Letter from Local Advisory Committee-Richmond IDP

Premier Gordon Campbell,
Honorable Mary Polak, Minister of Children and Family Development,
Lesley Du Toit, Deputy Minister of Children and Family Development,

Dear Premier Campbell, Honorable Minister Polak, and Deputy Minister Du Toit;
As members of the Local Advisory Committee to the Richmond Infant Development Program, we are writing to express our objection to proposed closing of the Provincial Office of the IDP. We are parents and professionals residing in Richmond who share a strong interest in the wellbeing of children in our community, and as such we support the Richmond program in reaching the goals of the Infant Development Program of BC.
In this context, we are extremely aware of the remarkable work of the Provincial Office in setting standards for early intervention in this province, developing training programs, providing professional development, and offering guidance and advice to individual programs and Infant Development Consultants.
Early intervention spans the disciplines of health care, social work and education. Since there is not yet a degree in Early Intervention available in BC, consultants come from a variety of backgrounds. Training in developmental assessment and in established methods of working with families in a home-based program is essential for high quality services to continue, as they have for the last thirty-five years. Ongoing professional development in the form of in-services and conferences have assisted programs to stay current with “best practice” in early intervention, and it must be stressed that both training and professional development can only be adequately planned and carried out under the leadership of a Provincial Advisor with training and experience in the field.
In the years since the establishment of Infant Development Programs in this province, knowledge regarding early development and methods of supporting this development has grown by leaps and bounds. The maintenance of a library of appropriate and up to date books and journals, and relationships with research bodies who share new knowledge as soon as it is available, are two of the ways that the Provincial Office keeps current, to the benefit of all programs. If an individual consultant anywhere in the province has a question or a problem related to her work, advice is only a phone call or an e-mail away.
A Policy and Procedure Manual was written early in the history of the IDP of BC, and has been revised on a regular basis. With this guidance, the programs are able to meet the standards set by the Provincial Steering Committee and the Ministry of Children and Families. It is remarkable that over the years services have been provided to 800,00 families, without serious complaints, scandals, investigations or lawsuits. Strong guidance from the Provincial Office can be given credit for this accomplishment. Certainly, there are differences between regions, and the work of the different programs would reflect this. But there is a pressing need for consistency between programs as far as the quality of the service is concerned, so that families in one region can expect as high a standard as that enjoyed by any other region.
Minister Polak has explained her decision to close the Provincial Office as removing an administrative layer in order to direct more money to families needing help. But the role of the Provincial Office was never administrative, but rather that of leadership, training, education and guidance. The amount of money to be saved, $300,000 per year, does not balance the harm that will come to IDP Programs in BC if they lose the “anchor” that they have in the Provincial Office.
The Infant Development Program of BC has been admired and imitated by early intervention programs all over the world, and we do not want to see this high quality of service disappear. This committee therefore recommends to the Ministry of Children and Family Development that the Office of the Provincial Advisor be maintained, and supported, to the benefit of children experiencing developmental delay and disability and their families.



cc Rob Howard, MLA, Richmond Centre
cc Maurina Karagianis, MCFD Critic, NDP