Families in the four pilot areas will be able to access a broad range of supports through the family connection centre (FCC), some of which they may not currently have access to at all. The pilots will provide an integrated approach to services, delivered by multidisciplinary teams, and will assist in coordinating services with other service providers such as schools and MCFD. Family connection centres have been designed to be responsive to the changing needs of children/youth and families. This community-based model allows families to access information, resources, supports and services without needing to connect with MCFD at all.
These services are available to families through MCFD’s Disability Services stream. If you would like to see if your child/youth is eligible, you can connect with a pilot family connection centre to begin the assessment process, and we encourage all families to check what is available through the pilot family connection centre (FCC) before making that decision. Pilot FCCs offer a variety of services that will support the quality of life for children, youth and families by assisting them to work towards personally meaningful outcomes, experience meaningful social inclusion and participation and feel empowered by fostering and supporting families with skills, knowledge, and tools.
MCFD funded occupational and physical therapy previously provided through SAT will now be available through pilot family connection centres. Therapists at the pilot family connections centre (FCC) will work collaboratively with families and schools to develop a support plan that complements learning supports at school. Depending on local arrangements, therapists may work with children and youth in school, in the community, at home, or at the local FCC. In many cases, the therapy team either the team you have in place through SAET or the pilot FCC team will work with the school-based team to ensure that services are aligned and complementary.
The pilot family connection centres will use a variety of strategies to ensure that children, youth, and their families are able to access responsive services. This includes offering service in locations other than the pilot family connection centre (FCC) (home, community, etc.) and offering group and virtual service to complement in-person and one-on-one options. Pilot family connections centres will have an established process to ensure that children/youth most urgently in need of support are prioritized for access. Staff from the pilot FCCs will work with each family to provide them with the resources they need.