The Prototypes

LINKS

The approach used by the North End Wellbeing Measure closely reflects the values of the Child-Centred Model.

• The North End Wellbeing Measure uses a wholistic definition of wellbeing, rather than focusing only on childrens’ mental and physical wellbeing.
• The North End Wellbeing Measure focuses on the strengths of children and the community, rather than deficits.
• The North End Wellbeing Measure supports the community to lead and interpret evaluation, rather than being excluded from the process.
• When we work within the Child-Centred Model, we are able to support positive change for children, parents, families, and the community.

To learn more about the Child-Centred Model, read the full report at winnipegboldness.ca/childcentredmodel.

WHY DID WE FOCUS ON THE NORTH END WELLBEING MEASURE?

A child’s development is supported by nurturing environments, healthy relationships, connection to the community, nourishing food, safety, housing, and a sense of belonging within the family. We have heard these values identified consistently from the community, but existing approaches to measuring school readiness and children’s wellbeing do not reflect all of these components, or the dimensions of self (physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental) that are important to the Point Douglas community. Success for kids – as defined by the community – was not being measured.

Many measurement tools focus on what is missing rather than what is strong or positive. By focusing instead on a strength- based approach, trust is built with the community and opportunities for growth are identified, both of which support childrens’ wellbeing.

To work alongside the community to support childhood development means working to measure what matters to the community, and empowering the community to take ownership of the results and decide what to do next.

The rights of Indigenous families to self-determination, to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development is recognized by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This can only be supported by letting communities define what development and success means to them.

What creates barriers to measuring success as defined by the community?

Rigid measures of success

The community’s understanding of childhood wellbeing is wholistic. However, broadly used measurements of child wellbeing focus only on certain parts (such as physical and mental wellbeing) while excluding others. This makes it very hard to measure success in a way that matters to communities.

Bad experiences with measurement

Indigenous communities have a history of bad experiences with measurement and evaluation. In the past, the data they have shared has often resulted in no changes, has not been shared with them, and has sometimes even been used to impact negative changes. This makes community members in the Point Douglas less likely to participate in measuring early childhood outcomes.

Measurement does not involve parents and the community

Some measurements of child wellbeing rely upon professionals such as kindergarten teachers to complete checklists and fill in information. Approaches that rely solely on professionals miss out on engaging those who know most about individual children – their parents and caregivers.

As long as today’s systemic barriers exist, the best ways that we found to support children and families through measurement are:

Use participatory research methods

Methods that let the community guide, lead, and interpret research are central to measuring what matters to community. Let the community guide you to what matters to them.

Use wholistic measurement tools

Tools that expand our understanding of what contributes to wellness help broaden our understanding of what is strong in communities and where supports may be helpful.

Let the community sit with the data

Letting the community interpret and react to the data builds trust, inspires community action, and helps organizations learn what really matters to the community.

Take a strength-based approach

Starting from strengths creates opportunities for individuals, groups, and communities to grow, which in turn builds children’s wellbeing.

“From an outside perspective, the North End may seem like a hostile place as what the news would report. However, once ou spend some time within, it opens up your eyes to how strong the community is.”
— Survey team member

“The negative reputation that some people have towards the North End is not an accurate snapshot; the community is strong as they work together for each other.”
— Survey team member

“Being right in the middle opened my eyes to how everyone shares things as a community. A lot of people stick together and help one another with things such as advising on what programs would be useful to others and announcing what places are providing breakfasts, lunches, suppers, snacks, clothes and food. I feel that we helped the community, but the community helped us as well.”
– Survey team member

Through this work we found that there are larger barriers that affect the ability to measure what matters to families and community in Point Douglas. We need governments, non-profits, and businesses to:

1. Let communities define what success looks like. Existing structures prioritize rigid and uniform measurements, which exclude community wisdom and strengths in the process.
2. Repair the relationships between Indigenous communities and evaluation practices. Giving ownership, control, access, and possession is critical to this healing.
3. Support participatory, strength-based approaches. Giving the time, space, and resources needed for these approaches helps communities themselves to learn, grow, and take action to support children and families in the future.

LINKS

The Child-Centred Model – a way of working for positive change developed by the community of Point Douglas – helped us find the best ways to support families in signing-up for the CLB.

We worked with families to understand the barriers they face to CLB sign-up and success for their children rather than assuming that they didn’t know about or value these things.

We worked with residents and community leaders to do what they felt was needed to support families and children rather than assuming that we knew best.

We sought to understand and support the whole community beyond the CLB program rather than believing that a single program would have community-wide impact.

When we work with the Child-Centred Model as our guide, we are able to support positive change for children, parents, families, and the community.

Why did we focus on the Canada Learning Bond?

The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is part of something much more important than money. Through working with local residents, we found that one of the biggest barriers to educational success is that children and families lose hope that attending university or college is attainable and realistic. The barriers they face are overwhelming, and over time they degrade the hope they have for the future. We also heard that enrolling for the CLB program is an important first step to seeing educational success as a real possibility.

By working with families to remove barriers to CLB enrollment, we found that the process of saving for their child’s education helped encourage:

• Conversations with and within families about their hopes and dreams
• Confidence that childrens’ goals
  can be reached
• A sense of optimism, progress, and achievement for both families and children immediately upon receiving
  the CLB

Families with fewer resources often lower their goals for their children over time as the cost of higher education is a huge burden and puts these dreams out of reach. Strong supports and messages of hope are needed to help children and families believe that educational success is possible. As parent’s expectations increase, children’s college-bound identity increases as well (Elliott, Chowa & Loke, 2011). The CLB does not provide a wholistic solution on its own, it is part of supporting these expectations and is an important first step in understanding the barriers families and children face in achieving educational success.

This work is part of reducing educational inequity – work that has been called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

What creates barriers to Canada Learning Bond sign-up?

Basic Needs Take Priority
Meeting immediate basic needs takes priority over all else. Worse still, signing up for the CLB takes appointments, arrangements for transportation and childcare, and access to identification, which takes time and resources that many families cannot spare.

Process Requires Time and Stability
Many low-income families need to move often, and the CLB application is more challenging for these families. Important documents can get lost and families may lose contact.

Many Types of Literacy Required
The writing and reading levels needed throughout the CLB process are a huge barrier. Caregivers may be too embarrassed to ask for help or become overwhelmed by the steps they must follow.

Low Trust
The relationship between families in Point Douglas and institutions is broken. Families are more reluctant to share their personal information or believe the promises made by staff.

Social Isolation
People in poverty have fewer opportunities to learn about programs like the CLB. As well, a fear of judgment for using assistance programs like these can keep people from seeking support.

Historical Issues
Many families in Point Douglas experience poverty across generations, which includes intergenerational trauma through systemic racism, addictions, and abuse.

As long as today’s systemic barriers exist, here are the best ways to support children in achieving educational success.

Provide a Family Support Budget:

Flexible resources helped families cover their immediate needs so that they could focus on planning for the long-term. A flexible support budget is critical to enable families to sign-up for a CLB.

Provide Local and Flexible Support Staff:

CLB sign-up was most successful when individual supports were provided by a trusted community organization. Support staff need to be able to be flexible in meeting families’ unique needs and to reach socially isolated families.

Build Community Capacity:

Community support staff may not know how to get a CLB themselves. Providing support and training for staff helps them answer questions and support families, taking away a main source of frustration for families.

Help in Overcoming Barriers for Identification:

The need for identification is a big systemic barrier. Some families refused to participate because of their past experiences with identification. The costs and time required are simply too much. Though there are some financial supports, they require families to go through yet another lengthy process.

Build Hope in the Community:

The CLB is only one part of supporting families’ hopes for their children. Supporting community champions in all sectors, celebrations for kids’ milestones in their educational journeys, and ways to make post-secondary education more affordable are all needed.

“wouldn’t have done this, its always been in the back of my mind, I’ll do it, I’ll do it, I’ll do it. So now that there is somebody actually representing the parents or whoever to go to do this and giving them some motivation. I feel like, wow!”
— Community Parent

“I think that [signing up for a CLB] makes her feel good as a mom, she has been working hard and come a long way, and this is something she can say “I’ve done this for my girls.” I think she was pretty pumped that she could provide that.”
— Sign-up Support Staff

“It can open doors for my daughter to go to school and be wanting to go to school knowing that she has support there[…] I’m sure she would want to go.”
— Community Parent

“Having [peer support[ to be with me through the process made it simpler, I didn’t feel nervous, I didn’t have any questions – because if I did she was there to answer them.”
— Community Parent

“Her[Parent] first appointment did not go well… he [bank employee] was unaware of the process, and that made things complicated and Mom got frustrated and left. She asked me to go with her to her next appointment, so we made an appointment with the guy I was working with and we went back and it was better.”
— Sign-up Support Staff

Through this work we found that there are larger barriers that affect families and community members. We need governments, non-profits, and businesses to work together in order to:

Remove all barriers for families to get grants and savings incentives.

For example, basic needs, crises, and literacy requirements block families from getting these resources.

Remove all barriers for families to get the identification that they need.

Social Insurance Numbers and birth certificates have benefits for families far beyond education, but even small fees and forms can be overwhelming.

Provide more supports and funding for education for families in Winnipeg’s North End.

Programs like the CLB and RESP are not enough to cover the high cost of education after high school. Students who face barriers to education often also need diverse resources to help them get through school, in addition to financial supports, such as help with child care, tutoring, and transportation.

Support school-bound identity for all children in Point Douglas; Help them believe that education after high school is an option.

Building relationships between schools and students, providing greater financial supports, demonstrating possible career paths, and supporting families’ hopes are all starting points for this important work.

LINKS

The Child-Centred Model – a way of working for positive change developed by the community of Point Douglas – helped us find the best ways to support families in accessing arts-based opportunities.

We worked to provide supports for recreation, self-care, and curiosity rather than focusing solely on basic needs.

We worked to provide the option to choose to participate rather than pressuring families to participate or shaming them for not participating.

We worked to created spaces that were welcoming to families from Point Douglas rather than assuming that they would participate simply if costs were covered.

When we work with the Child-Centred Model as our guide, we are able to support positive change for children, parents, families, and the community.

Why did we focus on arts-based activities?

When children and families have challenges such as lack of food, shelter, or clothing, it is easy to see arts and creativity as less important. However, the development of a wholistic sense of self includes emotional, mental, and spiritual supports, as well as physical ones. Arts and creativity are not frills, they are necessary to supporting healthy child development.

New and different experiences help children grow their sense of what is possible – discovering new skills, interests, and passions. Arts-based activities also give families time together for rest, bonding, and self-care.

Participating in these types of activities leads to improved outcomes such as employment and success in school. Improving education attainment levels and success rates is action that has been called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Arts and cultural activities are opportunities that many families in Point Douglas do not have, so we worked with families to understand how we could make these activities more available to them and their children.

What creates barriers to accessing arts-based activities?

Feeling Unwelcome
These events can create a feeling of exclusion, and that they are not for low-income or Indigenous families. Families worry that they will face discrimination or that they will be judged for how they dress and act.

Transportation Requirements
Many families do not have access to reliable transportation particularly if they are coming from remote areas, making it difficult to attend these events.

Planning Required
Families are focused on meeting their basic needs first. They may not have the time or energy to plan to attend these events.

Costs of Participation
These types of events usually cost money, creating a large barrier for families who struggle to meet their basic needs.

Excluding Different Ages
When events are suitable only for certain ages, families must choose between bringing a younger child along or finding child care and excluding the child from the event. Families in Point Douglas strongly prefer events that welcome the whole family, but many events are not designed that way.

As long as today’s systemic barriers exist, there are a number of ways that organizations can work to make arts-based activities more open to families from Point Douglas.

Provide supports for families’ basic needs

Transportation, childcare, attendance costs, and day-to-day challenges all prevent families from participating in arts-based activities. Removing these barriers is needed to make participation possible.

Include the whole family

Many activities focus on specific age groups, but families in Point Douglas may not participate in activities that do not welcome all of them. Include families of all types and provide opportunities for bonding and self-care for all family members. Doing activities together also gives families the opportunity to discover each other’s skills and potential.

Make families welcome

Many families from Point Douglas feel that they are not wanted in arts-based institutions. Friendly staff who are welcoming, are able to respond to families’ unique needs, and make special accommodations go a long way to helping families consider similar events in the future. Making an extra effort for these families makes them feel that they belong.

Provide interactive experiences

While many arts-based activities are designed for passive viewers, families most enjoyed the opportunities they had to get hands-on in these trips. Interactive experiences such as workshops and backstage tours give children more opportunities for self-discovery and for bonding within and between families.

“My son is into acting now. He likes acting. He likes a lot more sophisticated things now as opposed to your typical like games and stuff like that. I think his confidence has gone up, he’s not afraid to be in a crowd and he’s starting organized sports.”
— Darrin

“I wasn’t really able to go before because, you know, money, transportation, I don’t have a driver’s license. Another big one is that I have two children with ADHD so that’s another barrier because they can get extremely angry when I try to go out with them. But they loved the symphony. They loved the loud music.”
— Mary

“The arts help you to identify what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are, and how to build on those strengths.”
— Mary

“It showed him a side of himself, I think, that he didn’t see before, with the music, and with the play. I never saw that out of him before, and now he wants to go to Manitoba Theatre for Young People. He wants to do things like that. He wants to be active, be a part of everything.”
— Miranda

“When we started our partnership with Winnipeg Boldness, we changed the way we support local arts organizations. It’s gone from simple show sponsorships to providing meaningful experiences. This is definitely something we will want to continue.”
— Janet (National Leasing)

Through this work we found that there are larger barriers that affect families and community members.
We need governments, non-profits, and businesses to work together in order to:

Create spaces and places that welcome both Indigenous and non-Indigenous families from all walks of life.

Many arts-based institutions are made to feel exclusive and elite. Whether this is intentional or non-intentional, if we hope to include Indigenous and marginalized families, we need to shift our attitudes towards inclusion. We need to create spaces where families can feel comfortable and like they belong.

Fund organizations that are inclusive.

It takes a special effort to include families from communities such as Point Douglas. We need funding structures that make it mandatory for arts-based organizations to include these families and provide the resources to make this possible.

Support participation by meeting basic needs.

It is hard for families to focus on these important experiences when their basic needs aren’t met. We need to help families meet their basic needs so that they can support all aspects of their childrens’ development.

Focus on supporting a wholistic sense of self for families

Most supports that do exist for families from Point Douglas focus on their physical needs. While these supports are important, children and families also need supports for their emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.

LINKS

The approach used by the Hub of Strength closely reflects the values of the Child-Centred Model.

• The Hub of Strength supports an ongoing journey of learning, rather than following strict definitions of progress.
• The Hub of Strength focuses on community culture and self-identity as part of a child’s healthy development – rather than providing supports only for physical health.
• The Hub of Strength integrates traditional Indigenous ways into learning, rather than as a separate activity.
• When we work within the Child-Centred Model, we are able to support positive change for children, parents, families, and the community.

To learn more about the Child-Centred Model, read the full report at winnipegboldness.ca/childcentredmodel.

Why did we focus on the hub of strength?

Culture plays a critical role in determining health through self-identity and healing from trauma, but a history of colonization including residential schools has left many Indigenous people without strong connections to traditional ways and wisdom.

The Child-Centred Model recognizes that neighbourhoods, agencies, community leaders, caregivers, and parents are all needed supports for a child’s healthy development. Being able to draw upon our community knowledge and strengths supports all of these groups to learn, to grow, and to flourish, and in turn support children to do the same. The Hub of Strength exists to be a place where all community members can access this support in order to grow leadership and capacity in the community.

Preserving, revitalizing, and strengthening Indigenous languages and cultures is action called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Supporting community capacity and leadership to do this work is an important step in closing this gap.

What creates barriers to accessing our shared history and wisdom?

Legacies of Colonialism

Indigenous people have faced a long history of trauma and racism that continues today. Indigenous wisdom and culture has been systematically devalued and attacked.

Even today, Indigenous wisdom and culture are not equitably represented in public institutions, schools, and Canadian culture. This leaves many Indigenous people with no clear connection to culture and identity.

Systemic Inequity

Inequities in the systems around Indigenous communities, such as health care, education, social services, and policing, result in lower graduation rates, higher representation in the child welfare system, and less access to economic resources, which all make it harder for community members to grow and flourish, and to recognize their own strengths and value as Indigenous people.

A Focus on Intervention, not Prevention

Many supports that are available focus on intervening in crisis, rather than supporting community and individual strengths. This means that things that support community leadership and share community wisdom are often left out.

As long as today’s systemic barriers exist, the best ways that we found to support access to community wisdom are:

Provide a range of supports

Each community member needs different supports for capacity building, rather than one rigid program. Providing a range of supports, like the ECD and CLT, creates opportunities for community members to draw upon community wisdom for their unique situations and needs.

Support traditional Indigenous ways in all programming

Making time and space and providing resources to support traditional Indigenous ways builds a shared sense of identity and belonging, and responds to the needs of the Point Douglas community.

Support access to elders and knowledge-keepers

Ensure that community members can engage with traditional knowledge-keepers in all supports that are provided.

“The talking/sharing circle as a means to share deeply, from individual perspectives, and from our collective wisdom, knowledge, and experience, was enhanced by the culturally safe environment and medicine wheel framework.”
– CLT coordinator

“Getting to know, like, the residential schools and understand my roots as well as was kind of humbling at times.”
— NPDWC Sharing Circle Participant

“Elder Mae Louise taught the importance of loving yourself, and then you can love others, extend yourself to others in a better way.”
— ECD Participant

“I am more at ease with traditional Indigenous beliefs and ways, understanding that we are all praying to creator. I’ve observed those who follow traditional ways have quit drinking and so I see many benefits for them.”
— ECD Participant

Through this work we found that there are larger barriers that affect access to community wisdom in Point Douglas. We need governments, non-profits, and businesses to:

1. Ensure that funding structures support flexible preventative approaches.Existing structures focus on crisis situations rather than prevention. While this is important, neglecting other supports, like supports for Indigenous culture and wisdom, continues the cycle of inequity.
2. Support communities as part of the natural support systems for healthy children. Supporting the broader community directly impacts children’s health.
3. Support Indigenous wisdom in service delivery. Embedding this wisdom through access to ceremonies, learning, and elders, creates a safer and more caring space for community members to seek help, heal, and ultimately support healthy children in turn.

LINKS

The Child-Centred Model – a way of working for positive change developed by the community of Point Douglas – helped us find the best ways to help families get the support of an Indigenous doula.

We worked to support pregnancy care approaches that were based on community wisdom rather than using approaches that work in other places.

We worked to provide wholistic and flexible supports for families rather than being restrictive about the supports they could choose.

We supported mothers’ control and self-determination in their pregnancies rather than leaving decisions to ‘experts.’

When we work with the Child-Centred Model as our guide, we are able to support positive change for children, parents, families, and the community.

Learn more about the Child-Centred Model and read the full report here.

Indigenous doulas?

Indigenous mothers have higher occurrences of negative pregnancy outcomes than non-Indigenous mothers, such as infant mortality and negative or sometimes even traumatic birth experiences. When mothers experience extreme poverty, exposure to trauma, or stressful conditions surrounding birth, the relationship between mother and child can be harmed. Toxic stress during pregnancy can also affect a child’s healthy development, including disease, learning, and behaviour.

Indigenous doulas provide a way to support a healthy pregnancy on a mother’s own terms. Not only do doulas provide emotional support during pregnancy, they also act as both advocates and supports before and after pregnancy. They support mothers in making their own healthy choices about their pregnancy, help mothers advocate for culturally appropriate care, and provide supports as directed by the family. Indigenous doulas provide a wholistic approach to pre and post pregnancy care.

Providing supports like Indigenous doulas is an important step in fixing the healthcare inequities that Indigenous communities face. Not only have doulas been shown to have positive impacts on pregnancies, particularly for minority group families, supporting self-determination and culturally appropriate health care is action that has been called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

What creates barriers to culturally-safe pregnancy care?

Cost of Supports
Many families cannot afford the costs required to get care supports beyond what is provided by the health care system.

Transportation Requirements
Many families may not have access to reliable transportation, making it difficult to attend appointments and meetings that are not nearby their homes.

Experiences of Discrimination and Fear
When women experience the healthcare system as one that is paternalistic, discriminatory, and difficult to navigate, it is difficult for them to feel able to make choices for the kinds of supports that they need. Many women in our community consultations recalled hospital birthing experiences that were traumatizing and violating.

Access to Child Care
Many families do not have the resources or supports needed to care for their other children while they attend appointments, meaning that pregnancy supports are often not an option.

Knowledge of Supports Available
Families may not be aware of the pregnancy supports available to them or their benefits.

Professionalization of Care
Our existing care systems train specialists for many aspects of care. However, many important components of care (e.g., emotional support) are not addressed by these professions. As well, treating care as an occupation means that when the care provider’s job is done, a family is left without support and becomes more reluctant to seek support in the future.

As long as today’s systemic barriers exist, here are the best ways to provide access to culturally-safe pregnancy care:

Build and support Indigenous peer networks:

Trainees who participated in the program highly valued the community of support and learning that they were a part of. This was a key reason for their confidence as doulas.

Strengthen connections with families:

It takes time to build supportive, trusting relationships with families. Having a coordinator who can maintain connections with families over longer periods of time and who can clarify the role of the doula would help ensure that families and doulas feel supported through the process.

Build and maintain connections to
elders and knowledge keepers:

The core of this program is indigenous wisdom. Connections to elders and traditional ceremonies are needed to ensure that supports for families and children are culturally appropriate and respectful.

Increase awareness of the role of Indigenous doulas:

Across the community there are many varied understandings of the supports available to families during and after pregnancy, and the role of doulas is not well understood. More awareness is needed for families to draw upon these types of supports.

“Through this process we’re building trust, we’re building a relationship, we’re showing them that we’re there, that they can count on us.”
— Karen (Indigenous doula)

“We’re the ones that bring life into this world and that’s kind of a lot of responsibility. And that’s an integral role in our development as people. I feel like in a lot of ways, the world around us tells women that they’re not good enough, or they’re not worthy.”
— Dawn (mother)

“You know what, doula was never on my purview, ever in my life. It’s just being a sister. It’s being kind. It’s caring for someone else – especially in that very vulnerable, intimate moment.”
— Amber (Indigenous doula)

“I helped one woman find housing. I took one to the thrift store for baby clothes. I dropped off an outfit because she didn’t have an outfit. Through this program I was able to get a car seat for baby to come home because that’s something she didn’t have.”
— April (Indigenous doula)

“If felt I had more support for sure.
And with my husband as well, because she showed him some techniques […] we’ve never had anybody to show us the techniques she showed us.”
— April (mother)

Through this work we found that there are larger barriers that affect families and community members. We need governments, non-profits, and businesses to work together in order to:

1. Ensure that funding structures support wholistic, traditional approaches.
   Existing structures often claim ownership of the outputs, which is not appropriate when Indigenous wisdom is involved. Providing flexibility in funding agreements is needed to support new approaches and Indigenous self-determination.
2. Treat birth as a celebration, not as a crisis event.
   Our existing healthcare systems focus on specific, physical issues rather than wholistic supports. Ensuring that families have the social, spiritual, emotional, and physical supports they need is critical.
3. Provide wholistic supports to mothers.
   The Indigenous doula role is a lifelong role in the community, not just a contract. These supports are needed to help mothers make their best decisions throughout their child’s life and to navigate the healthcare system as their children grow.
4. Provide connections to Indigenous knowledge keepers.
   Many existing funding structures and approaches to care exclude Indigenous healing ceremonies, treating them as ‘religious’ in nature. Access to ceremonies, elders, and Indigenous wisdom is needed in all types of health care for Indigenous people.

LINKS

The Child-Centred Model – a way of working for positive change developed by the community of Point Douglas – helped us find the best ways to develop the Baby Basket and support new parents.

We worked to give additional help to those who need it most, rather than giving every family identical supports regardless of need.

We worked to provide choices for families regarding what can be included in their basket, rather than delivering a one-size-fits-all solution.

We worked to celebrate the arrival of a child, rather than focusing solely on avoiding harm.

We worked to provide families the option to connect with support workers, rather than forcing these connections upon them.

When we work within the Child-Centred Model, we are able to support positive change for children, parents, families, and the community.

To learn more about the Child-Centred Model, read the full report here.

Why did we focus on the Baby Basket?

While the health care system is designed to help people maintain good health and provide care during times of need, seeking help can sometimes be an overwhelming experience. The policies and procedures around child care focus mainly on making sure that babies are kept safe from harm, sometimes without considering how these procedures coincide with individual child care methods and different cultural practices or norms. This can lead to parents feeling unfairly judged or even ostracized from systems. While professionals may be attempting to support the health and safety of a new baby, starting relationships this way can lead to mistrust and fear among new families, and at times even cause families to avoid the healthcare system in the future when they need support.

The community pointed towards an idea that could help make the health care system more accessible: a package for new families that could be provided upon the arrival of a new child that would help to build a solid foundation for a respectful and positive relationship. Instead of seeing birth as a health emergency, our community asked us to focus on celebrating the birth of a new baby, while promoting positive access to healthcare, information on safe sleep, and helping to fulfill basic needs.

The Baby Basket was inspired by the Finnish Baby Box – a physical box that all expectant parents in Finland receive, which includes diapers, bedding, a sleep surface, and other helpful items for new parents. Using this as a starting point, the community guided us as we built upon this concept and explored what a basket for parents in Point Douglas might contain.

The Baby Basket is intended to be an entry point and strong beginning to building a trusting, supportive, and long-term relationship with healthcare staff. These relationships are needed to help families and children access the services they need to stay healthy.

Improving Indigenous health and building better relationships between Indigenous peoples and the healthcare system is action called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Providing supports like the Baby Basket is an important step towards these goals.

What creates barriers to new parents seeking support?

Birth is treated like an emergency, rather than a celebration

Families within Point Douglas often face negative birthing experiences where they’re made to feel that the health of their children is an emergency situation. When childrens’ lives begin this way, it takes away from a broader celebration of life and can create a negative association with these systems.

Few opportunities for self-determination

The ability to make decisions and decide what is best for one’s family is valued by members of the Point Douglas community. Without adequate choices and control over their own child care and parenting techniques, families can feel as though programs are not meeting their needs and often stop seeking help altogether.

Negative experiences with systems

Racism and classism are issues that are being addressed within the health care system, but remain issues nonetheless. The negative experiences that issues of this nature cause within families can be traumatic and increases the likelihood that families will avoid seeking help when they need it most.

As long as today’s systemic barriers exist, the best ways that we found to support the arrival of a new child are:

Provide opportunities for celebration

In addition to supports for basic needs, opportunities to celebrate are important to the wellness of the whole family and provide an opportunity to build a long-term supportive relationship with them

Allow families to determine what is best for their own children

Allowing families to choose what is most important to them is an important step towards self-determination and building strong relationships with support workers. Families feel respected when they are able to make their own choices.

Explore opportunities to scale

The work done on the baby basket prototype provides a starting point for anyone interested in expanding this initiative. Some ideas for scaling included: developing a social enterprise to assemble and distribute the baskets, seeking additional funding for this intervention, strengthening partnerships with Indigenous organizations, and exploring options that focus on equity – giving more supports to families with the highest need.

Provide resources without conditions

It is very important that the Baby Basket be provided to families without conditions, including the collection of information, commercial product advertising, or asking for money from families.

“It is a really fun way to get to know [a] family because it’s like, we are not starting off with the typical issues. We are not talking about ‘now my kids are in care.’ …It’s a really good experience because it’s a fun way to get to know one another, so we are starting off on like a really happy note.”

– Support Worker

“It definitely develops the connection and relationship between the mum and the child. Sure they are not going to be in her care, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t have that relationship, that connection at all, right?”

– Support Worker

“[We were] able to specifically pick out things that we needed. We needed wash cloths, so that’s what we chose on there. The star blanket was special because she doesn’t have one either and that’s something I always wanted for her and they’re expensive. That was really exciting.”

– Mother

“I was just thinking about women getting their case plans. “Oh, go to anger management. Go to parenting classes. Learn this. Learn that.” And then with a different program like this, it’s like, I’m not the one getting knowledge or whatever. I’m the one giving out. I’m the one sharing.”

– Support Worker

“I liked picking out [Baby Basket items] myself because I knew what I needed.”

– Mother

Through this work we found that there are larger barriers that affect families and community members. We need governments, nonprofits, and businesses to:

Offer many places and ways for families to find supports where they feel comfortable

Supports like the Baby Basket provide an opportunity for families to connect with support staff in a respectful and safe way, and learn about other resources that they may need to maintain a healthy life.

Provide supports that treat birth as a celebration

Focusing only on the physical and health aspects of birth and childcare makes it feel like an emergency rather than a celebration. To create welcoming spaces for babies and families to thrive we need to emphasize celebrating the arrival of a new child.

Ensure that funding structures support wholistic and flexible approaches

Existing structures focus on individual family members or short-term, one-size-fits-all programs. Families need long-term, flexible supports to achieve their goals.

Build strong relationships between families and agencies by trusting families first

Families must be provided services and support without judgment or any punitive treatment, especially during times of crisis or trauma. By respecting families’ decisions and meeting them where they’re at, trusting and respectful relationships can be formed.

If you would like to learn more about the barriers that families in Point Douglas face to celebrating the arrival of a new child, read the full POP report here.

LINKS

The Child-Centred Model–a way of working for positive change developed by the community of Point Douglas–helped us find the best ways to support families in creating a health and wellness plan.

We listened and responded to the help that families asked for, rather than assuming that professionals know better.

We worked to support the whole extended family, rather than focusing only on the needs of children or parents.

We worked to give families the time and space to plan and dream, rather than providing help only during crises.

When we work with the Child-Centred Model as our guide, we are able to support positive change for children, parents, families, and the community.

To learn more about the Child-Centred Model, read the full report here.

Why did we focus on Health and Wellness Planning?

Children have many natural supports – their parents and family, the community, relatives, and elders among them. However, these eco-systems need to be strengthened and supported themselves in order to give children their best start. The help that systems provide to families is generally reactive in nature, meaning that families often cannot access many resources unless they are in the midst of a crisis. Preventative measures are sometimes nonexistant when it comes to helping families avoid crises in the first place.

While the care and services that systems provide are intended to help families and have the best of intentions, they sometimes miss the mark. More efforts are needed to help expectant parents and their families plan and access the supports they need to have a healthy pregnancy and ensure a positive start to life for their baby. This can be achieved by prioritizing keeping families together, funding resources for families to avoid apprehension by child and family services, and allowing expectant parents to determine a resource plan for both for themselves and their children.

Reducing the number of Indigenous children in care and keeping families together is action that has been called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Providing supports like Health and Wellness Planning is an important step in giving children the best care possible.

What creates barriers to families accessing Health and Wellness Planning?

Natural Supports are not Properly Resourced

Existing supports that are best for a child—their natural supports such as parents and extended family—are not provided the resources that they need to be most effective, leading to families often encountering crises.

Loss of Trust

Many of the policies that systems implement can at times be punitive to families, even though they’re meant to help those facing challenges. As a result, families will often not seek the help of these organizations even in times of need.

Lack of Whole Family Supports

While there are some existing supports for mothers and women, more opportunities to access help are needed that include everyone who cares for children, including men and fathers. Gaps in existing services makes it difficult for whole families to participate in family health and wellness planning.

Rigidity of Services

Families need resources that meet them where they are at and respond to their individual needs. Existing services should provide more flexible options in order to build healthy, supportive, and trusting longterm relationships with families.

Lack of Preventative Resources

Existing resources are focused on helping families respond to crises, but do not prioritize helping them prevent crises or make plans for a healthy future. Many families only gain access to services like counseling after they have had intervention from systems (e.g., gaining access to counseling once children are in professional care).

Not Knowing What’s Available

Families may not be aware of the supports that are available to them or how they can help.

As long as today’s systemic barriers exist, the best ways that we have found to provide support for families are:

Let Families Define Success

There are many steps on the road to longer-term outcomes. Progress needs to be defined by families themselves and respected by service providers.

Be Flexible for Families

Families are balancing multiple issues and crises. Being flexible in scheduling meetings and providing flexible supports like a family budget helps families participate in planning.

Provide Opportunities to Build Trust

Trust is needed for families working with support services. Opportunities to connect with families and build trust such as cooking or recreation can be the start of long-term trusting relationships.

Commit to the Long Term

Working successfully with families needs a long-term relationship without a planned end. Each family is walking their own path and will benefit most from supports that will walk alongside them as needed.

Help Families Plan to Avoid Crises

Provide supports for families that help them dream, help them get support before crises occur, and help them build their own pathways to success.

Build Staff Capacity

Provide training and experience to help staff work better with families, including opportunities to learn from Elders.

“You need to look at the whole picture – [families] are in crisis, but they have resources and strengths too and that is what we focus on… I think they saw themselves in that and saw their strengths; that they were capable of doing something else and they could change things.”

– Trainer/Mentor

“Through [this prototype] we realized that if you put more time and energy into that one family long-term, look at how cost effective it is! I see it because I work with the families all the way without the resources”

– Support Staff

“People want to talk to each other and be able to be free to say stuff without someone using the info against them or judging them.”

– Staff Member

“For one family there had been issues with one with addictions. With addictions comes mistrust, so there was a time for forgiveness and time for that person to say sorry. There was non-judgment; the family acknowledged the mistake, but focused on what was needed to go forward instead of getting stuck.”

– Support Staff

“I saw a difference when Elder Mae was part of guiding things; even if [the families] weren’t into traditional [Indigenous] ways of being, most of them were curious about stand wanted to start that journey. It was about access.”

– Support Staff

Through this work we found that there are large barriers that affect families and community members. We need governments, non-profits, and businesses to:

Demonstrate that they value families child’s natural support system by keeping families together.

Our existing approaches to child protection do not prioritize resourcing families in order to avoid removing children from their families. Systems must instead focus on keeping families together and providing them with the tools they need to thrive.

Ensure that funding structures allow for wholistic and flexible approaches

Existing structures focus on individual family members or short-term, one-size-fits-all programs. Families need long-term, flexible supports to achieve their goals.

Build honest and trusting relationships between families and agencies by putting families’ needs first

Families have often had negative experiences with systems and agencies, even when seeking help for crises. These relationships need to be healed to be able to truly help children and families.

If you would like to learn more about the barriers that families in Point Douglas face to health and wellness planning, read the full POP report here.

LINKS

The NPDWC Men’s Circle is just one example of the support that is needed for men and fathers. It provides a model for what support for dads could look like, a model which closely aligns with the Child-Centred Model – a way of working for positive change developed by the community of Point Douglas.

The mens circle is open and flexible to the individual needs of all participants, rather than following a rigid structure.

The mens circle provides a space free from judgment, rather than telling dads what they should or shouldn’t be doing.

The mens circle operates within the natural support systems of peers and fathers, rather than solely focusing on connecting dads and children with professionals.

When we work within the Child-Centred Model, we are able to support positive change for children, parents, families, and the community.

To learn more about the Child-Centred Model, read the full report HERE.

Why did we focus on Supports for Dads?

Babies and young children thrive with support from many different caregivers, including dads. But dads in Point Douglas face many barriers that make it difficult for them to be fully engaged with their family. Many of these barriers are similar to those faced by people across the community, but where there are some helpful and needed resources for women and children, often there are no supports for dads or for whole families as one unit.

Dads are an important part of the natural support system surrounding children and families. If we hope to provide resources to women and children we need to do the same for dads as well, including through fathering peer support, mentorship, and programs that give time and space for moms, dads, and families to connect and grow together.

Reducing the number of Indigenous children in care and keeping families together is action that has been called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Providing support for dads is an important step in giving children the best care possible.

What stops men from being fully engaged as part of their families?

System Barriers

Our systems assume that moms are the primary caregivers of children, which is
not always the case. This leaves dads with many barriers—specifically single dads— when applying for social assistance, getting access to the supports and documents they need for their children, finding housing, and accessing healthcare, making it more difficult for them to parent effectively or be fully involved with their family.

History with the Criminal Justice System

Many dads in Point Douglas have had contact with the criminal justice system and, more broadly, systemic racism. Indigenous men have the highest rate of being imprisoned in Canada, and having a criminal record makes it hard for dads to get work and often prevents them from even seeing their children.

Lack of Safe Supports

Dads need spaces where they can feel safe and trust those around them. As many systems exclude men, there are limited places where dads can feel safe in sharing their experiences.

Lack of Proactive Supports

Dads highlighted that there is a need for more supports that help them train and find employment, as well as supports that focus on maintaining mental health. Many dads find that resources are only available for ‘people who are at rock bottom,’ rather than providing preventative programming that helps them learn and grow.

Lack of Support that Include Men, Women and Families

While separate supports for men and women are important, there is also a need for programming that brings dads, moms, and families together. These opportunities for family togetherness are an important part of supporting the whole child and mens’ roles in their development.

As long as today’s systemic barriers exist, the best ways that we found to support dads are:

Provide a range of supports

Dads need more supports to help them be fully engaged as a member of their families. They need connections to helpful resources, peers, and staff that can help them with their unique needs.

Create safe spaces

Dads need spaces where they can feel comfortable being vulnerable, ask for help, and trust others. This means creating a space that accepts them as they are, without judgment.

Support connections with peers

Peer relationships are important as dads prefer to work with those who have had similar experiences or challenges. As well, peer relationships give dads the opportunity to both give and receive help, allowing them to discover and share their own gifts.

Provide cultural activities

Supporting a connection to culture helps to build strong relationships, identity, belonging, and self-esteem, which are all needed to support dads’ roles in families. Cultural activities can include ceremonies, teachings, and medicines.

Support connections to women and families

It is important that supports for dads also create opportunities for men, women, and families to connect with each other and strengthen their relationships.

“Here I don’t have to worry about what others think, I can cry, I can work on myself so I can be strong for other. No one here ever said no, no matter what state I come in here.” — NPDWC Sharing Circle Participant

“We are [young people’s] role models. We change the stereotypes. I hated becoming that negative stereotype. [Now] I set goals, talk about stuff. I’m a hypocrite parent what I did, I do not want my kids to do.” — NPDWC Sharing Circle Participant

“I have to keep it together, make these kids proud of us. There are no other heroes other there– we have to be the heroes for these young guys. — NPDWC Sharing Circle Participant

“I had to keep coming here. This is a space where I can also vent and lay it all out on the table. Hearing from other people gives you that strength, we feed off of each other.” — NPDWC Sharing Circle Participant

Through this work we found that there are larger barriers that affect families and community members. We need governments, non- profits, and businesses to:

Support dads to be included as part of the natural support systems for healthy children.

Many existing systems inadvertently focus on keeping men apart from children and families rather than repairing those relationships. Dads must be included in their children’s lives in order to contribute to healthy development.

Ensure that funding structures support flexible, preventative approaches. 

Existing structures focus primarily on women and children, or on crisis situations. Dads and families need long-term, flexible supports that provide help to keep families healthy and out of crisis.

Repair the relationship between dads and the systems around them.

Dads in Point Douglas have many negative experiences with justice, health, and social development systems, which create barriers to housing, employment, and to connecting with families. Supports for healing and growth need to replace systemic racism and punishment.

LINKS