Services delivered: OAP — foundational family services

Component: Autism

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

Service description

Foundational family services is a service pathway accessible to any family, legal guardian or caregiver of a child or youth registered in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). Families can access foundational family services at any point based on their child’s needs, at no cost. Foundational family services aim to build a family’s capacity to support their child or youth’s learning and development and are offered in a variety of formats including virtual, self-directed, in-person or group-based sessions that are tailored to different family, cultural and regional needs.

People served

Foundational family services are available to all families upon registering for the OAP, and throughout the family’s service journey, up until age 18.

Program/service features

Foundational family services aim to provide families registered in the OAP tools to work with their child or youth and participate in their ongoing learning and development through services and supports that are

• informed by evidence
• delivered by a range of professionals
• responsive to a family’s changing needs over time and a child’s needs, strengths, and developmental stage
• offered in a variety of ways, including virtual, self-directed, in-person or group- based
• tailored to the unique regional, language and cultural needs in different communities
• offered by organizations using collaborative, innovative and interprofessional approaches to work with other partners in the community

Specific service provided

Foundational family services may include:

Family and peer mentoring – share experiences in a supportive, informative, and social atmosphere
Caregiver workshops and follow-up coaching sessions – information, education, and resources on a variety of topics
Brief targeted consultations – direct support to help address a specific need and support a child or youth’s skill development
Transition supports – help preparing for a child or youth’s personal and educational transitions as well as transitions to adulthood
Family resource and clinic days – opportunities for families to brainstorm, consult and problem-solve with professionals

Program goals

The goal of Foundational family services is to help to build a family’s capacity to support their child or youth’s learning and development throughout the family’s service journey in the OAP.

Ministry expectations

The Transfer Payment Recipient will be responsible for delivering services that are

• accessible and inclusive to families in each region, including
• families from all backgrounds, with diverse cultural and language needs families living in rural, remote, and Northern communities
• children and youth with co-occurring needs
• available through organizations, who will collaborate on innovative interprofessional approaches with community partners
• offer a diverse selection of evidence-informed services in a variety of formats (e.g., group, individual, self-directed, virtual, in-person) that are delivered by a range of professionals
• flexible and responsive to families’ changing needs over time based on a child or youth’s strengths and needs according to their developmental stage(s)
• create opportunities for program innovation and ability to build new partnerships that are sensitive and respond to the local needs of the community
• meet quality assurance and accountability measures set by the ministry, through continuous program evaluation, data collection and monitoring

A Transfer Payment Recipient is not expected to offer a full suite of Foundational family services.

A Transfer Payment Recipient must communicate their program offerings directly to families they serve.

A Transfer Payment Recipient may enter Memoranda of Understanding and/or sub-contractor agreements with service providers to deliver Foundational family services in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. However, program accountabilities and reporting to the ministry will rest with the Transfer Payment Recipient.

Reporting requirements

Service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.

In addition, Transfer Payment Recipients delivering foundational family services will complete an annual evaluation report which is due at the end of Q4 each fiscal year (reporting template and dates will be provided separately).