Executive summary

Centre:   Fortune Bay North Belleoram, NF Artist:   Lisa, Age 6 Description:   Lisa dressing up at the Family Resource Centre.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) is a component of Brighter Futures, which was announced in 1992. It is funded by Health Canada and is jointly managed with provincial/territorial governments across Canada. Community-based projects funded under this initiative began offering services as early as 1994. By 1995, 40 CAPC projects were running in Atlantic Canada.

The goal of CAPC is to improve the health and well-being of young children 0 to 6 years of age and their families, who are in difficult situations. In doing this, CAPC's greatest assets are its parents. CAPC projects are able to reach children, parents, and caregivers who might not find resources and support in other settings. CAPC deals positively with the concerns of parents, provides resources to isolated areas previously unserviced, and focuses on topics of high interest to parents.

Evaluation is recognized as a critical component of CAPC. In fact, the evaluation of CAPC was conducted at three levels: national, regional, and project.

The national evaluation of CAPC is largely quantitative with a focus on the development and implementation of all projects, as well as any benefits that could be attributed to the projects. As a result, the focus of the regional evaluation was on gathering qualitative information (process and impact) to help flesh out and expand on the snapshot that the national data would provide. The richness of the stories added depth and context to the National quantitative information but also brought forward the voices of the people involved as the basis of program understanding, community capacity building, and action.

The participatory action research model used empowered CAPC parents, volunteers, staff, provincial and federal government representatives, and other community stakeholders. Those involved in the program were part of the decision-making process on what research questions were most important, which methods were most acceptable and feasible, and what results were most meaningful. In keeping with this participatory action research approach, interviews and focus groups were used to ensure participation of those involved in the evaluation.

The overall research question for the Atlantic CAPC Regional Evaluation was whether there was improvement in the health and well-being of participating children (0 to 6 years of age) and their families in Atlantic Canada.

The evaluation report gives valuable information about activities related to implementation and process, as well as about the positive effects CAPC has had on the individuals involved, most notably parents and children. We have also learned a great deal about the effects of adopting a community development approach at CAPC. Lastly, this report speaks to how community partnerships developed over time and describes effective collaborative strategies that have been used.

Communication and training components were integrated to facilitate active participation in this evaluation. This integration represented a unique and critical aspect of the Atlantic CAPC Regional Evaluation. Both components provided projects with a mechanism for learning and increased opportunities for discussion about the development of community-based family resource centres across Atlantic Canada. Finally, there was an evaluation of the evaluation process itself, which added additional learnings.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall conclusion of the Atlantic CAPC Regional Evaluation can be summed up very briefly: CAPC works!

The results clearly demonstrate that CAPC projects contributed to the well-being of parents, children, and families by directly addressing at least four major determinants of health, including healthy child development, personal health practices and coping skills, social support networks, and social environment.

Implementation and Process
Ninety-five percent (95%) of parents participated in CAPC projects primarily to address their children's needs. As a result of their concern for their children's well-being, they participated in parenting programs and other activities of the projects. In cases in which there was a lack of participation, it was not related to dissatisfaction with CAPC but rather to practical considerations,such as conflicting work schedules:

I had a young baby, and I guess I care enough for her to want to learn more and to try to bring her up a little differently and hopefully, she turns out a little better than I did...it's an awful thing to have a first baby when you're not sure of yourself.

Critical to the success of CAPC projects was the ability of staff and programs to accommodate the participants’ changing needs. Parents wanted programs and services that were practical and relevant to their needs, and staff needed continual feedback from parents to modify programs as required:

[COORDINATORS] can offer the ideas, but it’s always everybody...we all decide as a group. I don't think there is one ruler over everybody.

The positive environment created by CAPC projects had an obvious impact on projects' ability to attract and maintain parental involvement. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of parents continue to participate because of the centres' programs and activities. In addition, eighty-eight percent (88%) rated their project as being eight or better on a scale of one to ten, with forty-three percent (43%)rating it a perfect 10.

Ninety-one percent (91%) of projects, a large majority, were supported by volunteers, most of whom were families served by the projects. These volunteers made a significant contribution to CAPC projects at all levels:

I feel appreciated when I walk through the door. I feel like I'm an important person because I came and I helped.

Word of mouth, in particular through other parents, proved to be the best way to recruit new parents into the projects. However, evidence showed the need for multiple recruitment methods, including advertising and communication with other community agencies.

The federal/provincial JMC/PAC partnership worked well and was effective in managing the program:

I guess in terms of process for putting CAPC in place, I think our respective departments agreed that it would be a major commitment of time and that we would truly partner to work this through, and I think one of the reasons why that process was successful was the commitment of the individuals.

Individual Impacts and Effects
Seventy-five percent (75%) of parents noticed a positive change in their children's social skills and behaviour, as well as improved language and basic skills and independence. Initial evidence suggested that children participating in CAPC projects do have enhanced "school readiness" skills:

...there was a kindergarten teacher when I was at a parent/teacher interview; she was saying that, um, it’s quite remarkable that [name] being an only child how well he interacts and shares...[EARLIER] it was like no, this is mine, don't you touch it.

Eighty-seven (87%) of parents reported positive personal change as a result of their participation in CAPC projects, particularly in the areas of increased self-acceptance, improved parenting skills, and increased self-confidence. In addition, eighty-two parents (54%) reported positive changes in their relationship with their children.

I feel different. I feel brighter; it is an overwhelming feeling.

I learned a lot more about my culture. I think what I was looking for, actually, was myself. And I think I have found myself at last.

Staff also experienced personal growth as a result of their participation in CAPC, including increased knowledge and skills, greater self-acceptance, and enhanced awareness of parents' strengths and of community development practices:

I've learnt that as parents and families, we are tremendously resourceful and tremendously resilient. That a lot of us parent in extremely difficult circumstances... and do amazingly well with it.

Impacts and Effects of Adopting a Community Development Approach to Programs and Services
Almost all parents interviewed noted an increase in their social support networks. The mutual support and learning that took place when parents had the opportunity to interact was an effective and user-friendly way for parents to learn more about healthy child development and positive parenting practices. For ninety-one percent (91%) of parents, participation in CAPC also resulted in important new friendships:

I still come back because I need people around me. I need people to tell me that it is all right to be a single mother. That there is hope out there....

Parent involvement in decision making varied from the very structured and formal (board membership) to the less structured (parenting committees) and the unstructured (impromptu discussions). It took time and encouragement for parents to feel confident enough to become more formally involved at the decision-making level, but this meaningful participation created a growing sense of ownership, pride, and confidence among parents.

I think a lot of the decisions -- particularly about what goes on in a specific family resource centre -- the parents make those decisions with the staff acting as a resource, perhaps letting them know what is available. Very much so, the decisions are made by the parents.

Of those interviewed, seventy-three percent (73%) agreed that they (staff, volunteers, board members, and parents involved in the projects) have a good working relationship. However, the development of new boards, especially those composed of a mix of parents and professionals, required on-going board training to ensure effective relationships among board members and appropriate board/staff interactions.

Community Partnerships
CAPC projects were effective in developing working relationships with a large variety of organizations and agencies in the community. These partnerships were believed to be an effective method of delivering services and to be the "key to success" for many projects. However, developing and maintaining partnerships took time and a concerted effort. A high level of communication among partners was critical.

Many types of partnerships were valued and viewed as helpful in meeting the needs of the community. The nature of the partnerships varied widely and provided many resources and supports. For example, one-time donations; money, space, sharing of personnel, lending items;funding of special events; collaborative programming, and enhanced referral systems:

Another, I think, really significant event was when a mom came through the door and she had a doctor's prescription pad with Family Resource Centre written on it. And this was the prescription the doctor had given to her.

Partners reported that partnerships worked by increasing coordination and eliminating duplication of services in the community. CAPC was described as filling a need or void in the community and enhancing service delivery through increased awareness of parents about other services in their community and improved referrals among organizations. Parents also reported that they were more aware and knowledgeable about community resources and use them now as a result of involvement in CAPC:

... [CAPC] met a need in the community that would never have been met without it. Besides, it's unique in the way it is handled.

Partnerships also improved service delivery by affecting the partners themselves. Some partners reported that involvement with CAPC projects had reaffirmed their belief in the goodness of people, had provided resources and opportunities to access new approaches, and had helped them to develop professional networks.

Impact of the Regional Evaluation Process
We found that planning and maintaining a participatory action research (PAR) model required an extensive amount of time and commitment. This needs to be understood from the beginning so that sufficient resources and support mechanisms are provided. Despite this, the PAR model successfully provided the research and program management team with a context from which to build and strengthen the capacity of participants, communities and governments to engage in a common goal and to become part of the solution to issues CAPC was trying to address. However, there needed to be an openness to adapting the work to reflect the differing approaches and skill levels across projects. Excellent management skills and broad research expertise are required to carry out complex PAR processes:

I think it's important for any evaluation to get all the partners involved and to get their input, and from my point of view, I think we [JMC members] felt good about having an input in here in [province] and, yes, we would do it again.

To facilitate broad participation, project-level capacity was enhanced through a strong training and communication plan - one that developed the knowledge and skills of participants around evaluation and project development and offered mechanisms to involve participants in every step of the evaluation process:

Training was helpful to the success of this participatory evaluation. As well, the communication network established increased collaboration between projects. This supported learning and project level exposure to new ideas and approaches.

Understanding the process of the three levels of evaluation and participating in all levels of this evaluation process was a challenge for everyone involved. However, participants displayed a high degree of commitment to, and satisfaction with, the decision to adopt a participatory approach:

I really enjoyed the participatory approach. I must say that it promoted a lot of individual learning on the part of the projects as well as the parents. Because they were involved, they felt that -- I think it promoted ownership.

RECOMMENDATIONS

CAPC programming should be maintained and enhanced as it is meeting the needs in the community. Most notably, the supportive environment offered at CAPC projects, which has taken time and energy to develop, should be preserved and encouraged.

The federal/provincial management structure worked well for CAPC and should be considered as a model for future federal/provincial program delivery.

Parents, staff, community partners, and others interested in healthy child development should be made more aware of the success of CAPC and the structured and unstructured educational opportunities it provides. An examination of whether CAPC projects need to actively devote more time and resources to programs that directly involve children would be of benefit.

Current and future programming efforts must recognize that the strength of CAPC lies in its capacity to build collective action and mutual support among parents, staff, and the community.

Parents, staff, board members, and community partners have established various ways in which people can participate or volunteer in project activities and degrees to which they can be involved. Efforts must continue to ensure that opportunities for participation are diverse, flexible, and welcoming. It is important that parents recognize the value of their contributions to the projects at whatever levels they are made. Ongoing training will be important in further defining the roles and responsibilities of staff, board, and volunteers.

Training and support recommended include ongoing training in participatory evaluation skills for projects' site-level evaluations and in the use of electronic technology to increase communications among projects.

Mechanisms to maintain and enhance partnerships should be established. Also, projects and partners should be encouraged to recognize that the role of the partners may change significantly over time and, as such, should be re-assessed periodically.

The ongoing development of community partnerships should be supported. In particular, the benefit of expanding networks to include community organizations not currently involved should be considered.

The Atlantic CAPC Regional Evaluation has produced information well beyond a documentation of individual and behavioural change and program effectiveness. The participatory action research model resulted in insights and knowledge that are of considerable value not only to those directly involved with CAPC, but also for anyone interested in enhancing the well-being of families and the communities in which they live.

 

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