ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA CHIEFS

SECRETARIAT INC.

 

 

MANITOBA FIRST NATIONS EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGY

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY REPORT

 

SEPTEMBER 21 & 22, 2005

 

VICTORIA INN

1808 WELLINGTON AVENUE

WINNIPEG, MB

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………1

 

A.                 Merging Programs and Services……………………………………………………………………………1

      Barriers to Merging Programs……………………….............................................1

 

B.                 Vision Statement Elements……………………...................................................1-2

 

C.                 Guiding Principles for the Vision…………………………………………………2

 

D.                 Goals………………………………………………………………………………3

 

E.                  What Supports are needed to implement principles & Goals……………………..4

 

F.                  Quad Statements  .............………………………………………………………4-5

G.                 Program Design and Delivery Features that should be in ELCC Program ……….5

 

H.                 Program Design and Delivery Elements ……………………………………….....5

 

I.                    Funding Components  …………………………………………………………….6

 

J.                   ELCC Next Steps………………………………………………………………….6

 

 

Manitoba First Nations Early Childhood Strategy Report

 

  1. Introduction:

 

The intended purpose of the dialogue was to have “grassroots” input from front-line First Nation early childhood educators, health workers, teachers, parents, councilors and leadership in developing a Manitoba First Nation Early Learning and Child Care Strategy

 

Manitoba First Nations Early childhood educators have been aware of the issues they encounter on a daily basis within their communities and in the Manitoba Region. The “single window” concept, with Early Childhood Development (ECD), and now the Early Learning and Child Care(ELCC) have been used interchangeably. However, throughout the dialogues up to now, the underlying concept is the merging and/or integrating of the pre-school programs.

 

Manitoba region has sixty-three First Nations that are Ojibway, Cree, Oji-cree, Dakota and Dene. Every community receives day care funding from the Human Resources and Skills Development agreements. Thirty-three communities receive Head Start funding from First Nations/Inuit Health Branch.

 

Manitoba Early Childhood Educators, with the support of community and leadership underscore the importance of having their views and direction in designing an ELCC system recognized in the summary of the Assembly of First Nations on Early Learning and Child Care.

 

In the words of the Participants:

 

  1. MERGING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

 

  • Some communities already physically merged their 0-6 programs either in existing buildings with utilization of same resources, phone, fax, toys, playground, equipment, staff, policies and other administration of ELCC programming or have plans in place to become merged, or are at various stages of transition
  • Not all communities want to physically merge the programs, but,  recommend fiscally and administratively streamlining the reporting mechanisms and report to one funding source
  • The majority of participants envision early child care programs that incorporate language, culture and values
  • participants strongly recommend qualified workers access on-going accessible culturally relevant Early Childhood education training, professional development, workshops, First Nations Early childhood conferences
  • Head Start is free, day care is a fee for service, this needs to be addressed within a merged model
  • Communication is key with the parents, staff, community, leadership in planning
  • People who deliver the programs should have expert knowledge of the ECE issues and have an ECE background, education and experience
  • Insurance and liability issues
  • Training of First Nations Day Care coordinators to license, monitor and provide resources and support to First nations ELCC programs
  • The need for a First Nations funding source for the region, Federal department as a flow-through only
  • Must be First Nations planned and driven
  • The need for First Nations to develop the policy and criteria for a First Nation ELCC entity under a self governance model
  • Ideal to allow for a “lifelong” approach to First Nation programs
  • Traditional teachings to parents.

 

 

BARRIERS TO MERGING PROGRAMS

 

  • Poor capital and infrastructure
  • awareness of the importance of Early Childhood Education
  • Salary inequities
  • cost of training of Early childhood educators
  • comparative salaries to mainstream, and on-reserve employment
  • entity to address licensing and monitoring issues
  • Head Start proposals that were accepted, now having difficulty accessing funds due to the merging of programs, being put on-hold
  • Lack of leadership support due to shortage of ELCC advocacy and awareness of the importance of Early Childhood education
  • No resources to work with disabled children
  • Funding formulas only based on population and not need
  • Potential loss of funding because of 3rd party management on First Nation and  loss of funding due to federal regional deficit recovery
  • Current reporting requirements in funding agreements could pose problems and expectations differ between the programs
  • Because of available funding and reporting requirements, daycare children and headstart children may be treated differently.  This is not healthy for child well-being
  • Merging may not be in line with local leadership direction
  • Need better support from Band manager, must ensure appropriate funding methods are established.

 

 

  1. VISON STATEMENT ELEMENTS

 

  • To have First Nations language immersion in Early Learning and Child Care
  • Access to relevant resources and material to implement the pre-school programs
  • License and monitoring by a First Nations “entity”
  • Support and resources from the communities, regional community and leadership
  • On-going training, education and professional development
  • First Nation Early Childcare curriculum
  • To have a First Nations “entity” access the ELCC funding and allocate to the First Nations
  • Safe, happy, caring and loving environment for children, families and staff
  • Promoting and nurturing healthy child development
  • Ability to keep track of child’s development
  • ALL children are entitled to quality childcare and supporting resources for both child and family
  • Promotion of “life long” development
  • Strengthen families, program is an extension of family but not replace responsibilities of family
  • First Nation control, design and delivery of programs and development of policies, standards, legislation, etc.
  • Parental involvement in programming
  • Equitable access – same funding across country
  • Understanding and acceptance that each community is unique, therefore, a national policy must address the uniqueness
  • Look at the introduction to early learning as a part of the life long process.

 

 

  1. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE VISION

 

  • Incorporating our First Nations values, beliefs and culture
  • Total language immersion
  • Training Early childhood educators in traditional teachings if they choose
  • To meet the diverse needs of all our children
  • To support the overall development of the children, whether it be spiritual, intellectual, or physical
  • To recognize, respect and support the role of the extended family in teaching and caring for their children
  • To ensure that resources are used in ways that maximize the benefits to children, parents, guardians, families and communities
  • The utilization of elders daily in the program
  • Foster pride – independence – we all want children to succeed and realize their full potential
  • Ensure diversity and flexibility when developing program policy and designing program
  • Need to keep programs separate/distinct within themselves
  • Holistic
  • Incorporate language and culture
  • Establish partnerships and collaboration
  • Community based programs, locally designed
  • Adequate resources, equitable

 

 

  1. GOALS

 

  • To have a huge regional Early Learning and childcare awareness campaign
  • Capital needs assessment (what we have now and what we need, timelines)
  • To assess comparative services and on-going infrastructure needs
  • Operation and maintenance
  • Determine how many Early Childhood Educators is needed to deliver the programs – being mindful of the Quality principle
  • Money to be set aside/identified  for special needs, capital resources, salaries
  • Employment – development of a regional ECC salary scale
  • Training dollars to meet the regional need of trained Early childhood educators
  • Ensure that the resources are available for accessibility for children with special needs
  • Ensure that resources are available for universality – universally inclusive
  • Resources are available for curriculum incorporating community language, culture and traditions
  • QUAD is First Nation driven and defined
  • Flexibility to ensure all children benefit
  • Increased parental participation
  • Ensure that human/cultural/social/traditional development needs are met
  • Exercise our inherent rights to control and jurisdiction over this program area
  • First Nations licensing and monitoring
  • Develop a communication strategy that will provide necessary reporting to and from government, membership, parents, Chief and Council

 

  1. WHAT SUPPORTS ARE NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT PRINCIPLES AND GOALS

§         Political will

§         Flexibility

§         Leadership to push agenda

§         Bring to life the “First Nations – Federal Crown Political Accord on the Recognition and Implementation of First Nation Governments” and Prime Minister’s commitment to ensuring collaborative policy making with First Nations

§         Capacity building

§         First Nation governance

§         Multi-year commitments (not year to year)

§         Community cohesion and cooperation

§         Capital funding

§         Manitoba First Nations Child Care Association (some type of coordinating body)

 

 

  1. QUAD STATEMENTS

 

  • develop a regional working group comprised of early childhood directors/coordinators, community stakeholders
  • the working group will involve a political person involved to move the regional initiative forward to start the extensive work
  • consideration for the isolation and costs involved with the northern Early Learning and child care programs
  • development of the First Nations salary scale
  • consideration for cost involved in the licensing and monitoring entity
  • Quality assurance
  • Development of a resource ELCC centre
  • Development of an ELCC association to address resources available to membership (books, curriculum guides, workshops, conferences)
  • Quality:  trained ECE, licensing and regulating child care
  • Universally inclusive:  to be able to access special needs development funding, special education funding should be available to for children 0 to 4 years
  • Developmental:  child centred
  • Equitable wages for ECE staff
  • Child care committee(s)
  • Needs to be a capital investment study
  • Manitoba First Nation ELCC Association/Entity
  • On-going training
  • Instilling culture and heritage in the curriculum so children will be proud of who they are.

 

  1. PROGRAM DESIGN AND DELIVERY FEATURES THAT SHOULD BE IN ELCC PROGRAM

 

  • The design and delivery of the ELCC programs will include some of Head Start components which includes parental involvement
  • Networking, formalized agreements, IT
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Nutritious meals
  • Consistent behaviour modification teachings
  • Family counselling
  • First Nations design T’s & C’s
  • Total language immersion
  • Resources required for special needs
  • Curriculum for child development stages

 

 

  1. Program Design and Delivery Elements

 

Ψ      Culture and language need to be part of all components of program development

Ψ      Nutrition and child development needs to be met

Ψ      Utilization of elders and other language experts incorporated into program

Ψ      Safety and healthy environment:  inspection, fire, public health, healthy building

 

I.       Funding Components

 

Ψ      Licensing and monitoring currently has no funding available, this is required

Ψ      Regional First Nation organization to oversee the development and implementation of ELCC including, licensing and monitoring standards

Ψ      Second level services that provide support to the programs

Ψ      Infrastructure and capital dollars associated with merging the programs

Ψ      Training and professional development

 

J.      ELCC PROGRAM – NEXT STEPS

 

Necessary steps to facilitate the transition to the merged ELCC program in the community

 

Ψ      Determine start up costs for merging programs

Ψ      Community consultation and awareness

Ψ      Cooperation

Ψ      Understanding and support of staff

Ψ      Identify what costs should be split and shared

Ψ      Communication strategy

Ψ      Clarification from federal government

Ψ      Collaborative policy and program development

Ψ      Awareness and support from Chief and Council on early learning programs

Ψ      Combined planning with other programs, e.g. Brighter Future, CPNP, FASD, K4-5, Headstart, Day Care

Ψ      Set up timelines

Ψ      Find a new name for program

Ψ      Program under First Nation control, jurisdiction and governance

Ψ      Yearly evaluation monies

Ψ      First Nation regulations, policy, licensing