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0 Updated November 2021
PEEL INCLUSION RESOURCE SERVICES
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Peel Inclusion Resource Services ____________________________________________________________________ 0
Memorandum of Understanding____________________________________________________________________ 0
1. Introduction ______________________________________________________________________________ 1
2. Relationship Statement ____________________________________________________________________ 1
3. Role of the Region of Peel Early Years and Child Care Services _____________________________________ 2
4. Role of the Service Provider _________________________________________________________________ 4
5. Role of the Child Care Program Supervisor / Manager /Home Visitor _______________________________ 4
6. Role of the Educator/ Home Child Care Provider ________________________________________________ 5
7. Role of the PIRS Special Needs Resourcing (SNR) Program ________________________________________ 5
8. Role of the PIRS Resource Consultant _________________________________________________________ 5
9. Role of the PIRS Manager/Supervisor _________________________________________________________ 6
10. Duty to Report _________________________________________________________________________ 7
Appendix 1 _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8
Service Provider Escalation Process _______________________________________________________________ 8
Appendix 2 _____________________________________________________________________________________ 9
Inclusion Policy Checklist ________________________________________________________________________ 9
Appendix 3 ____________________________________________________________________________________ 12
Continued Placement Process ___________________________________________________________________ 12
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1. INTRODUCTION
This document outlines roles and responsibilities to support a collaborative relationship between
child care Service Providers (Service Provider), Peel Inclusion Resource Services (PIRS) partners
and the Region of Peel to ensure the delivery of inclusive child care programs for all children and
their families.
This document also identifies the expectations for the relationship between Service Providers,
PIRS partners and the Region of Peel that will constitute the Authentic Participation in PIRS as
outlined in Early Years and Child Care Services Fee Subsidy Agreement as noted in section:
6. Authentic Participation
6.1 The Service Provider will engage in Authentic Participation, which is a
partnership/collaboration that demonstrates continuous involvement between licensed
child care providers, the Region of Peel, and Peel Inclusion Resource Services (PIRS)
partners, with the intent for all involved to have a positive impact/outcome on high
quality, Inclusive supports and services for children and families in Peel.
2. RELATIONSHIP STATEMENT
Special needs resourcing supports are available to all licensed child care programs (centre-based,
Home Child Care and School Age Programs) to help child care Providers demonstrate access,
inclusion, participation and belonging in meeting the needs of all children.
PIRS is a partnership of the Region of Peel, Special Needs Resourcing (SNR) Programs and Service
Providers committed to supporting:
• Children (aged 0- 12 years) who attend a child care program in Peel which is licensed under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (CCEYA)
• Early identification of children who may benefit from special needs resourcing supports
• Positive early childhood education experiences for all children
• Access to community services and supports for families
• Professional learning opportunities and supports for Service Providers
• Providers in the implementation of their program’s Inclusion Policy
PIRS takes a collaborative approach to supporting families and child care programs with a focus on ensuring the right support is in place. Working together with Early Years Specialists, Quality Initiatives Mentors, other community partners and professionals helps to ensure that program Educators receive support from a variety of areas of expertise.
The following PIRS partners are the SNR Programs that service the Early Years and Child Care
System in Peel:
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• Brampton Caledon Community Living
• Community Living Mississauga
• ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development
• EveryMind Mental Health Services
Expectations of all parties remain consistent whether PIRS services are provided virtually or in
person.
3. ROLE OF THE REGION OF PEEL EARLY YEARS AND CHILD CARE SERVICES
The Region of Peel is a designated Service System Manager (SSM) pursuant to the Child Care and
Early Years Act, 2014, S.O. 2014, c.11, Sched.1 (“CCEYA”) and regulations thereunder, as
amended from time to time, and any other applicable legislation for the management of special
needs resourcing funding within the Region.
The Region of Peel is responsible for ensuring support is provided to licensed child care programs
delivering child care services to families and children in Peel between the ages of 0 to 12 years.
The Region leads oversight and planning of SNR supports which are delivered through PIRS
(Resource Consultation and Enhanced Program Supports). The Region of Peel has implemented
the following accountability measures to support inclusion:
3.1. Policy and Program Development
To enable the delivery of quality consistent special needs resourcing supports, policies,
procedures, and guidelines are developed which are in alignment with legislative requirements,
support best practices and are responsive to the needs of early years and child care programs in
Peel. SNR Policies and Programs have a direct link to achieving the strategic priorities outlined in
the Early Years and Child Care Service System Plan 2019-2024.
3.2. Ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation of the PIRS Service Delivery Model
To ensure that consistent, high quality special needs services are delivered to child care programs
and families, the Region of Peel consistently monitors, reviews and evaluates PIRS
services/supports. Established processes guide how information gathered through both the
feedback process for Service Providers and SNR Programs and the complaints process for families
are handled. SNR Programs will communicate to the Region about child care programs
participation in PIRS and similarly child care programs can provide feedback directly to the
Region about how supports are being delivered by SNR Programs. This feedback provides
opportunities to understand service delivery in real time, to address concerns and/or plan for
adjusting supports as needed.
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3.2.1. Concerns with PIRS Service Delivery
Service Providers are encouraged to first address any concerns related to SNR service
delivery with the SNR Program that support them with the goal of working towards a
resolution. If, after following the steps outlined in the Escalation Process (see Appendix
1), the Service Provider does not feel that the issue has been resolved they can escalate
their concern to the Region of Peel.
3.3. Distribution of Child Care Programs
The Region is responsible for the oversight of a coordinated child care distribution approach to
ensure equitable distribution of child care Programs amongst SNR Programs. The distribution
approach considers several factors, including but not limited to; system growth and increased
demand for SNR supports. To balance support needs across the system there are times when
child care programs will be transferred from one Resource Consultant (RC) to another RC or from
one SNR Program to another SNR Program. Every effort will be made to make these changes
during a time of natural transition (Winter break, summer, etc.) to minimize service disruptions
3.4. Child Care Program Inclusion Policies
To effectively increase access, inclusion, participation and belonging Service Providers are
required to have an Inclusion Policy that speaks to their belief and actions related to the
inclusion of children within their program(s). In accordance with section 9. of the Early Years and
Child Care Services Fee Subsidy Agreement Service Providers will:
9.1 (a) Submit the Inclusion Policy, for review and approval by the Region, on an annual basis by the date communicated by the Region.
To support continued access to programs for children and families the Continued Placement
Process (see Appendix 3) must be referenced in all Inclusion Policies. Inclusion Policy’s will be
reviewed and approved by the Region. Inclusion Policies are expected to meet the criteria
outlined in the Inclusion Policy Review Checklist before the approval process is complete (see
Appendix 2). Questions, concerns or proposed changes to language or concepts in the policy will
be discussed with the Service Provider to ensure a shared understanding of the content and how
the policy will be actively implemented within the program. Once a policy has been approved
Service Providers will receive a Letter of Approval for their records.
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3.5. Student Learning Opportunities
The Region of Peel supports SNR Programs to offer opportunities for student learning including
RC student placements. For this opportunity to be successful, Service Providers are expected to
enable positive learning experiences by supporting students to visit child care programs
alongside the RC.
4. ROLE OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER
The Service Provider’s commitment to their Program’s participation in PIRS is key to a successful
partnership. As such the Service Provider will:
• Maintain awareness of the roles, responsibilities and expectations outlined in the MoU
• Work with and provide support to the Program Supervisor / Manager /Home Visitor to ensure their Program's active participation in PIRS
• Provide support to the Program Supervisor / Manager /Home Visitor for any situations that require using the PIRS Continued Placement Process (see Appendix 3)
• Develop a robust Inclusion Policy and ensure that the elements are actively implemented in the Program
5. ROLE OF THE CHILD CARE PROGRAM SUPERVISOR / MANAGER /HOME VISITOR
The Child Care Program Supervisor/Manager/Home Visitor (this includes Centre based programs,
licensed Home Child Care and School Age Child Care Programs) plays an important role in a
successful PIRS partnership and demonstrates a commitment to:
• Active implementation of their Inclusion Policy
• Welcome and include all children
• Inform parent/guardian(s) of PIRS supports
• Invite RCs into all rooms / settings within the program’s environment
• Use How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years (2014) as a guide to ensure high quality experiences and positive outcomes for children’s learning, development, health and well-being.
• Support Educators / Home Child Care Service Providers to fulfil their role as outlined in the Role of the Educator / Home Child Care Provider
• Disclose to the Region of Peel (by sending an email to [email protected]) and discuss with the PIRS RC if a Resource Teacher/Special Education Teacher or additional support staff are supporting the program and work together to clarify roles and avoid duplication.
• Refer to the PIRS Continued Placement Process (see Appendix 3) and implement identified actions prior to the termination of a child’s care.
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6. ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR/ HOME CHILD CARE PROVIDER
The Educator/ Home Child Care Provider plays a significant role in a successful PIRS partnership and is expected to:
• Model behaviors, that demonstrate a belief that all children belong.
• Facilitate interactions between children to support a sense of belonging, well-being, engagement, and expression.
• Continue to be the primary contact for, and encourage communication with, the child’s family.
• Share observations with child care program Supervisor / Manager / Home Visitor regarding children who may benefit from special needs resource consultation and plan for discussion with the family for additional resources, such as introducing the role of the RC.
• Participate in ongoing professional learning related to inclusion and special needs, including opportunities recommended by the RC.
• Actively work with the RC to help children participate in every aspect of the program by: o Understanding children’s learning styles o Implementing the recommended general classroom / program strategies that support
access, inclusion, participation and belonging o Making reasonable program modifications as needed to ensure every child is included
in the program. o Discussing plans or changes to the daily routine or program that may impact a child o Utilizing input from professionals involved with a child and family to support a child’s
participation o Participating in the development, implementation, and documentation of a child’s
Individual Program Plan (IPP) o Supporting a child’s transition to another classroom, to a new program or to school
• Support the PIRS Continued Placement Process prior to the termination of any child from care
7. ROLE OF THE PIRS SPECIAL NEEDS RESOURCING (SNR) PROGRAM
The SNR Program delivers PIRS special needs services that support Service Providers to demonstrate access, inclusion, participation and belonging in meeting the needs of all children in licensed child care settings. This includes children whose cognitive, physical, social, emotional or communicative needs, or whose needs relating to overall development, are of such a nature that additional special needs supports are of benefit to the child.
8. ROLE OF THE PIRS RESOURCE CONSULTANT
RCs are early childhood experts with specialized knowledge of child development, children’s
mental health, early intervention, special needs and inclusive practices. RCs provide direct
consultative support to Service Providers. They work collaboratively with Educators/Home Child
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Care Providers to ensure that all supports and services have been accessed and to establish
strategies that support access, inclusion, participation and belonging for all children in their
programs.
RCs will:
• Regularly visit all rooms/settings within the Program (as applicable); however, RCs are never counted in the adult/child ratio
• Conduct Program and/or Child Specific Consultation, upon request and with consent as needed, and provide strategies to support the inclusion of children within the program
• Support the capacity building of Educators / Home Child Care Providers related to access, inclusion, participation and belonging in meeting the needs of all children by recommending professional learning opportunities, sharing relevant evidence-informed resource materials and accessing Enhanced Program Support (EPS) and or Specialized Consultation Team (SCT) consultation as needed
• Coach and model strategy implementation
• Refer families to program Educator / Home Child Care Provider or Child Care Program Supervisor/Manager/Home Visitor to address program specific questions
• Consult with the Child Care Program Supervisor/Manager/Home Visitor and parent/guardian(s) to facilitate a PIRS referral (for children who would benefit from resource consultation)
• Assist the Child Care Program Supervisor/Manager/Home Visitor / Educator/ Home Child Care Provider to implement the PIRS Continued Placement Process (when applicable)
• For children actively engaged with a PIRS RC, work collaboratively with the Educator/ Home Child Care Provider to:
o Develop an IPP that supports the child’s participation in the program, including input from the family and other professionals supporting the child, and ensure regular meetings to review and discuss implementation of strategies and progress toward set goal(s)
o Communicate and coordinate plans with therapists, doctors and other professionals supporting the child
o Support a child’s transition to another classroom, to a new program or to school
9. ROLE OF THE PIRS MANAGER/SUPERVISOR
The PIRS Manager/Supervisor has oversight for the services delivered by their SNR Program and demonstrates a commitment to:
• Ensure PIRS supports are consistently and authentically delivered to all child care programs
• Collaborate with PIRS Partners and the Region to inform ongoing evaluation of the PIRS model
• Address concerns brought forward by a Service Provider or Child Care Program Supervisor/Manager/Home Visitor and work towards a resolution
• Collaborate with PIRS Partners to support a consistent delivery of service
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• Facilitate discussions with their RC team to support a shared understanding of service delivery expectations
• Support their RC team’s adherence to service standards
• Build relationships with Service Providers, Child Care Program Supervisor/Manager/Home Visitor, Educators/Home Child Care Providers through regular visits and phone call or email connections.
o Visits and phone/email connections will provide opportunities to discuss how a program is experiencing PIRS services, successes, challenges, etc.
10. DUTY TO REPORT
PIRS RCs comply with the Child and Family Services Act and act in accordance with the CCEYA in
their duty to report suspected child abuse and neglect to the Children’s Aid Society.
8 Updated November 2021
APPENDIX 1
SERVICE PROVIDER ESCALATION PROCESS
Resolved
Resolved
No
Resolved Yes
No
No further action
required
Yes
Issue is flagged by
Educator/HCC
Provider to S/M/HV
Resolved
No further action
required
S/M/HV or Service Provider
contacts ROP Special Needs
Resourcing Manager
Legend
HCC = Home Child Care Provider
PIRS = Peel Inclusion Resource Service
RC = Resource Consultant
S/M/HV = Supervisor / Manager/Home Visitor
ROP = Region of Peel
S/M/HV / Educator
address concerns
with PIRS RC
*If the PIRS Supervisor is also the PIRS
Manager escalate directly to ROP Special
Needs Resourcing Manager
S/M/HV address
concerns with PIRS
Manager*
No further action
required
S/M/HV address
concerns with PIRS
Supervisor
Yes
No
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APPENDIX 2
INCLUSION POLICY CHECKLIST
Inclusion Policy Review Checklist
Program Name: Year:
Item Description Resource Specialist
Comments
Legislation / Best
Practice
Refer to legislation and best practice supporting documentation For example: Child Care and Early Years Act. 2014 (CCEYA), Ontario Human Rights Code, College of ECE’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years,
Definition of
Inclusion
Define the term “Inclusion” as it relates to the inclusion policy. Key words to consider, celebrating uniqueness, abilities, belonging, diversity and acceptance for every child
Policy Statement
The statement is a goal the program aims to achieve. Outline how to be welcoming, flexible, fair, and how to maintain community partnerships. Consider using relevant inclusive points from your Program Statement. For example: “We support all children to reach their full potential”
Intent: This checklist is a tool to support Child Care Providers in developing their inclusion policy. An inclusion policy is a key component to meeting authentic participation in Peel Inclusion Resource Services (PIRS) expectations. An inclusion policy outlines ways to include all children and removes any barriers that prevent children from actively participating.
Inclusion: Inclusion includes but is not limited to; age, education, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, income, language,
marital status, occupation, parental status, physical and mental ability, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation.
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Guiding Principles Policy statements cannot stand alone. Determine the core principles that are central to the program. The guiding principles section will list 3 to 5 beliefs that support inclusion. For example: We:
• Welcome and are inclusive of all children and families
• Promote a sense of belonging, well-being, engagement and expression
• Participate with others who have different goals and abilities, etc.
Procedures Procedures should support and be consistent with the program statement, guiding principles and congruent with other program policies. Include / capture the following
• Flexibility to make reasonable program modifications as needed to ensure every child is included in the program
• Every effort is made to support new and existing placements (Reference to PIRS Continued Placement Process)
• Professional Education for staff related to Inclusion and special needs
• Importance of strengthening relationships and ensuring social inclusion, participation and a sense of belonging
• Importance of connecting with community partners to better support the mental health and well-being of families and children. For example: Peel Inclusion Resource Services (PIRS)
Accountability “Supervisors, owner operators, directors, managers, board members staff, parents and volunteers play the single most important role in achieving inclusion success.” (Lero, Irwin, Hope) The policy will demonstrate how the Provider will support and ensure all staff/board members support the policy and inclusive programming Include/capture the frequency in which:
• The Provider will review the inclusion policy to ensure it is current with respect to language and legislation
• Staff will be required to review the inclusion policy
Supporting Documentation
All other policies referenced, must align with the Inclusion policy. Please attach any policies referenced in the Inclusion policy
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Does your policy include:
• ‘People first language’- puts the person first and special need second focusing on the person rather than the special need- child with special needs vs. special needs child
• Realistic, attainable guiding principles
Reference: Inclusion: Policy Development Guidelines for Early Learning and Care Programs, Toronto Children’s Services, Toronto Canada. 2007; How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years
12 Updated November 2021
APPENDIX 3
CONTINUED PLACEMENT PROCESS
The Continued Placement Process is intended to support existing placements and will reflect the individual child and/or unique situation. When the process is implemented in a timely and effective manner, it is a successful way to increase inclusion, support children and families and build on the child care Service Provider, Child Care Program Supervisor/Manager/Home Visitor and Educator / Home Child Care Provider’s strengths. Supporting existing at-risk placements when concerns arise means child care Program staff implement the steps within the Continued Placement Process prior to terminating the care of any child.
To ensure this process is effective and collaborative, the Child Care Program Supervisor/ Manager/ Home Visitor will identify who from the program will take the lead, for example the Educator / Home Child Care Provider.
Process:
• Assess the environment, schedule, and program to identify opportunities to make changes / adjustments that could support success
• Document informal observations related to the area of concern/challenge
• Record the child’s strengths, needs and interests
• Seek resources from the PIRS RC including requesting a General Classroom Consultation or Child Specific Brief Consultation (with consent)
• Discuss observations/concerns with the child’s parent/guardian(s), including both positive comments and constructive feedback related to area of concern/challenge
• Explore whether there are any other factors that could be impacting a child’s participation in the program for example, medical, physical health, emotional and mental health, culture and language and cognitive factors
• Discuss services currently being accessed by the child and family (e.g., speech and language services) to determine if or how strategies can be implemented within the program
• Put additional strategies in place to support the child and Educators /Home Child Care Provider. Some examples of these could include but are not limited to:
o Action Plan o Safety Plan
• Communication strategy between family and Service Provider (Communication Book)
• Implement all agreed upon strategies and suggestions consistently
• Schedule ongoing meetings with the family and engaged supports to review and evaluate progress
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• Explore the option of a referral to PIRS (if applicable) to support the child, family and Educators/Home Child Care Provider if concerns persist
Programs are to document the actions they have taken to support a child’s continued placement including but not limited to; dates of and attendees at meetings, plans/strategies discussed, actions to be taken and by whom, etc.
If, after the above noted steps and actions have been implemented, it is found that the child’s needs cannot be met within the program, the Service Provider may choose to terminate care. It is expected that the Service Provider will give a reasonable period of notice to the family and during this time will share options regarding other child care and community resources to support the child and family.
