Philosophy
The family thus becomes the primary focus of services for the Infant Development Program and a family centred philosophy is practiced. Principles that underlie the family centred philosophy practiced in IDP include the following: respect for the unique relationship between infants and their families, recognition that families are diverse and must be respected for their diversity. Families determine their involvement with the program. Families and professionals must collaborate and, to do so, traditional practices must change. Team work is critical. The aims of the program are to help parents to make optimum use of available services, to enlarge their knowledge of those factors pertinent to the overall growth and development of their child, and to learn skills that will enable them to encourage the development of their child. 
Services Provided Home Visits The services provided for most families include regular home visits. The frequency and duration of the visits are determined by the family whenever possible. This means that some families may have weekly visits, others may be visited monthly. Growing caseloads and waiting lists for service in some communities have their impact on duration and frequency of home visiting. We are, however, committed to families determining the intensity of their involvement with us. We see families on that basis because we believe that they should have control over their involvement with the program, and that flexibility of service delivery is a critical element in providing family centred service.
Assessment and Program Planning Beginning with initial contact by telephone and home visit, information is gathered to determine the strengths and needs of the infant which will enable IDP Consultants and parents to plan a program and to evaluate the progress of the infant in relation to that program. Information is gathered by means of one or more of the following methods: interviews with the parents and involved professionals, discussions with parents, observation of the child, home and community life, and informal and formal assessment of the child. Assessment is complex and ongoing. Information sources are varied as infants with developmental problems are often assessed by a range of professionals and a number of assessment results must be taken into consideration in planning a program. Assessments used in infant programs have serious limitations. There is little research available to help staff select assessments that are beneficial or to adapt a particular assessment to accommodate to a child's special needs. Consequently, developing a program of activities that responds to ongoing changes in the infant and family is a challenge.
 We believe this challenge is more readily met when we work in partnership with parents to set objectives and to decide on teaching activities and strategies. W
valuable service we provide for them is contact with other families who have 'walked in their shoes'. Families are introduced to other families in a variety of ways. Although our program is primarily home based, homes can be isolating for parents of young children. There are advantages in having group and centre based activities in addition to home visits. These may include Parent and Tot groups, IDP-run Parent Child Mother Goose programs and parent support groups. Opportunities to meet other families on a one-to-one basis are also available either through the infant program or through the range of other parent support programs that might be available. The Family Support Institute is a B.C. family-to-family service that is of great benefit to many parents in the IDP Two groups at a national level that introduce parents to each other are About Face for children with cranial facial abnormalities and S.O.F.T., which is a support organization for families who have children with Trisomy 13 and 18. IDP Consultants also assist in connecting families to the broader parent/child community in which they live. Liaisons are established in many communities with groups such as a Y.W.C.A. parent and tot gym program and Family Resource Centres. For families who have a child diagnosed as disabled, maintaining and enjoying a 'life' in the non-disabled community is very important for all family members.
Liaison With Other Professionals IDP Consultants generally work closely with other community professionals to provide service to families, to share skills and resources and to keep the community up to date on the program. Many infants who are referred to IDP's have been assessed or are receiving services from other professionals. Most of our infant programs have professionals involved with them such as physiotherapists or speech and language pathologists. In some situations, IDP Consultants accompany the family to clinic or hospital assessments. If the family chooses, IDP Consultants may also function as case coordinators to facilitate information sharing among the involved professionals and the family. This has become an increasingly important role for some populations of children; for example, children who are technology dependent.
Other Services The programs have toy and book lending libraries. Many as well have specialized equipment which may be loaned to families if prescribed by a therapist. The IDP also has a role in advocating on behalf of young children and their families and assisting families to become effective advocates for their sons and daughters.
Structure The programs are funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and are sponsored by a variety of voluntary agencies, which include associations for community living, neurological societies and family and children service societies. Staff report to an executive director and board of the voluntary society and also receive direction and support from a Local Advisory Committee.
Local Advisory Committee
encourage quality services which are responsive to unique community characteristics.
IDP Consultants Staff function as generalists to gather information from a variety of sources and translate it into daily practical use for the family. IDP Consultants must have professional training in a field or fields related to early child development. Demonstrated ability to work with infants and young children and their families as well as other professionals is necessary. Organizational ability and the ability to operate both independently and in a team are essential. We recommend that parents as well as professionals participate in hiring decisions at the local level. We also recommend that Consultants have parenting experience, first hand or surrogate.
Provincial Steering Committee/Provincial Advisor/Regional Advisors At the provincial level, there is a Provincial Steering Committee comprised of parents and professionals representative of a number of provincial organizations. The committee structure is the same as is the Local Advisory Committee but with provincial rather than local representation. On the Provincial Steering Committee the following organizations are typically represented: British Columbians for Community Living and the Family Support Institute; B.C. Medical Association, Paediatric Division; Ministry of Health, Public Health Division; University of British Columbia, Department of Psychology and/or Special Education; B.C.'s Children's Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre, a provincial rehabilitation centre for children. The Ministry of Children and Family Development also appoints a representative to this Committee.
The Provincial Advisor receives direction and support from that committee. There are also four Regional Advisors who work on a very part time basis in five MCFD regions of the province. Each are experienced supervisors of IDP's. These staff are available to assist in the training of new IDP Consultants in local communities and provide direction and support on the operation of infant programs in their regions. They are also available to assist in program evaluations.
Staff Training Provincial and Regional Inservice Training Comprehensive knowledge in the fields of child development, disability, and family interaction is growing extremely rapidly. In order to provide up to date information to Infant Development Program staff, inservice training is held in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia two times per year. The three to four day inservice workshops are organized by the Provincial/Regional Advisors using input from the staff as the basis for determining the content of the training. A variety of formats (lectures, small groups, conferences, inter agency exchanges) are utilized in accordance with the needs of the staff, the material to be presented and the resources available. Training in a range of child development assessments is provided at each inservice as proficiency in administering a tool may take
Development Program staff. All staff employed in Infant Development Programs are strongly advised to attend these institutes. It is envisioned that in the future, employment in an Infant Development Program will depend upon successful completion of the Diploma.
Summary IDP's are available in all provinces in Canada although they are a very recent development in some provinces. We are fortunate that they are well established in B.C. and have been strongly supported by government since their inception. Parent groups and representatives of professional communities such as early childhood education, nursing, social work, medicine and therapy have also supported the development of these services. The strengths of this provincial service are, therefore, a reflection of the collaborative efforts of many individuals and agencies who believe in the value of supporting families in their efforts to provide a good start in life for their young children.
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Updated Sept 2/09
