Ontario, like many other provinces and territories in Canada, has no system for licensing outdoor early learning and childcare. While the pandemic presented an opportunity to think differently about childcare spaces, there was a general failure to take advantage of this to build a system that included licensed nature-based care. As Ontario looks to add more affordable spaces, now may be the time to play catch-up on this missed opportunity. Could licensed nature-based early learning and childcare be part of the solution to the growing need for spaces, as well as a way of improving early learning outcomes? With examples of successful outdoor early learning now established in Washington State and Scotland, OMSSA Members are now better-equipped to evaluate the case for this approach and are more likely to be able to create a system that works effectively for both children, parents, and providers. This session will include experts with knowledge of the benefits of nature-based early learning and childcare and who have had success implementing such systems elsewhere.

Resources:

• Outdoor Nature-Based Facilities – Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (VIDEO)
• Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families Outdoor Preschool Pilot Final Legislative Report

The shift toward technological solutions and changes has been rapid and inevitable. There is a push for a future defined by digital modernized services, and social assistance systems are not exempt. The goal to accelerate the delivery of services that are centralized, digital, and automated, while remaining open, equitable, and person-centric, is grounded in the hope that service users will be more successful in their pathways toward independence and employment readiness. OMSSA Members must work with the province and community at large to help build this new future, but what must be considered as we move forward? What are the benefits and pitfalls of digitalization? In this session we will hear from academics and experts from around the world to learn about their experiences with the digitalization of social services. There will be a focus on the short- and long-term impacts, change management, and how staff and service users cope with these changes.

In this session we will hear from five speakers who will share perspectives about the development of culturally appropriate housing programs for Indigenous communities in Ontario, the Northwest Territories, and New Zealand. These conversations will explore Indigenous notions of “housing first” as well as what effective collaboration between Indigenous organizations and local governments looks like in the areas of health, harm reduction, and wellness. In particular, this session will consider the broad structural and systemic changes that are required, and how Indigenous concepts of ‘home’ can be integrated into local housing strategies, programs, and policies.

As Ontario continues to expand its system of municipal childcare, a key question that emerges is around how to effectively ensure that this system can become more accessible and equitable. What practical steps can be taken in order to build a childcare system that works effectively for all community members? What role should OMSSA Members play in moving towards this objective? This panel will bring together experts with a diversity of backgrounds who have all believe in importance of municipal role in expanding access the childcare equitably.

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed social service delivery globally and brought to light challenges that have become the new normal for OMSSA Members. The acceleration of virtual service delivery due to social distancing and work from home measures and the increase in service users with more complex needs are changes that have demanded new skills, resources, and supports. Three years later, we are still experiencing new surprises and learning opportunities. We must stop and reflect on how this transformation has changed the nature of social services and our interactions with service users. As we plan for the future, what practices do we continue and what must we let go of? In this session we will hear from social workers and academics from around the world who will discuss the post-pandemic social services landscape, and who will share strategies to maintain a high quality, person-centric approach in casework while avoiding personal burnout and fatigue.

OMSSA Members have a legal responsibility to manage necessary services in the event an emergency is declared. And while most members have dealt with emergencies of varying sizes, there is also a need to prepare for more frequent climate-related challenges. In thinking about ways we might move forward, the lack of integration and formal agreements within Ontario’s current emergency management response has often been evident during times of need. But do other provinces cope with the same difficulties? If not, how have other provinces in Canada transformed their emergency social services response procedures in light of their experiences with regular climate-related disasters? This session will pay close attention to both B.C. and Alberta to understand what lessons we might learn from the way they approach such emergencies. Whereas B.C.’s approach is centralized through a new provincial ministry, in Alberta, the approach is much focused on the roles of municipalities. With the help of experts from both these provinces, OMSSA Members will learn fresh approaches to emergency social services management knowing full well that climate-related emergencies are likely to become the norm rather than the exception.