Draft Framework for Action

Thursday 14th October 2010

Duxton Hotel, Wellington

Background• Start Strong initiative – to improve early

support to children with a disability and their families

• Built on CCS Disability Action – ‘Intensive Flexible Family Support Project’

• Seminars 2010 – Wellington and Auckland, Ning and discussions with parents, Government and NGOs

• Agreement on need for Plan of Action

Aims• Recognise - children with disabilities to be

included in community of all children• Acknowledge / reaffirm - need to improve

early and sustained support• Consolidate commitment – to work together

to finalise an agreed action plan• Ensure – all children with disabilities enjoy

their rights to supports that promote well-being, learning and inclusion

What is Sought?• What we want to happen now• Why working together is important

Issues• Not new, longstanding• Some pockets of best practice• Identified need for better integration – well

child, early childhood care and education• Lack of systemic framework• Additional challenges for children with

disabilities and their families

Current Context• PHAC recommendations• Proposed ‘new model’ and disability action

plan• Initiatives – Whanau ora, MSD Community

Response Model• Reporting – UNCROC & UNCRPD• Government taskforce on early education• Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues

VisionChildren with disabilities are included in the community of all children and have a strong start to life through the provision of child and family centred supports that are accessible, high quality and sustainable and are integrated across health, education, social development and community sectors and agencies

Features & Structure• Connections – getting, building, sustaining,

making• Strategic goal• Aim – what is sought, who is involved (and

some relevant past / current / proposed initiatives), how will progress be measured

Timetable• 2011 – further develop and finalise the

framework for action and establish review points.

• 2012 - 2014 – work programmes to complete necessary changes in order to implement the agreed action plan.

• 2015 – full implementation achieved

Getting Connected• Easy access to information, assessment,

supports and communities

Building Connections• With and between families, agencies and

communities• Timely, quality, integrated and flexible child

and family centred support

Sustaining Connections• Reliable relationships to maintain integrated

supports and across times of transition

Making Connections• Information shared and integrated for

planning, monitoring, evaluation and research at national, regional and local levels