstone, City of London
Community partners included:
 Association of Ontario Early Years Centres
 Atkinson Foundation
 Ontario Public School Board Association


Ontario Public Health Association
Association of Local Public Health Agencies
Ontario Municipal Social Services Association
1 Dundas Street West, Suite 2500, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z3. © 2010. www.omssa.com. All rights reserved.
For more information on this paper or on other OMSSA issues, please contact Etan Diamond, Manager of Policy and
Research, at 416-646-0516 or at ediamond@omssa.com.
Service planning and the early years
Service planning and the early years
Between June 2009 and April 2010, Ontario’s early learning and child care
sector underwent one of the most rapid and sweeping social changes the
province has seen for many years. The transformation began with the
publication of the Early Learning Advisor’s report to the Premier, “With
our Best Future in Mind: Implementing Early Learning in Ontario,” which
presented a broad, new vision for an integrated Prenatal-to-12 Child and
Family Service System for Ontario. This was followed by a series of
provincial government actions:
October 2009—Premier McGuinty took Dr. Pascal’s vision as his own by
announcing that full-day early learning for 4- and 5-year-old children
will begin in the fall of 2010. The Premier also established the Early
Learning Division within the Ministry of Education.
November 2009-January 2010—the Early Learning Division worked with
municipalities and school boards to plan for Year 1 of the Early
Learning program
February 2010—the government introduced Bill 242 to formalize the
specific programmatic pieces of an Early Learning program for 4and 5-year-olds
April 2010—the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 242 which amended the
Education Act to provide the legislative framework for full-day
early learning. Together with this legislation, the government also

began to transfer all child care responsibilities from the Ministry
of Children and Youth Services to the Ministry of Education, to
be housed within a new Early Years Division within the
ministry

appointed Dr. Pascal as a special advisor to the Minster of
Children and Youth Services to work internally within the
Ministry to integrate all other children’s services.
The responsibilities for this rapidly transforming early learning and child
care sector have been divided among many parties. The Ministry of
Education is responsible for the policy and program development for
child care and early learning. The Ministry of Children and Youth is
responsible for integrating other children’s services. Local school boards
are responsible for the implementation of full-day early learning.
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May 2010
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Service planning and the early years
Connecting these different bodies together—and sitting at the core of the
vision presented in the Early Learning Advisor’s report to the Premier—
are municipal service managers. Described as “leaders among leaders,”
municipal service managers are expected to work with their provincial
and community partners—ministries of Education and Children and
Youth Services, local school boards, public health units, child care centres,
special needs resource agencies, family resource centres, and others—to
plan for and act as service system managers for this integrated Prenatalto-12 Child and Family Service System.
This document is a practical tool to help for municipal service managers to
lead this local integrated service planning process for the Prenatal-to-12
Child and Family Service System. This tool is intended to complement—
not replace—what local service managers already use by:

Laying out the key foundational and structural elements that an
integrated service system planning process should include

Raising the key questions that municipal service manager and their
community partners must ask when planning

Offering strategic tips for a successful integrated service planning
process
The goal is to develop the integrated service planning capacity across all
of Ontario, so that municipal service manager and their community
partners can work together to plan for a new Prenatal-to-12 Child and
Family Service System.
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Service planning and the early years—The municipal role
The municipal role
The designation of municipal service managers as the parties responsible
for integrated service planning for a Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family
Service System fits directly into the broader municipal role in human
service management.
Ontario’s municipalities receive their mandate from the Municipal Act
which is a piece of provincial legislation. This legislation outlines the
programs and services which are to be provided
The municipal role
by municipalities to their local communities.
 Mandate from the Municipal Act
Through municipal elections, municipal
 Represent the local community
councilors are elected to represent their local
 Plan for and provide a broad
community. Municipal councils are in place to
range of services to enhance
ensure that local needs, issues, and concerns are
residents’ quality of life
addressed and to develop and implement public
 Designated as service system
policy that addresses their communities’ needs
manager
and emphasizes societal good. They are also
accountable to the public (and to their federal and
provincial partners) for how they use public funds locally.
Municipalities also plan for and provide a wide range of services and
programs to enhance their residents’ quality of life. These programs and
services range from housing to environmental services to recreation to
long-term care to children’s services to social assistance to planning.
Municipalities have a long history of identifying community needs and
facilitating the development of programs and services to meet these needs.
Service planning and management is part of the fabric of municipal
administration.
Local Services Realignment and the Creation of CMSMs and DSSABs
In January 1997, the Ontario government outlined a new direction for the
delivery of social assistance, child care, and social housing. This
announcement was part of the government’s Local Services Realignment
initiative and changed the face of the planning and delivery for social and
community health services in Ontario. Through local services
realignment, municipal service management was consolidated and
created 37 Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and 10
District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs), for a total of 47
municipal delivery agents in the area of social and community health
services in Ontario. This was a reduction from 196 in the years before.
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Service planning and the early years—The municipal role
(Attachment A provides a list of CMSMs and DSSABs and the areas they
serve).
In southern Ontario, upper-tier municipal government (Counties and
Regional Municipalities) already existed and, for the most part, became
the designated CMSM for their jurisdictions. No equivalent existed in
northern Ontario, however, so to fill this void the provincial government
passed legislation in 1998 to create DSSABS, or District Social Services
Administration Boards. DSSABs are corporate entities that came into
being through the DSSAB Act under the Ministry of Community and
Social Services, and are responsible for serving both municipalities and
territories without municipal organization. The DSSAB board includes
representatives of the municipalities and unincorporated territory in its
geographic area. DSSABs and CMSMs are both responsible for the
municipal service system management of Ontario Works, child care and
children’s services, and social housing and are given the option of taking
on service management responsibility for land ambulance services and
public health.
As noted above, municipal service managers as CMSMs and DSSABs have
been identified by the Province as service system managers in the area of
child care services. This mandated role means that CMSMs and DSSABs
provide service planning and management in the area of child care across
their geographic area. They are also responsible for the cost-shared
portion of many provincial programs (typically 20 percent of program
costs and 50 percent of administrative costs.)
The Provincial-Municipal Fiscal and Service Delivery Review
In October 2008, Ontario’s provincial and municipal governments jointly
produced a landmark agreement on the future of human services in this
province. The Provincial-Municipal Fiscal and Service Delivery Review
was jointly signed by the province, the Association of Municipalities of
Ontario, and the City of Toronto, to build a new service delivery system
based on shared accountability and mutual cooperation.
The Review established a set of principles for provincial and municipal
partnership to create a sustainable framework for human service delivery
that emphasizes integrated planning and an end to program silos. These
principles live on within the Human Services Implementation Steering
Committee and its various working groups, which have been charged
with bringing, among other things, the Review’s human services
recommendation to fruition.
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Service planning and the early years—The municipal role
Particularly in the areas of human services, the Review confirmed that
municipal service system managers should take on an ever larger
leadership role in developing community human services plans that
would move communities closer to an integrated services planning and
delivery system. The Service Delivery Accountability Table, a provincialmunicipal working group within the Review, spoke directly to this notion
of integrated service planning and deliver by proposing “a significant
shift away from siloed, compliance-based, and process oriented systems
toward more integrated service systems that are outcome focused and
client-centred.” Regarding children, such integration would “improve
readiness to learn and healthy child development outcomes, as well as
supporting low income working parents.”
Why do service planning?
Regardless of the formal mandate to do so, service planning is essential because it
makes those involved in the planning think strategically about the programs and
services that are provided. Service planning clarifies what is trying to be accomplished
in the community (the vision) and how each of the service areas helps to achieve the
vision for the community (the plan).
More succinctly, service plans help to answer the following 3 questions:
?
?
?
Where are we today?
Where do we want to be?
How will we get from here to where we want to be?
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Service planning and the early years—The municipal role
CMSMs and DSSABs are Well Positioned to Play a Lead Role
CMSMs/DSSABs are well positioned to play a lead role in service planning and management
for the Child and Family Service System as they:
…know the local issues, needs, concerns, profile and local nuances,
etc. of their respective communities. They are the voice of the
community.

Local
Knowledge
…have strong relationships and partnerships as evidenced through the
Best Start process.

Strong
Relationships
and
Partnerships
…are an order of government and not a transfer payment agency and
are directly accountable to the local community.

Level of
Government
…provide a range of programs and services (housing, basic needs,
child care, employment services and supports) that meet the needs
of children and families and see the family as a whole.

Service
Provider
…have experience in service system management, including service
system planning and quality oversight in service delivery

Service
System
Manager
…have expertise and experience in facilitating community planning
processes in a wide range of subject areas. This is how they create
public policy at the local level – by engaging their communities.

Expertise in
Community
Planning
…have developed, tested and revised sophisticated planning tools
through their experience in facilitating community planning
processes.

Sophisticated
Planning
Tools
…have built a strong foundation of integrated service planning for the
Child and Family Service System.

Strong
Foundation
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Planning for the Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System
Planning for the Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System
Because municipal service managers are designated to lead the service
planning process for a new Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service
System, it is important to understand what this system actually includes.
Figure 1 is taken from the Early Learning Advisor’s report, and depicts the
three-tiered, interlinking relationships of this new system.
Municipal authorities “leader among leaders” working with school boards and
Best Start partners to develop Early Years Service Plans that would include
outcomes, benchmarks, timelines and accountability mechanisms
Municipal Early Years
Service Contracts
Stable multi-year funding
School boards directly operate
community schools:
• Early Learning Program (4-5 years)
• Extended Day Primary Program
(6-8 years)
• After-school programming
(9-12 years)
Service Planning
and Management
Operational
Municipal authorities provide systems management for the Early Years
Service System, including a network of Best Start Child and Family Centres:
• Pre-/postnatal information, supports & home visiting
• Parent/child programming & parenting information
• Nutrition/nutrition counselling
• Flexible early learning/care to age 4
• Early identification & intervention
• Links to community resources – employment, language learning,
Immigration, housing, family counselling, etc.
School Board Early Years
Service Contracts
Stable multi-year funding
Policy
Service planning
and management
This is where this
document fits in.
Early Years Policy
Framework
• Legislative
requirements, policy,
funding, accountability
Policy
Ministry of Education
Early Years Division
• “Leader among Leaders”
providing direct
accountability for delivery
of early learning and care
programs (0-8 years)
Ministry of Children &
Youth Services
• Special needs treatment
services
• Child welfare
• Poverty Reduction
Strategy
• Ontario Child Benefit
Operational
Tier 1: Policy Level (provincial level). At the policy level of the
governance model, an Early Years Policy Framework sets out legislative
requirements, policy, funding and accountability for all components of the
system. The report notes that the Ministry of Education is the lead at this
level of the model.
Tier 2: Service Planning and Management Level (local level). At the
service planning and management level of the governance model, Early
Years Service Plans are to be developed. These plans will include
outcomes, benchmarks, timelines, and accountability measures. The
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Planning for the Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System
report notes that Municipal Authorities (“leader among leaders”) are the
lead at this level of the model, working with school boards and other
community partners.
Tier 3: Operational Level (local level). The operational level of the
governance model depicts a number of services and programs. These are:
Municipal authorities as lead:
 Early Years service system, including a network of Best Start Child and
Family Centres1
School boards as lead:
 Early Learning program for 4- and 5-year-old children, including an
extended day program
 Extended day/year primary program for 6- to 8-year-old children
 After-school programming for 9- to 12-year-old children
This Blueprint speaks directly to the Tier 2 Service Planning and
Management level, which states that CMSMs and DSSABs should
coordinate and facilitate the development of an integrated service plan for
the Child and Family Service System. There is logic in this role; municipal
service managers have local service system data, existing relationships,
expertise in the child care sector, and expertise in community planning.
An Early Years Service Plan for the entire service system
It is important remember that the Early Years Service Plans should focus on the entire
Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System.
Within this system, one component might look at the children up to age 4 and the Best
Start and Child and Family Centres, while a second might look at services for older
children.
Both components, however, must be planned for within a single integrated Early Years
Service Plan process, led by CMSMs and DSSABs together with community partners.
1
On January 19, 2010, OMSSA and the Association for Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) co-sponsored a forum
to explore the issues surrounding the creation of Best Start Child and Family Centres. Supported in part by
funding from the McCain Foundation, Atkinson Foundation, and Lawson Foundation, OMSSA and alPHa brought
together over 200 municipal service managers, public health workers, and others from the early learning and child
care sector to discuss how these Centres might be put together and what the challenges and opportunities are for
community engagement. Three key themes emerged from this session that informed the work of this blueprint:
1. Local Considerations. How best to create local Best Start Child and Family Centres for neighbourhoods in
local communities, noting that these centres will require the consolidation of existing programs to create the
core platform for children and their families.
2. Municipal Considerations. Municipal planning and management issues as they relate to CMSMs and
DSSABs, including roles and responsibilities, regional variations and program schedules.
3. Provincial Considerations. Provincial role in this new prenatal to 12 Child and Family Service System,
including provincial authority, sustainable funding, definitional clarity and a Provincial policy framework.
The discussions at the forum helped to inform this Blueprint.
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The tools of integrated early years service system planning
The tools of integrated early years service system planning
The rest of this document presents the tools to help CMSMs and DSSABs to
lead their communities in developing an integrated service system plan for
the Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System. It contains 3 parts:
1. The process of integrated early years service system planning
This section guides municipal service managers and their communities as
they move through the integrated service planning process. It is intended
to complement—rather than replace—existing service planning processes
used by CMSMs and DSSABs. It speaks to the entire Prenatal-to-12 Child
and Family Service System—those parts that focus on the children up to
age 4 (including the Best Start Child and Family Centres) and those parts
for children ages 4 to 12 (school-based programs).
2. The product of integrated early years service system planning
This section provides a sample template for CMSMs and DSSABs to
complete at the end of the service planning process. As with the
Process section, this is intended to complement and guide existing
tools (rather than replaced them absolutely).
3. Other resources and tools for integrated service system planning
This section includes:

a correspondence table between CMSM and DSSAB boundaries
and local municipal jurisdictions

an inventory of service planning resources and tools used by
CMSMs and DSSABs in the service planning process

a list of potential data to review as part of an integrated service
system planning process

a correspondence table between the elements of Integrated Service Planning
introduced here and those in OMSSA’s Human Services Planning paper
Focus on the Local Flavour
?
?
What unique aspects of our
community need to be reflected in
the Child and Family Service System?
Does the service model reflect our
local needs and nuances?
One of the key roles of
CMSMs/DSSABs throughout the
service planning process is to
ensure that the resulting service
model reflects the unique nature
of the local community.
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The tools of integrated early years service system planning
The process of integrated early years service system planning
The Process component of the Blueprint provides three main tools for
municipal service managers to draw on when leading the community
service planning process with their partners.2 The three tools are:
1. Key considerations--2 key questions that must be at the fore of every
decision during the integrated service planning process
2. Foundational elements–4 foundational elements that need to be
considered first when developing an integrated service plan
3. Structural elements—15 additional elements to consider when
developing an integrated service plan.
A note to municipal service managers
The development of a Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System will bring together a wide
range of community partners in the service planning process.
Some of these partners will be large organizations with extensive planning capacity and resources to
participate fully in the planning process. Others will be smaller, without the dedicated planning
resources (human or financial).
It is crucial that the integrated service planning process encourages full participation, and that
barriers to participation are lowered. Some ways to reduce these barriers include:
 Build on existing vehicles/meetings/groups to consult with stakeholders
 Provide options and supports to ensure attendance is easy (offer consultation forums at different
times of the day and in different locations, offer child care and transportation support)
 If transportation or time is an issue, explore the use of technology (such as teleconferences, online surveys, internet chat/blogs, podcasts, or webinars)
2
Readers should note that the elements developed in this Blueprint build on those ideas developed in a recent
paper on Community Human Services Planning, produced by OMSSA and the Social Housing Services Corporation
through the Human Services Integration Steering Committee (HSI Committee). That document spoke to the ideas
found in the Provincial-Municipal Fiscal and Service Delivery Review, and built on the principles of human services
integration that had been developed by the HSI Committee in 2007. That paper represented a high-level
discussion of community human services planning, whereas the present Blueprint is the practical and operational
application of those ideas. As such, there are many parallels between the core planning elements necessary for a
community human services planning process and the foundational and structural elements presented here. As part
of the Resources and Tools section of this Blueprint, there is a table showing the direct correspondence between
the elements of integrated early years service planning as explained in this Blueprint and the core elements of
human services planning identified in OMSSA’s Community Human Services Planning paper.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Key Considerations
Key considerations for integrated service system planning
As CMSMs and DSSABs develop their integrated community service
plans, two central questions must remain at the fore:
1. Does the Child and Family Service System as a whole work from a
parent and family perspective?
2. Do each of the individual components of the Child and Family Service
System work together to meet the needs of the family?
Decisions made by municipal service managers and their community
partners must have these questions in mind at all times. Service planning,
after all, should ultimately benefit those being served.
As well, those engaged in planning for the Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family
Service system should think about the comprehensiveness of their planning.
One useful resource is a model developed by the Caledon Institute of Social
Policy to consider the layers of comprehensiveness in a system3.
Innovation Challenge
Governance Challenge
Social Innovation
• Can elements be combined in creative ways to enable
new possibilities?
• What factors keep things in their current pattern?
Collaborative Governance
• Can elements be adjusted appropriately
over time in relation to one another?
Robustness Challenge
Coordination Challenge
Completeness
Challenge
Strategic Investment
• Are elements adequately resourced in terms
of reach and depth?
Improving Links
• Are all of the elements effectively linked together?
Filling the Gaps
• Are elements missing?
• Are all of the important pieces present for tackling
the issues at hand?
This model provides questions that should be asked during an integrated
service planning process. Reviewing each component of the integrated
service model in relation to these questions can help to ensure that the
resulting plan is integrated, comprehensive, and strategic.
3
For more information on the Layers of Comprehensiveness see the Caledon Institute of Social Policy,
“Comprehensive Strategies for Deep and Durable Outcomes, April 2009.”
(www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/765ENG.pdf)
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Foundational elements
Foundational elements of an integrated service plan for the
Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System
There are four foundational elements that municipal service managers
and their community partners must consider when developing their
integrated service planning for the Early Years:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Vision
Outcomes
Guiding Principles
Common Language
In the following pages, each element is described with a focus on the
“what” (the definitions of the element) and the “how” (the practical
questions and issues to be considered when developing a service plan.
Focus on the Big Picture
?
?
?
How does each component fit within and
link to the broader service system?
Is what we’re doing leading to the creation
of a seamless service system?
How is this service model serving the needs
of parents/families and children?
CMSMs and DSSABs must ensure
that the service model being
developed remains focused on the
larger child and family service
system.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Foundational elements
Vision
WHAT?
Vision

Vision: Where a community is headed. The vision is the
ultimate to be achieved as a result of implementing the Prenatalto-12 Child and Family Service System.
The vision ensures that different service sectors that come together work to
a common purpose.
Development of the vision is the first step in the integrated service planning
process.
HOW?
What is it we are ultimately trying to achieve?
?
?
?
What will be different for parents/families and children as a result of our
work?
How will we know that we’ve made a difference?
How does our vision align with the Provincial vision for the Child and
Family Service System?
The resulting service plan needs to be strategic in nature, laying out a 3-to-5year plan (with annual action plans) on how the community will move toward
achieving its vision.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Foundational elements
Outcomes
Outcomes

WHAT?



HOW?

Outcomes: Outcomes are benefits or changes for individuals or
communities, usually as a result of a program or activity.
Outcomes answer the question, “What evidence do we need to know that
we are accomplishing what we set out to accomplish (our common
vision)?”
Outcomes can be broad and speak to the big picture and they can be
specific and speak to particular pieces of a program. Regardless of the
scale, outcomes should demonstrate how we are achieving the vision.
Outcomes are often confused with outputs, which are more concrete
measures of service activities (numbers of people served, hours of
programming delivered).
The partners involved in the service planning process should develop
shared outcomes that focus on results.
The outcomes lead the development of the service system (use them to
organize what the system looks like).
Outcomes should be identified after the vision has been established.
An outcome can be:
 A change in behaviour – “Families are more actively engaged in
community activities” or
 A change in attitude or values – “More people are proud of living here.”
Outcomes may be short- or long-term in nature. This is the difference between
the “ultimate” end result and the progress made along the way.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Foundational elements
Guiding principles
HOW?
WHAT?
Guiding
principles


?
?
Guiding Principles: Guiding principles reflect the common
values of the organizations working together and guide the
actions of the group during the integrated service planning
process and during the implementation of a service plan.
The principles will guide the work of service planning and how the
services are delivered to families and children.
Guiding principles reflect what is important to the group in terms of
process and the resulting product.
What is our common ground?
What common values and beliefs will guide our work?
Examples of guiding principles include:
 Coordinated service delivery
 Responsive and accessible
 Build on existing partnerships and relationships in our community
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Foundational elements
Common language
HOW?
WHAT?
Common
Language



Common Language: Develop a common vocabulary or shared
understanding of the different vocabularies that are brought to
the service planning table.
It is important to develop common language or common definitions for key
terms that will be used as part of the service planning process.
Common language ensures that partners, coming from many different
disciplines, all share a common vocabulary.
This creates a foundation for meaningful plans with broad based support.
Common language should be established early on in the integrated service
planning process.
Steps to take in developing common language include:
Identify the terms that need common/shared definitions
2. Develop common definitions
3. Share the common definitions with planning partners and the community.
1.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Structural elements of an integrated service plan for the
Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System
Layered on top of the 4 foundational elements are 15 structural elements that an
integrated service planning process should incorporate.
Note that that there is no correct order to incorporating these elements into the service
planning process. Nonetheless, they do form natural clusters and related elements are
colour coded in the graphic below.
As with the foundational elements, each structural element is discussed with two parts:

The “what”—the key definitions and themes of the element

The “how”—key questions to consider when undertaking the planning process and
other relevant resources
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Family focused
HOW?
WHAT?
Family focused: The Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service
System must be a seamless service system for parents and
families and children.


?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
During the integrated service planning process and the implementation of
the resulting service model, municipal service managers must remember
who the work is for.
Plan with the child and family at the centre of the model.
Is the system seamless from the parent/family perspective?
What does the client path look like for the family?
Are the process and resulting service model inclusive?
How can we involve families who don’t typically make use of early
childhood programs?
How can we involve special populations?
Are the services culturally appropriate?
Are the services provided in an efficient manner?
What have been the lessons learned from existing family services and have
we integrated the lessons learned?
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Inclusive/participatory process
WHAT?
Inclusive/participatory process: The integrated service planning
process should be open to all who want to participate, should clearly
delineate roles (decision-making, providing input) and reflect local
diversity.





Have a broad and open invitation – all are welcome.
People need to be clear on roles and feel that their role is valued.
Engage community partners early in the process.
Stakeholders should have ample opportunity for input and dialogue.
Having a broad lens of the services impacted by the service plan and the processes
to achieve the plan will help.
Identify who is involved and how the integrated service planning process
operates. Consider what tables should be established for input and dialogue
or what existing tables can be used. When inviting participation, be clear
about roles of participants. Is it for input or feedback? Is it for information
gathering? Information sharing? Is it a decision-making role? Some of the
questions to consider include:
HOW?
?
?
?
?
How inclusive will the service planning process be?
Who needs to be involved and how will we involve them?
Should different people be involved for different items in the planning
process?
Do we need different tables as part of the process (governance, planning,
implementation)?
Potential stakeholders in the process include:












CMSMs/DSSABs
Education (school boards)
Public health units
Libraries
United Way
Ontario Early Years Centres
Aboriginal Groups
French Language Groups
Municipal Parks and Recreation
Parenting/Family Literacy Centres
Healthy Babies, Healthy Children
Ministry of Education












Ministry of Children and Youth Services
Ministry of Health and Long-term Care
Ministry of Health Promotion
CAPC/CPNP
Child Welfare
Children’s Mental Health
Child Care Advisory Committees
Community Health Centres
Home Child Care
Family Resource Programs
Preschool Speech and Language
Child Care Special Needs Resourcing
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Transparency
HOW?
WHAT?
Transparency: The integrated service planning process should
occur within a context of openness, communication, and
accountability.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Facilitators of the integrated service planning process must ensure a
transparent process.

The provincial and municipal governments must be transparent about who
plays what role in the service planning process.
?
?
?
?
How can you communicate within the and across the sectors?
How can you communicate with parents and families?
How can you communicate with the broader public?
How do you create buy-in from all the partners and the wider community?
One way to create transparency in the integrated service planning process is to have
an inclusive and participatory process (see section above).
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Local flexibility
HOW?
WHAT?
Local flexibility: The integrated service planning process and
the resulting product (service model) will be unique to each
community. The process should reflect the “local flavour” of
each community.



There is no “one size fits all” process or resulting model.
Allow for local needs and uniqueness to be built into the service planning
process and resulting model.
The integrated service plan needs to make sense for each community and
reflect the work of the community.
Although all CMSMs and DSSABs will be engaged in service planning, local
flexibility in the process and the resulting service model needs to be
encouraged.
Differences in population, geographic size, demographics, location, culture,
and economic activity all add to the unique flavour, needs, and responses in
Ontario communities.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Effective leadership
HOW?
WHAT?
Effective leadership: Strong, demonstrated leadership in each
sector can facilitate the integrated service planning process.




Effective leaders know this is a community vision and process, and ensure
there is collective responsibility for the process and the result.
Leadership must be demonstrated from each sector involved in the process.
Leaders must know that they are the facilitators of a community process.
Leaders must know with whom to communicate, how to communicate,
and when to communicate.
The role of effective leaders includes:
 Moving through the process with pace and inspiration
 Getting the right people in place with the right commitment and the right
mix of skills
 Empowering action (remove obstacles, enable constructive feedback, and
provide lots of support from leaders)
 Building on existing community strengths
 Creating short-term wins and long-term outcomes
For the Best Start Child and Family Centres it is suggested that joint site
leadership be executed (from CMSMs and DSSABs and school boards) with
active participation from existing local service organizations and public health
agencies.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Governance
WHAT?
Governance: Governance is the shared accountability
framework for the integrated service system, including the
scope, mandate, expectations, structure, policies, roles, decision
making principles, and funding, that guide how the service
system is managed.
Governance will occur at different levels:
 Early Years Service System (prenatal – 3 Year Olds), including the Best
Start Child and Family Centres;
 Child and Family Service System (prenatal – 12 Year Olds).
 The governance structure and policies must support the development of a
seamless system with a clear terms of reference.
HOW?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Who sits at the governance table and how will we work together?
What are we working toward achieving?
How will we work with other existing networks?
How will we make decisions?
What structure will we put in place for accountability?
What roles will each of the partners play?
How do our mandates work together?
How do we keep partners engaged over the long-term?
Who should be involved and for what items? Are there different tables?
Governance responsibilities include: program mandate, policies and practices;
service planning and monitoring; allocation of financial resources; evaluation;
and human resources.
 Identify the partners
 Establish governing body comprised of representatives with decisionmaking power (single body, responsible for financial, human resource and
program decisions);
 Develop a common vision statement;
 Develop a Partnership Agreement (policies and procedures to guide
service integration and roles of the partners - what does integration look
like at the governance level?);
 Clearly define outcomes, measuring and reporting on them
 Align with other existing networks
Be sensitive around governance issues, especially for small agencies.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Parent/family engagement
Parent/Family Engagement: Parents and families play an
important role in achieving successful outcomes for children.
WHAT?



The success of the implementation of the Child and Family Service System
and the Early Years Services System depends on parent/child engagement
and parent involvement in the system.
A continuum of parental involvement includes parenting; communicating;
volunteering; learning at home; leadership/decision making; and
collaborating with the community.
Parent/family engagement is hard and it takes time.

Define “engagement.” What is the level of involvement? There are
different levels of involvement for parents. Let parents choose based on
their needs, interests and comfort level.
 Make sure that the involvement is meaningful for the parent.
HOW?
Examples of successful engagement frameworks include:
1. Hamilton: Parent and Family Engagement Framework
(www.hamiltonbeststart.ca). This framework talks about parent and family
engagement in terms of parenting, supportive services, and participatory
governance.
2. Ottawa: Success by 6 Parent/Guardian Engagement Framework
(www.successby6ottawa.ca). This engagement framework speaks to
engagement in terms of parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning
at home, decision making and community collaborating.
3. Toronto First Duty (www.toronto.ca/firstduty). This engagement
framework speaks to seeking and using parent input, establishing
meaningful roles for parents and paying attention to barriers to
participation.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Relationship building
WHAT?
Relationship Building: Relationships are the foundation on
which the Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System will
be built. Many partners are needed to plan for and provide
services to children and families. Working relationships must
be cultivated to ensure the success of the system.



Relationships allow for the building of a seamless system for parents and
families.
CMSMs and DSSABs have a strong foundation of existing relationships
from the Best Start process.
Ministry of Education must make it a requirement that schools work with
municipalities.
HOW?
Relationship building is key to the interface between the Best Start Child and
Family Centres and the schools. Regardless of whether the Centre is schoolbased, a strong relationship between the school staff (principal is key) and
Centre staff will help the integration into the continuum of services for
children up to age 12.
?
?
?
?
Which key groups or people in our community need to understand what
we are doing?
Who do we need to have on board as the integrated service planning
process begins?
Who will be the key champions for this process in the community?
With whom in the service system do we not have strong relationships?
Tips for Building Relationships:
 Build on existing relationships
 Develop a distinct and intentional relationship with schools
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Build on what exists
Build on What Exists: As part of the integrated service
planning process, build on what already exists in the
community – local models and lessons, natural neighbourhood
hubs, relationships, and partnerships.
WHAT?



HOW?

CMSMs and DSSABs need not reinvent the wheel when it comes to
designing the Child and Family Service System and the Early Years Service
System.
Local Best Start models exist and many lessons have been learned through
this process.
Communities already have natural hubs where families congregate.
Relationships already exist in communities.
 Build on what is already there.
 Identify programs that already exist.
 Conduct focus groups and program reviews to learn about what is
working and areas that need strengthening.
 Build on existing local models and lessons learned from them (for example:
Best Start).
 Build on natural hubs that exist in neighbourhoods (Where do families go
right now?).
 Build on existing relationships (With whom do we have great working
relationships?).
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Time
Time: Time is a critical resource in conducting integrated
service planning and in seeing the results of the planning
process implemented. The time allocated to plan for and
implement the resulting model need to be reasonable.
WHAT?



Municipal service managers need a realistic amount of time to complete the
community planning process and to obtain Council approval for their
service plan.
Keep time commitments reasonable for partners (always tapping the same
resources).
Need time to fully implement the model and to evaluate the results of the
model.
HOW?
3 aspects of time should be considered as part of the integrated service
planning process and in the implementation of the resulting service model.
1. Realistic amount of time to complete the service planning process
(including the time needs to get Municipal Council approval
2. Reasonable time commitments for partners (how do we use the same
resources in the best way possible?);
3. Reasonable amount of time to fully implement the service model, let it
operate and then to evaluate the results before moving off in a new policy
direction.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Effective meetings
WHAT?
Effective Meetings: Meetings are chaired by a skilled facilitator
and have clear goals which move the integrated service
planning process forward.

CMSMs’ and DSSABs’ time and the time of the community partners is
valuable. It is important to ensure that meetings are effective.

HOW?
Be flexible and open to addressing items and issues as they appear;
 Be really prepared for meetings;
 Have a skilled facilitator/chair.
To provide a linkage and continuity for attendees and to build on what you
have done and point to the future, ask these 3 questions at the start of each
meeting:
1. What did we do last time?
2. What are we doing today?
3. What are we doing next?
Answering these questions keeps the critical path clear in everyone’s mind.
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Quality
WHAT?
Quality: A quality framework should be developed for the
integrated service system to ensure excellence and the
achievement of sustainable results.
The development of a quality framework should include the identification of
quality measures and a vehicle to monitor best practices in the field.

HOW?
Develop a logic model (or other results-based strategy) to ensure quality.
 Develop indicators and sources of data and identify timelines.
 Review evaluations and alter programs if necessary to ensure quality.
Selected resources about quality:
1. Raising the Bar - www.ascy.ca/raising_intro.htm
2. National Quality Institute - www.nqi.ca
3. Sudbury Program Quality Indicators Program –
 www.greatersudbury.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=div_childrenservices&la
ng=en&currID=8493
 www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca/content/div_childrenservices/docume
nts/program_quality_indicators_com_eng.pdf
4. Ottawa, Accreditation Benefits Children www.ottawakids.ca/site/accreditation
5. City of Toronto, Operating Criteria www.toronto.ca/children/operatingcriteria.htm
6. Child Care Human Resources Sector Council, Occupational Standards
for Early Childhood Educators - http://www.ccsccssge.ca/english/aboutus/current.cfm
7. Early Learning for Every Child Today http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/repository/mon/17000/274085.pdf
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Evaluation based on outcomes
WHAT?



Evaluation based on outcomes: An evaluation framework
should describe the outcomes to be achieved (both short and
long term) through the implementation of the service system
and should ensure that information about the programs and
services and system is collected, analyzed, and used.
An evaluation component should be built into the front end in the design
of a new service system.
The evaluation framework needs to delineate the short and long term
outcomes of the service model (what are we going to achieve?) and it also
needs to identify the performance measures for each of the outcomes (how
will we know we made a difference?).
The evaluation of the resulting service model will let you know if you’ve
made a difference and if you’ve achieved what you set out to achieve.
HOW?
The evaluation framework should answer the following questions:
? Are the programs being delivered as intended?
? What are the results of the implementation of the Child and Family Service
System?
? Are the outcomes being achieved?
A program logic model can assist with development of an evaluation
framework, including the identification of key activities, short-term and longterm outcomes, and the overall impact.
Selected evaluation resources:
 Hamilton Best Start Logic Model www.hamiltonbeststart.ca/docmgr.asp?id=2
 London Integration Assessment Tool www.london.ca/Child_Care/PDFs/IntegrationAssessmentTool.pdf
 Public Health Agency of Canada
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/php-psp/toolkit-eng.php
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Alignment
HOW?
WHAT?
Alignment: There must be consistency and alignment between
integrated service planning for the Child and Family Service
System and the policies, processes, programs, initiatives, and
structures of provincial, municipal, and other community
partners.

Alignment requires a commitment from all partners to a shared vision,
outcomes, and guiding principles.
CMSMs and DSSABs should look at the alignment between the Early Years
Service Plan and policy directions of the following organizations:
 Municipal councils
 Provincial government, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry
of Children and Youth Services, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities, Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, and the Ministry of
Health Promotion
 Community partners (for example: health unit, school boards)
 Other municipal services and initiatives
Questions to ask in the area of alignment include:
? Is there alignment between the principles of the Early Years Service Plan
and the policies, processes, programs and structures that will facilitate the
implementation of the plan?
? How does the vision for the Child and Family Service System align with
the provincial vision for this service system?
? Is the Early Years Service Plan aligned with the direction of Municipal
Council and other municipal services and initiatives?
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The Process of Integrated Early Years Service Planning—Structural Elements
Funding
WHAT?
Funding: CMSMs/DSSABs require an adequate level of funding
from the province for service planning and management.


Provincial recognition of and funding for planning for coordinators and
other administrative costs needed to move the service planning process
along.
Funding puts an emphasis on the importance of planning and
collaboration.
HOW?
One of the questions that CMSMs/DSSABs struggle with is, “How can we
undertake these integrated service planning activities in the absence of
Provincially committed funding?”
The service planning process for the Child and Family Service System has
already started to move forward with the implementation of full-day Early
Learning for 4- and 5-year-old children.
In the absence of provincially committed funding for planning, municipal
service managers must be creative and build on what already exists.
CMSMs and DSSABs already facilitate service planning processes. Build on
them.
CMSMs and DSSABs have a wealth of expertise, information and practices.
Share them.
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The product of integrated early years service system planning
The Product of Integrated Early Years Service Planning
The tangible product at the end of the integrated service planning process
is a service plan. According to the governance model in the Early
Learning Advisor’s Report, CMSMs and DSSABs will work with school
boards and Best Start partners to develop an Early Years Service Plan for
the Prenatal-to-12 Child and Family Service System.
The following page provides a sample template for an Early Years Service
Plan, with major headings with some suggested topics to cover under
each of the headings. (This template can be duplicated and distributed to
planning partners, and it can be electronically copied as well.)
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The product of integrated early years service system planning
Section
Vision
Service plan contents
Guiding principles
Some to consider are:
 Partnerships and collaboration
 Parent/Family engagement
 Inclusion
 Build on existing foundations
 Quality
 Equity
 Policy alignment
 Reflective of the diverse needs
of the community (geographic,
cultural, language, socioeconomic)
Community consultation process
Environmental scan (Context)
 Local needs, issues, services
gaps and overlaps
 Best Start vision
 Accomplishments
 Opportunities/challenges
 Best practices
Service model
Service priorities and action
steps
 Local outcomes and targets
Financial impact
 Tools and resources required
for implementation
Monitoring and evaluation plan
 Quality framework
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Integrated service planning resources and tools—
CMSMs and DSSABs and areas served
Service managers and areas served
Service Manager
City of Brantford
City of Cornwall
City of Hamilton
Area Served
Brant CO, Brantford C
Cornwall C, Stormont, Dundas and
Glengarry CO
Hamilton-Wentworth RM
City of Kawartha Lakes
Haliburton CO, Victoria CO
City of Kingston
City of London
City of Ottawa
City of Peterborough
Kingston C, Frontenac CO
London C, Middlesex CO
Ottawa-Carlton RM
Peterborough C, Peterborough CO
City of St. Thomas
City of Stratford
City of Toronto
City of Windsor
St. Thomas C, Elgin CO
Stratford C, St. Mary’s ST, Perth CO
Toronto C
Windsor C, Essex CO
City of Greater Sudbury
County of Bruce
County of Dufferin
Sudbury RM
Bruce CO
Dufferin CO
County of Grey
County of Hastings
County of Huron
County of Lambton
Owen Sound C, Grey CO
Belleville C, Quinte West C, Hastings
CO
Huron CO
Lambton CO
County of Lanark
Smith Falls ST, Lanark CO
County of Norfolk
County of Northumberland
County of Haldimand
County of Norfolk
Northumberland CO
County of Oxford
Oxford CO
County of Renfrew
Pembroke C, Renfrew CO
County of Simcoe
Barrie C, Orillia C, Simcoe CO
County of Wellington
Guelph C, Wellington CO
District of Algoma SSAB
Algoma District (excluding Sault Ste.
Marie C, Prince TWP, Sault North
Planning Board)
Cochrane District
Kenora District (excluding areas north of
the 11th baseline)
Muskoka DM
District of Cochrane SSAB
District of Kenora SSAB
District of Muskoka
Public Health Units
Brant County Health Unit
Eastern Ontario Health Unit
City of Hamilton Public Health
Services
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge
District Health Unit
KFL&A Public Health
Middlesex-London Health Unit
Ottawa Public Health
Peterborough County-City
Health Unit
Elgin-St. Thomas Public Health
Perth District Health Unit
Toronto Public Health
Windsor-Essex County Health
Unit
Sudbury & District Health Unit
Grey Bruce Health Unit
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph
Public Health
Grey Bruce Health Unit
Hastings & Prince Edward
Counties Health Unit
Huron County Health Unit
County of Lambton
Community Health Services
Dept.
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark
District Health Unit
Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge
District Health Unit
Oxford County - Public Health &
Emergency Services
Renfrew County & District
Health Unit
Simcoe Muskoka District Health
Unit
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph
Public Health
Algoma Public Health
Porcupine Health Unit
Northwestern Health Unit
Simcoe Muskoka District Health
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Integrated service planning resources and tools—
CMSMs and DSSABs and areas served
Service Manager
Area Served
District of Nipissing SSAB
Nipissing District
District of Parry Sound SSAB
Parry Sound District
District of Rainy River SSAB
District of Sault Ste. Marie SSAB
District of Thunder Bay SSAB
District of Timiskaming SSAB
Manitoulin and Sudbury SSAB
Municipality of Chatham-Kent
Rainy River District
Sault Ste. Marie C, Prince TWP and Sault
North Planning Board
Thunder Bay District
Temiskaming District
Manitoulin District, Sudbury District
Chatham-Kent M
Prince Edward Lennox and
Addington Social Services
Lennox and Addington CO, Prince
Edward CO
Regional Municipality of Durham
Durham RM
Regional Municipality of Halton
Halton RM
Regional Municipality of Niagara
Niagara RM
Regional Municipality of Peel
Regional Municipality of Waterloo
Peel RM
Waterloo RM
Regional Municipality of York
York RM
United Counties of Leeds and
Grenville
Brockville C, Gananoque ST, Prescott ST,
Leeds and Grenville CO
United Counties of Prescott and
Russell
Prescott and Russell CO
Abbreviations:
C
City
CO
County
DM
District Municipality
DSSAB
District Social Services
Administration Board
M
RM
ST
TWP
Public Health Units
Unit
North Bay Parry Sound District
Health Unit
North Bay Parry Sound District
Health Unit
Northwestern Health Unit
Algoma Public Health
Thunder Bay District Health Unit
Timiskaming Health Unit
Sudbury & District Health Unit
Chatham-Kent Public Health
Services
KFL&A Public Health
Hastings & Prince Edward
Counties Health Unit (Prince
Edward CO)
Durham Region Health
Department
Halton Region Health
Department
Niagara Region Public Health
Department
Peel Public Health
Region of Waterloo, Public
Health
York Region Public Health
Services
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark
District Health Unit; Eastern
Ontario Health Unit (Prescott)
Eastern Ontario Health Unit
Municipality
Regional Municipality
Separated Town
Township
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Integrated service planning resources and tools—
Other resources and tools available from CMSMs and DSSABs
Other resources and tools available from CMSMs and DSSABS
This list can be used to access resources and tools that are available and to build on
existing practices in use by other CMSMs and DSSABs.
Resources/Tools
CMSM/DSSAB
Integration Evaluation Tool and Integration Index


York Region

Program Vision, Policies, Practices, Service Planning
Resources (funding, space, program supplies, human
resources)
Program Access

Early Learning Environment
York Region, Niagara Region

Parent/Family Involvement
York Region
York Region
York Region
Integration Assessment Tool
City of London
Parent/Family Engagement Framework
Ottawa - Success by 6
Hamilton
Toronto First Duty
Neighbourhood/Service Mapping
City of London
City of Greater Sudbury
Cochrane District
District of Muskoka
Niagara Region
Neighbourhood Service Provider Teams
Hamilton
Service Delivery Areas (SDA)
Region of Peel
Program Logic Model
County of Simcoe
Best Start Logic Model
Hamilton
Financial/Budget Template
Renfrew County
District of Muskoka
(MCYS NE Region Template)
Expanded Terms of Reference
District of Muskoka
Commitment to Planning Sign Off
Interprofessional Development Terms of
Reference/Workplan
Hamilton
Human Services Integrated Service Delivery Model
Region of Peel
Operating Criteria
Toronto
Wellington County
Durham
Region of Peel
Ecological Model
Wellington County
Service Provider Re-Engineering Tool
Region of Peel
Hamilton
An Integrated Service Plan for the Child and Family Service System: A Blueprint for CMSMs/DSSABs
May 2010
37
Integrated service planning resources and tools—
Potential data to review
Potential Data to review
The following list gives some examples of local data the CMSMs and DSSABs and their
community partners should review as part of their early years integrated service
planning process.
Statistics Canada Census
Healthy Baby Healthy Children
LICO
Community Services Inventory
Socio-Economic Indicators
Social Risk Index
Canadian Social Data Strategy (CCSD)
Child Care Service Data
Early Development Instrument scores
Wage Subsidy Data
Student Achievement
Special Needs Resourcing Data
Quality of Life Report
Licensed Child Care Data
School Board Enrolment Forecasts
Public Health Data
Local Economic Data
Previous Plans
Child Care Utilization
MCYS Templates
Child Care Wait List
Ontario Early Years Data Analysis Coordinator Data
Hub Utilization
School board demographics
An Integrated Service Plan for the Child and Family Service System: A Blueprint for CMSMs/DSSABs
May 2010
38
Integrated service planning resources and tools—Cross references between Service
Planning Template and Community Human Services Planning paper
Cross-references between Service Planning Template and Community
Human Services Planning paper
Structural Elements
Foundational Elements
This table shows the correspondence between the elements presented in this service
planning document and those presented in OMSSA’s Community Human Services
Planning paper.
Elements of Early Years
Integrated Service Planning
Linkage to Broad Planning Elements of a Human
Services Planning Framework
1. Vision
 Commitment to principles of human services integration
 Establishment of Common Planning Standards
2. Outcomes
 Commitment to Principles of Human Services Integration
 Establishment of Common Planning Standards
 Results-Focused Planning
3. Guiding Principles
 Commitment to Principles of Human Services Integration
4. Common Language
 Commitment to Principles of Human Services Integration
5. Family-Focused
 Commitment to Principles of Human Services Integration
6. Inclusive and Participatory
Process
 Commitment to Principles of Human Services Integration
7. Transparency
 Commitment to Principles of Human Services Integration
 Alignment Between Provincial and Municipal Efforts
8. Local Flexibility
 Flexibility
9. Effective Leadership
 Commitment to Principles of Human Services Integration
10. Governance
 Establishment of Common Planning Standards
11. Parent/Family Engagement
 Capacity Development
12. Relationship Building
 Capacity Development
13. Build on What Exists
 Capacity Development
14. Time
 Establishment of Common Planning Standards
15. Effective Meetings
 Establishment of Common Planning Standards
16. Quality
 Results-Focused Planning
17. Evaluation Based on
Outcomes
 Results-Focused Planning
18. Alignment
 Alignment Between Provincial and Municipal Efforts
19. Funding
 Sustainable Resourcing
An Integrated Service Plan for the Child and Family Service System: A Blueprint for CMSMs/DSSABs
May 2010
39