Component: Complex Special Needs

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

Service description

To support children and youth who

  • require specialized services/supports to participate in activities of daily living, on a long-term, continuous and/or intermittent basis
  • have multiple and/or complex special needs, requiring an integrated service approach that crosses sectors (health, education, and social services) with services often being provided at several different locations
  • have needs associated with a variety of conditions, which may include physical, intellectual, emotional, and developmental disabilities, and chronic, severe and/or terminal illness

People served

Children and youth with complex special needs (see above) and their families.

Program/service features

Community Enhancements fund expansion of/improvements to local service capacity and delivery to support children and youth with complex special needs and their families.

Specific service provided

Community Enhancements may include

  • case management, temporary in-home and/or out-of-home, community-based services such as respite, intensive child and family supports (e.g., behavioural services and assessments), or crisis funds (e.g., short term funding to assist families while waiting for services, social skills programs, one-on-one skills training, and crisis beds)

Program goals

To provide services and supports on a temporary basis to prevent permanent out-of- home (residential) placements.

Ministry expectations

Services are child and family-centred and support the diverse needs of families in a way that is culturally safe, promotes equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression.

Services will be

  • reflective and responsive to child/youth, family and community strengths and needs
  • accountable to the child/youth, family, and community
  • sensitive to the social, linguistic, and cultural diversity of families and Indigenous communities
  • staffed by individuals with the appropriate range of skills and abilities necessary to respond effectively to the needs of children, youth, and families
  • based on children’s/youths’ assessed needs, preferences and available individual, agency, community, and contracted ministry resources

Funding is to be monitored regularly.

Reporting requirements

The following service data will be reported at an Interim and Final period. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates.

Service data nameDefinition
# of individuals served (unique): CSN Community EnhancementThe unique number of individuals that received approved service(s) through CSN Community Enhancement in the reporting period. An individual is counted only once during the reporting period.
Ministry-funded agency expenditures: CSN Community EnhancementTotal ministry-funded expenses for the Transfer Payment Recipient to administer and/or deliver this service in the Funding Year (cumulative).