Our StaffActive as of March 31, 2015

Executive DirectorRhonda Nelson

Operations ManagerSherri Macdonald

Program Support and Operations:Sue Gee, Irma Lux, Lori Hamilton, Kathleen Langton, Connie Mussell, Terri Nakayama

AutismMichelle Allanson, Laura Cake, Guifre Calderer, Emma Cooney, Shelby Fitzpatrick, Karina Frisque, Nadia

Galvan-Hernandez, Clarissa Gotobed, Stacey Jmaeff, Amir Karimi, Heather Maschek, Amy McCallum, Deepa Parekh, Brittney Russell, Sarah Shaughnessy, Tara Storeness-Bliss , Jaimee Therrien, Loreen Thomson

Empowering FamiliesHeather Pattison, Traci Mainstone

Infant DevelopmentKaren Hartley, Karin Hesketh, Anke Purnell, Betty Teigen, Nikki Williams

Occupational TherapyCatherine Brandon, Diana Kriel, Suzanne Lauzon, Lourine Welding

Physical TherapyLanna Brydges, Liza Burgess, Tasha Carmichael, Kim MacLeod, Carol Peter, Tracey White

Speech LanguageKaren Bylsma, Cheryl Elsworth, Diane Gretzinger, Kathleen O’Connell, Deni Skutshek

Supported Child DevelopmentKymm Allen, Chelsy Binette, Margaret Blair-Cook, Terri Boles, Betty Cleland, Irene Failes, Cheryl Fralick,

Cathy Hansen, Yvette Hepburn, Raika Jahura, Cherie Lever, Lori Maranda, Carolina Markoff, Shannon McGowan, Sandra Olk, Wynelle Powers, Sue Rempel, Michelle Roche, Silvia Rosales, Terri Russell,

Jennifer Schlosser, Linda Seinen, Jackie Shiosaki, Holly Shortt, Rebecca Smith, Shawna Swanson, Elizabeth Ulrich, Maureen Watkins, Dana Williams, Courtney Wood, Amanda Zuccato

Page 1

Starbright BOARD MEMBERS

Paul Farina Lauren Piseky Blair ForrestCraig Gronsdahl

Jean Lanoue Pam Wetterstrand Dr. Cliff Henderson Ted Grimwood

Our New NameAt our last Annual Meeting, we had announced the results of our rebranding with a new name! We were still

legally the Central Okanagan Child Development Association but now were “doing business as” Starbright

Children’s Development Centre Association. The bright sign on the lawn in front of the Centre reflected the

excitement about the newness of adopting a more current identity. It has taken us another year to complete

the name change application process, but we now have the name approved! The work now begins on all the

various legal notifications to those entities with which we have contractual and monetary relationships, as well

as registrations. The list is quite long, but we look forward to having this completed in the new fiscal year. Once

the legal name of the society has been changed from “Central Okanagan Children’s Development Association”

to “Starbright Children’s Development Centre Association”, the society itself will be known as the “Starbright

Children’s Development Centre Association” while the facility and its services will be known as the “Starbright

Children’s Development Centre”.

FROM THE PRESIDENT...It was a privilege to serve as your president in 2014-15. It has been a busy year with many

speaking engagements, staff functions, and government meetings. Starbright’s Board

of Directors is comprised of volunteers that come from all walks of life. The common

thread that binds them is their dedication to the children we serve. We are saying

good-bye to Brenda Bell, a director of 5 years. And we are welcoming 3 new directors

at this AGM.

We had a wonderful opportunity to honor an active director and founding member this year with the BC

Association of Child Development and Intervention Lifetime Achievement award. Dr. Henderson has

volunteered in excess of 10,000 hours of his time to our organization and he continues to inspire us to be the

best that we can be.

I would also like to welcome Sherri Macdonald to our management team as our Operations Manager. Sherri

brings a wealth of knowledge and is indeed an asset to our team.

As always the Board is in awe of the incredible work our entire staff do, to make the children we serve be all that

they can be.

Our public awareness campaign continues to grow through all types of media and public presentations. We

hope to do even more presentations in the next year as part of our on-going need to improve our visibility in the

community.

The lack of a significant increase to contract funding by government to

agencies in the human services sector is an ongoing priority for

advocacy. Starbright has engaged in face to face briefings with many

levels of government, been part of meetings to discuss the issue, and

sent letters to MLAs to heighten their awareness regarding this issue. The

cost pressures continue to be a priority for our Association, as with many

others. We have been working hard to keep all levels of government

aware of the situation and the impact this has on service delivery and

wait times for children and families.

In closing, both the staff and volunteer Board strive to achieve what is

important…we can and should make a difference!

Carol Meise, President

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FROM THE STARBRIGHT CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT CENTRE TREASURER...Preparing for a board meeting has the usual financial aspects of reviewing monthly

financial results and asking questions regarding accounts that vary from the original

budgeted amount. As in life there is always something unexpected that comes up and

requires the attention of our management staff and Board of Directors.

The tradeoff between providing the best service possible to our clientele and living within our means based on

program funding is ongoing. It requires much attention and due diligence particularly in these times of stagnant

government funding. Searching for efficiencies is ongoing and constant, made more difficult by our aging and

inefficient building.

But, the board’s work is about far more than dollars and sense. This is a Centre built on compassion and care and

our struggle is to help as many children as we can with our limited resources. We know waitlists are our biggest

enemy and we have that in our focus always. As demands for better reporting and accreditation increase we are

grateful to have a superior management team and a diligent and competent accounting staff to provide us with

good data to help us make good decisions.

We are hopeful our funders will realize the excellent work Starbright does and the incredibly good value they

receive from our skilled management and dedicated staff.

We look forward to providing our community with continued support for some of our most vulnerable little

citizens. Their smiles and development keep us moving forward every day.

Page 3

Craig Gronsdahl, Treasurer

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR A typical day at Starbright Children’s Development Centre has such a wide

variety to it – that is one of the many charms of both the position and the

agency! I could have the opportunity to meet individually, or in groups, with

staff as they problem-solve around issues that are particular to their area –

sometimes several different groups over the day! Their knowledge,

commitment, and creativity never fail to amaze me. There could also always be

time dedicated to engaging in research that will provide the base for

discussion with staff as we move forward in some initiative. The seemingly

ever-present file of agency documents to be created or reviewed, grants to be applied for, and presentations

to construct will also beckon for attention. The phone calls provide interest and diversion, while the scheduled

meetings ensure continuity and contribution. Each day would not be complete without the casual chats with

staff or the wonderful greetings from parents as they come into the Centre.

This year there has been careful attention to the nurturing of a respectful work climate, developing relationships

with partner or community agencies, and ensuring budgetary expenditures were aligned with contract

dollars. Some broad priorities over the past year have centered on developing an ongoing process of creating or

updating the policies and procedures that provide the framework for the work that the agency does, engaging in

a process of renewal of the contracts the agency holds with the Ministry, development and implementation of

refinement workshops for departments who are interested in undergoing positive change, and ensuring our

technology system is aligned with need, contract

expectations, and security parameters.

The days that flow into months that round out a year are full to

the brim with activity that is rewarding. How can that not be

construed to be fun?

Rhonda Nelson, PhD, Executive Director

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Page 5

FROM THE OPERATIONS MANAGER...When I joined Starbright in August 2014 the Executive Director promised that no two

days would be the same. That was an understatement and is now evidenced by a to-

do list the length of my arm!

A day for me consists of an ever-changing combination of issues that involve op-

erations. Much time is spent on items related to staffing such as hiring interviews,

evaluations, policies and procedures, and generally supporting departments and

staff on any number of issues. Budget implications, both direct and indirect, are

never far from mind when making decisions and considerable time was allotted

to budget development for the upcoming year. In addition to individual meetings with staff,

I lead regular Team Leader meetings, and attend Occupational Health and Safety and Quality Assurance com-

mittee meetings, labor-management meetings, and board meetings. Social media and website oversight sneak

into my calendar when space appears.

Some of the bigger Operations projects this year have included:

• assistingwiththetransitionoftheAutismDepartmenttoincludesummerprogramming

• workingwithourFinancialControllertoprovidedepartmentalinformationrequiredtodevelopan

improved budget format

• coordinatingthedevelopmentandimplementationofaneworientationprocessforfamiliesnew

to Starbright, and

• reviewing,andadaptingasneeded,ourdatareporting

processes to ensure they are in alignment with the

expectationsoftheMinistryofChildrenandFamily

Development.

Although some days it feels that there are not enough hours to

accomplish what is needed, our staff’s desire to provide the best

service possible to families is always evident. Starbright Children’s

Development Centre is a busy place - I am enjoying the challenge

of contributing!

Sherri MacDonald, Operations Manager

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Part One: What Do We Do and Why Do We Do It?Structure and Governance of the Agency

The services provided by Starbright fall within five overall areas that mutually support and extend each other:

• AutismProgram• ClinicalCounseling• EarlyInterventionTherapies(Speech-Language,Physiotherapy,OccupationalTherapy)• InfantDevelopment• SupportedChildDevelopment

The Board maintains responsibility for oversight of the services and for monitoring progress of the operations

of the agency on an annual basis. The Executive Director is responsible to the Board of Directors for leadership,

operational planning and management, program planning and management, human resources planning and

management, financial planning and management, community relations and advocacy, and risk management of

the agency.

Our Mission

“We support the growth and development of

children with exceptional developmental needs

through early intervention services, and empower

their families through information and

education to meet the immediate, transitional,

and long-term needs of their child”. To

fulfill this mission, all employees are, at every

interaction with each other and with our clients,

care passionately, collaborate extensively, educate

progressively, improve continuously, lead

courageously, and advocate powerfully – all while

employing the values of integrity, respect, and

compassion for each other and our clients. It is

through the staff, in their varying roles and

capacities, that the Mission of Starbright is carried

out and fulfilled.

PHYSIOTHERAPYPhysiotherapists have many different tasks throughout the day which require them to be focused, flexible and creative in providing therapy services to children and their families, but making it fun for the child. Children may be seen in a therapy treatment area here at our Centre, or therapists may travel to the home or out to other community locations. Therapists spend time planning the therapy session, setting up equipment and activities to carry out the assessment and/or treatment, and clearing the area for the next treatment session. Sessions are documented and time is needed to then prepare/plan how best to meet the goals determined at assessment. Part of this is the developments of a comprehensive home activity program, with written and picture guidelines for the family to assist in the continuation of therapy suggestions each day at the home between therapy ap-pointments. Throughout the day, therapists receive phone calls, spend time arranging their schedule of appoint-ments, read about the specific history or medical background of a child, and research medical conditions and treatment updates. There is discussion with other community professionals regarding a child’s abilities and chal-lenges. As well, therapists have a role in researching equipment needs, arranging for purchase and advocating in the form of discussions and writing letters to support funding needs. Colleagues in other areas of our Centre are also consulted if they are seeing the child for needs other than those which are treated by the physiotherapist. This year, one of our therapists also provided a supportive learning environment and supervision for a Practicum placement for a second year Therapy Assistant student for 4 weeks.

This year we had an increase in the number of babies under a year referred with the diagnosis of plagiocephaly and torticollis (176 this year from 136 last year in the same time period). There is a particular need for timely ther-apy to be initiated with this condition. We continue to educate families regarding treatment options and inform them of the service for plagiocephaly helmets offered in Vancouver. This year, however, through the collaborative efforts of one of our therapists, families now have access to this service in Kelowna. Therapists and families can work with our colleague locally on a monthly basis if a helmet may be needed. Since October 2014 40-50 families have been seen.

Our community programs of Hippotherapy and Hydrotherapy continued with very positive feedback from fami-lies. The therapists dedicated to providing these services found significant gains in those children who partici-pated. The Physiotherapy and Infant Development Program combined efforts to create a Centre-based drop- in group for families awaiting services. Those who attended found the opportunity helpful for their children. A therapist joined other Centre colleagues to participate in a community-based initiative with the Metis Commu-nity Services Society of BC in a partnership to provide therapy presentations from March to December in 2014.

We are very fortunate to have a team of skilled and dedicated therapists.

Carol Peter, Team Leader

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Part Two: What is the Level of Need for our Services?Starbright Children’s Development Centre was a busy place in 2014-15. Within each of the departments there is high demand for the services they provide. Below are the summary statistics from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015, drawn from our database software program, Nucleus. These describe how many children were on an active caseload in each department over the course of the past year, how many children were found to be eligible for services but for whom there was not an ability to place them on active caseload, and how many children actually began to receive active services through being added to active caseload lists as other children were discharged over the course of this past year.

• AutismProgramisafee-for-serviceprogramthatfocusesonbehaviorinterventionsandprovides the services of a Speech and Language Pathologist as well as an Occupational Therapist.

• ClinicalCounselingfocusesonassistingfamiliesandchildren,whoareclientsofthearrayof programs offered by the COCDA, address challenges such as parent/child relationship difficulties, anxiety, aggression, anger and defiance, parenting after separation issues, child trauma, and sudden changes in behavior and development.

• TheEarlyInterventionPrograminvolvesassessment,consultation,intervention,monitoring,and follow-up with clinicians in the areas of Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy for children from birth to school entry.

• TheInfantDevelopmentProgramisdesignedforchildrenfrombirthtothreeyearsofagewho have been identified as at risk for developmental delay. Parents are supported in recognizing their baby’s cues and responding in ways that promote a sense of security and bonding with their child.

• SupportedChildDevelopment(birthtoschoolageentry)supportschildrenwithdevelopmentalneeds so they may be included in daycare, preschools, and other early learning education

programs.

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Part Three: What Do Each of the Program Areas and Departments Actually Do?AUTISM

A typical day in the Autism Department is a busy one! We directly serve over 30 clients and there are always moving pieces to the puzzle that is scheduling! At least once per day the consultants touch base, with a more formal meeting occurring once per week. It is a balancing of administrative duties with client-related duties, meetings with parents or management, and interacting directly with BIs and clients.

This year has been filled with exciting changes and challenges in the Autism Program. One of our highly-valued Consultants moved to another city, leaving behind a very large hole – both in our hearts and in our depart-ment! We took the opportunity to re-evaluate the structure of our program and created a new role, that of a Senior Behaviour Interventionist. This has allowed us more flexibility, and greater capacity, to meet the needs of the chil-dren in our program. Our long standing clinical advisor, to whom we are so grateful for her years of dedication and service, recently moved into private practice. We now have our own RASP-accredited Behaviour Therapist, providing ongoing quality assurance and clinical guidance to the department as a whole.

Another area of change has been to our service delivery. In the past we closed for July and August, but through feedback from parents of current clients and the need to expand service offerings for newly-diagnosed children in the community, this year our program is open during the summer months. In a fee-for-service program such as ours, this creates logistical challenges. However, we have worked hard to evolve a model that will be sustainable, allow for continuous intake, and provide the much-needed continuity for the children we serve. We are excited to give this a go this summer!

Being the recipient of the Ride-to-Reach fundraiser was a highlight for us this past year, as the monies provided allowed us to refine our therapy spaces. We were able to have storage cabinets constructed in which to house the various toys, mats, balls, books, and other therapy items. It has given us more space! We are so grateful for the com-munity ‘Reach-ing’ out to us! Also, art supplies for our children in the program were funded yet again this year by Gallagher’s Canyon Art Society! They made such a difference for the children.

This past year we continued to refine the programming possible through the generosity of a BC Gaming Grant which has provided consultative occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services to our clients. Forthisupcomingyear,inadditiontoconsultativeOTandSLP,weareexpandingourofferingstoparentswithourclinical counsellor providing a Parent Support Group. Parenting a child with Autism can be a highly stressful and demanding journey and we look forward to offering this new service to families.

Seeing the growth and progress of the children in our department is immensely rewarding, and working side by side with incredible, supportive team members makes it a pleasure to work for this agency. We look forward now to the year ahead!

Karina Friaque, Team Leader

FROM THE EMPOWERING FAMILIES DEPARTMENT... CLINICAL COUNSELING

The joy of being a counsellor is that each day is never the same! Every child, mother, father, grandparent, or caregiver carries with them a unique story of their lives, and as a counsellor I daily get to hear and witness these stories. It is such a privilege.

Within my role, I may meet with a child and watch and hear her or his story unfold through play. Dolls, trucks, cars, costumes, sand and play dough all provide the medium for that child to tell me about himself and his life. Or, I may meet with a child and her parent, and together they show me the story of their relationship, as I guide them to more empathy and connection. Later that day, I might meet with a mom and a dad who share with me their story about what it means to be a parent to a child with special needs. I will provide them the venue within which to hear and understand each other’s perspectives more fully. Between the stories, there is other work to be done – the “behind the scenes” tasks of being a counsellor that ensure professionalism, ethics, and focus is maintained for every family. This might include collaborating with colleagues, documenting sessions, scheduling, planning treatment, or seeking support to ensure best practices.

It has been a year of change, growth, and new learning for the counselling department. Over the year, I have pursued professional development in the area of play therapy, gaining more clinical and supervision hours toward earning the title of Registered Play Therapist. Currently, I am focused on deepening my learning in the Theraplay model, a parent/child relationship-based therapy that is now showing some remarkable results for families. I also had the opportunity this year to be involved in the Starbright Centre Intake process, working collaboratively with other departments to provide intake and orientation to families and children who are new to our Centre. Working more closely with speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists served to further broaden my awareness of the development of the whole child.

A year ago, I started a two-year term as Chair of our Centre’s newly-established Quality Assurance Committee, which now meets every 2 months to discuss, review, and fine-tune Starbright policies and procedures. This role has allowed me to develop further connections with our other department professionals. And, in the coming months and year, I look forward to even more collaborative work! Plans are currently underway to provide more group options within the counselling department. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work more closely with the Autism Program, with plans in the works to start a parent support group. And, as it has always been my desire to share my strong belief in the powers of play, my hope is to begin a parent/child play group in which parents can learn the incredible benefits of attuned and empathic play with their children. I am very much looking forward to the year to come!

Heather Pattison, Team Leader

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INFANT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Infant Development Consultants support families as they begin their journey with their child who has been identified as having developmental needs and who will require extra support. The reasons for referral to our Infant Development Program include prematurity, the identification of various syndromes, vision or hearing impairment, or delays that are determined in one or more areas of their development. We participate in joint visits with members of our Starbright team when multiple areas of support are required.

While our primary focus is on providing assistance to families in their home, what we do as Infant Development Program Consultants can vary from day to day. When we first arrive at work, we may take time to complete our statistics and documentation. If we do not go to an early morning home visit, we may document assessment results and ‘next steps’ suggestions for families. This will have involved research for strategies that will help the family provide opportunities for their child to achieve skills to the next level of their development. Prior to a home visit, we will assemble our equipment (our ‘equipment’ consists of TOYS!) needed at the home visit. At the visit, one or both of the parents will participate while we interact with the child using the toys and modelling the activities that we have suggested for the parent to enjoy as they interact with their child on a daily basis. Communication with the parents is so essential to us. We request feedback about the suggestions we have given, as well as descriptions of any changes they may have noticed in their child since our last visit, and any concerns that may have arisen. After the home visit, we provide additional suggestions and support to the family as needed. We may also complete developmental assessments of the child, which are valuable to monitor progress and provide to families updated information regarding next steps and strategies. As Infant Development Consultants we may also, at the parent’s request, visit their child’s day care or preschool to provide support to the day care staff. If necessary, we will initiate an internal referral to the Supported Child Development (SCD) department to further support the family.

This year, we are looking forward to becoming familiar with the DAYC-2, an updated assessment tool we will use to assess the development of the children we see. We also are fortunate to have been invited to participate in groups led by our Centre’s speech and language pathologists to provide families with support and information regardingstrategiestodevelopcommunicationskills.Finally,wealsomayprovideInfantMassageinstructionasneeded.

The needs of some of our families can be very complex. We continue to note an increase in the number of referrals to our program. We look forward in the coming year to continue providing services that are both timely and of the highest quality. As well, we continue to strive to work more closely with community agencies providing supports to families.

Betty Teigen, Team Leader

Page 10

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

A typical day in the life of Starbright Children’s Development Centre occupational

therapists (OT) often starts with thinking about, and setting up for, therapy sessions.

If it is a community or home visit, one quickly gathers supplies from the therapy

rooms so as to not interrupt upcoming therapy sessions for other therapists. E-mails

are checked, relevant charts and notes are perused on-line, and appointments are

booked. Phone calls from a variety of people are returned. These may include calls

from or to parents to book an appointment or occasionally cancel, ask questions

about something that happened in therapy or in pre-school, or follow up with a

request. Doctors call to ask for some information about a child or to return the

therapists’ calls. Colleagues at the Kelowna General Hospital, at BC Children’s Hospital, or within the community

call to discuss referrals. Students from post-secondary institutions call to ask about the opportunities for

practicum placements. We maintain a high level of responsivity to all these various sources of contact. And, as we

pass our Starbright colleagues in the hallways on our way upstairs to put documents in for filing or to do

photocopying, we are reminded of the need to meet and take the time to have a few words. In between all of

this we document, document… and document. To remain current we attend courses, webinars and tele-health

conferences on a wide variety of topics.

We have had Practicum students placed at Starbright in the Occupational Therapy area this spring! It has been a

delight to work with them and enjoy the energy, curiosity, and passion they bring to their area of study.

Our big highlight of this year was that we remained fully staffed for the entire year! As a result we made

significant gains reducing the OT waitlist times for OT intakes and therapy.

A day in the life of an OT is an ever-changing obstacle course that we navigate in adding a bit of challenge and

enough support to help clients learn new skills and meet success. Occupational therapists focus on fine motor

skills, eating, dressing, playing, brushing teeth, toileting, moving around, exploring the environment, behaviors,

interacting with others and learning …it’s a lot like detective work to see what’s working, what’s not, what would

make things easier to do. Every child is different, and the goals and approaches used reflect that. It is what keeps

us coming back! That and the supportive team members with whom we work.

Suzanne Lauzon, Team Leader

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PHYSIOTHERAPY

Physiotherapists have many different tasks throughout the day which require them to be focused, flexible and creative in providing therapy services to children and their families while making it fun for the child. Children may be seen in a therapy treatment area here at our Centre, or therapists may travel to the home or out to other community locations. Therapists spend time planning the therapy session, setting up equipment and activities to carry out assessment and/or treatment, and clearing the area for the next treatment session. Sessions are documented and time is needed to then prepare/plan how best to meet the goals determined at assessment. Part of this is the development of a comprehensive home activity program, with written and picture guidelines for the family to assist in the continuation of therapy suggestions each day at the home. Throughout the day, therapists receive phone calls, spend time arranging their schedule of appointments, read about the specific history or medical background of a child, and research medical conditions and treatment updates. There is discussion with other community professionals regarding a child’s abilities and challenges. As well, therapists have a role in researching equipment needs and arranging for purchase, as well as advocating in the form of discussions and writing letters to support funding needs. Colleagues in other areas of our Centre are also consulted if they are seeing the child for needs other than those which are treated by the physiotherapist. This year, one of our therapists also provided a supportive learning environment and supervision for a Practicum placement for a second year Therapy Assistant student for 4 weeks.

This year we had an increase in the number of babies under a year referred with the diagnosis of plagiocephaly and torticollis (176 this year from 136 last year in the same time period). There is a particular need for timely therapy to be initiated with this condition. We continue to educate families regarding treatment options and inform them of the service for plagiocephaly helmets offered in Vancouver. This year, through the collaborative efforts of one of our therapists, families now have access to this service in Kelowna. Therapists and families can work with our colleague locally on a monthly basis if a helmet may be needed. Since October 2014 40-50 families have been seen.

Our community programs of Hippotherapy and Hydrotherapy continued with very positive feedback from families. The therapists dedicated to providing these services found significant gains in those children who participated. The Physiotherapy and Infant Development Program combined efforts to create a Centre-based drop-in group for families awaiting services. Those who attended found the opportunity helpful for their children. A therapist joined other Centre colleagues to participate in a community-based initiative with the Métis Community Services Society of BC in a partnership to provide therapy presentations from March to December in 2014.

We are very fortunate to have a team of skilled and dedicated therapists.

Carol Peter, Team Leader

Page 12

Speech and Language Pathology

On an average day, our Speech Language Pathology (SLP) team provides intake,

assessment, consultation and direct therapy services to preschool children birth to

school entry age. While we see most of the children with their parents, and

sometimes siblings, at our Center, sometimes we go to the family home or the

daycare/preschool, depending on the needs of the family and where the most

optimum place for intervention might be.

Intervention may take many forms. We are educating the family or caregiver to

be the ‘change agent’ in their child’s life equipping them with skills to improve

communication for their child. Much of our session might look like play to an

onlooker, but play is the work of children and it is how they build their necessary skills to have something to talk

about! We encourage the parents and grandparents to get right down on the floor with us and try implement-

ing new strategies in play that they can try at home. After the session, there is often collaboration with other

team members working with the child. This may be with other Starbright professionals or it may be with the

child’s physician, public health nurse or daycare/early learning center staff. We also provide education in the form

of workshops/training sessions to the parents and/or a variety of community partners and the general public.

We are always striving to find ways to serve more children more effectively with the staff that we have. This year,

we offered group therapy for children with articulation delays. With guidance from our colleagues at the

Kelowna Health Unit, we put together a program that ran for 8 weeks this spring and served 14 children. The

model is one in which the parent is the coach for the child and the speech language pathologist guides them in

shaping their child’s speech sound production while the children are busy having fun playing turn-taking games!

All of the children showed improvements and were enthusiastic to attend.

Another innovation was the piloting of group follow up visits. In our department, after we see a child for initial

consultation we like to have a follow up visit 4-6 months later while they are on the waitlist for speech services.

We find that for some families of younger children who are also involved in our Infant Development Program, it

is beneficial to have them come in small groups for their follow up so that we can target some early communica-

tion strategies together.

We are so very fortunate to have a well-trained, enthusiastic, and very hard-working staff who are dedicated to

children, and who are supportive and knowledgeable colleagues!

Deni Skutshek, Team Leader

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SUPPORTED CHILD DEVELOPMENT

AtypicaldayinthelifeofSupportedChildDevelopment(SCD)ismulti-faceted!FortheConsultants, our first responsibility is to check the phone. “Is the light blinking?” is almost always the first question, as the message may impact the direction of the remainder of the day. Is the message from an assistant who is unable to work that day and requires replacement? A parent letting us know that a child will not be attending a program and leaving staff available to reroute? A parent or community partner looking for information about our program? Or might it be a parent on the waitlist wanting to know when support will be available for their child? In addition, throughout the day there are often unscheduled visits and phone calls from parents, program assistants and community partners. We also have mini-department meetings to update each other on the needs of a child, assistant, or program and discuss ideas of how to best provide support. There is also the paper work, which includes completing reports, documenting stats, documenting notes and addressing scheduling for the next day, the following week, and often ahead to summer and fall.

Fortheprogramassistants,whilethosemessagesonthephonemayredirectthemtoadifferentchildcareprogramfrom where they were originally scheduled, more often than not they will arrive at a childcare program and become immersed with the day to day functions: facilitating peer interactions, art, circle, table time, outdoor time, self-help skills and many other important aspects to promote the child’s inclusion and success in programming.

A unique position, visual language interpreter, provides support to Deaf and Hard of Hearing children in a variety of childcare programs. In consultation with Starbright’s therapists, our Interpreter provides activities within the childcare program to meet the children’s specific speech and language goals. This may include facilitating communication and social interactions with peers and caregivers by providing sign language interpreting and/or oral interpreting. It may alsoinvolvetrainingandmonitoringchildren’shearingaids,cochlearimplantprocessorsandFMequipment.

Highlights for SCD over the past year focus on a variety of professional trainings for staff: • ConsultantsattendedtrainingsthatincludedtheDevelopmentAssessmentforYoungChildren

(DAYC) -2 assessment, Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)-3 screening, Circle of Security, and FamilyCenteredPractice.

• AssistantsattendedAgesandStagesQuestionnaire(ASQ)-3screeningandTemperamentworkshops, and

• ThevisuallanguageinterpreterattendedadditionaltrainingspecifictoDeafandHardofHearingchildren.

There also were the numerous kindergarten transition meetings for the children moving into School District 23 in the fall facilitated by SCD Consultants, as well as the meetings throughout the year for various committees of which we are a member including: Community Actions Towards Children’s Health (CATCH), Okanagan College PAC for the Early Childhood Education program, and the Early Learning Partnership.

While building on our strengths, SCD, going forward is strategizing and brainstorming ideas on how to best fulfill our mandate and continue to meet the needs of all children and families we support.

Terri Russell, Team Leader

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Part Four: What Were Some of the Year’s Highlights?

We said ‘goodbye’ to Margaret Blair-Cook as she retired from the

Supported Child Development (SCD) department of Starbright on

March 31, 2015! Her long career with the Centre was marked by a

community reception as well as an SCD staff evening event.

While we were sad to see Margaret go, we know she will be back to

visit and share with us the adventures she is able to now engage in!

Our founding

and current

Board member

received a

Lifetime

Achievement Award. The British Columbia Association for

Child Development and Intervention (BCACDI) awarded Dr.

Cliff Henderson a Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring

him for a long career of championing the services for

children with developmental needs. We held a reception at

our Centre on June 3, 2015 to mark this very special award,

and recognize the impact of this very special man.

We even had a media event with our Member of Parliament

andaFederalMinister.OnApril10,2015,ourCentrehad

the honor of hosting the Honorable Ron Cannon MP and

the Honorable Candice Bergen, Minister of State Social

Development, to an event marking the installation of

automatic doors to facilitate access for families with childreninstrollersorwheelchairs.Fundingtosup-

port the installation of the doors came through a

federal Community Accessibility grant. To us, it was a

definite indication of federal support at a local level,

and we are so very grateful for it.

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And, we even got to host three visitors from Japan. On Thursday, May 7, 2015, Kiyomi Kobayashi, Masako Urano and Michiyo Toyokawa spent the afternoon touring our Centre, talking with staff, and sharing information about their own country’s system in terms of supports for children with developmental needs. The visit was initiated by the Program Coordinator of VIEC Education Canada in Kelowna, Masao Matsubara. The guests from Japan and representatives from the various departments from Starbright finished their day with both an appreciation for, and additional insight into, each others’ approach.

Part Five: Did We Have Any Volunteers Helping Us?Among many other interactions with the United Way, we had the opportunity to have some much needed ‘tasks’ done through the Day of Caring program. These two days – one in the spring and one in the fall – meant a great deal to us!

1. Western Canadian Bank

Through the United Way Day of Caring we had the incredible opportunity to have the assistance of employees of the Western Canadian Bank come on a Saturday and assist us in videotaping the contents of our building for insurance purposes. Armed with video cameras, the team provided us with a visual record of everything we have! The hours passed quickly and at the end we had a full visual library! We so enjoyed a short time of relaxation involving coffee and muffins with them at the end of the process.

2. Interior SavingsIn yet another amazing United Way Day of Caring event, employees from Interior Savings came and transformed the outside pillars of our building by painting them. Our building was built in the mid-1970s and the paint had faded significantly. Within the one day, faded blue paint was replaced by lush chocolate brown color, giving our entrance a fresh new look! Along with our new name, and new sign, our building took on a new presence!

Part SIX: What Were Some of the Challenges Faced in the Past Year?1. Financial

We faced a significant fiscal challenge in 2014-15. While all agencies, businesses, and organizations face

challenges from year to year, this particular year held a major one that had not been experienced for a

significant length of time. As with much of the rest of the Province, our challenge rested on the increased

pressures related to funding. While we faced one challenge this year, we know there will be others to come.

Ourearlyinterventionprogramsoperatethroughfundingcontractswithgovernment.Forthepastfewyears,

while being faced with no increases to base contract dollars, yet experiencing escalating costs, the Board of

Directors had been authorizing the use of reserves to cover the shortfall. Their interest was in ensuring the

servicelevelswereashighaspossible.Foranagencythatisnon-for-profittohavereservefundsiscritical,

therefore this year no further amounts could be depleted from the reserves. Efforts were made throughout the

year to advocate for the required additional monies within the base contracts that would ensure congruency

between what was provided and the number of staff employed; however, while this may be potential in the

future, there was no increase.

Despitemanydiscussions,reductionsinstaffingFull-TimeEquivalents(FTEs)werenecessary.Itwasastressful

and very sad time. While our regional government department staff was helpful and supportive, and the MLAs

with whom we met also advocated for us, the economic times dictated an outcome we had so hoped to avoid.

As staffing levels would not remain at the level they had been, we needed to communicate the impending

changes. We let our referral sources, community partners with whom we work, current parent clients, and the

parents on the waitlists know of our dilemma through a letter, as without this information they would not be

able to understand why we could no longer do what we had been doing to the level we had been doing it. In

the first months of January we proceeded into the pre-layoff and layoff processes. As we had known through the

many discussions in the fall of the potential need for reductions, we had been proactive and had ceased hiring in

the positions vacated by staff moving on to other opportunities. This meant hardships within the service delivery

of the various programs, but it mitigated the need to end the employment of more personnel than would have

been necessary if hiring had continued.

The upside of navigating such a difficult time is that we now have only the number of employees allowed within thedollarswehave.Forus,itwasimperativeto‘livewithinourmeans’. Wehavealsolookedveryclosely

atallareas of our operation to make any adjustments possible to ensure we can sustain ourselves going forward with the monies we receive. We have refined our budgeting process, and have embarked on a process of service

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delivery redevelopment that will help us to meet the needs of children and families while maintaining the staffing

levels we are able to sustain. We also still have dedicated, talented, and passionate staff that care deeply about

the children and families with whom they work. And, we have had the assistance of our government funding

ministry regional office staff in a redevelopment of our contracts that support each of the early intervention

programs so that the level of staffing we can support matches the expectations of the contracting agency.

The process of income vs staffing cost congruency also extended to contracts and we regretfully had to end a

valued and long-time contract association with Interior Health in facilitating Autism Spectrum Disorder

Assessments. We had facilitated those assessments within our building. While the assessments were done by the

clinicians contracted by Interior Health, our agency provided the facility and the personnel support to ensure

the clinic days went smoothly. Through a review of the contract, it became clear that the level of funding we

received did not match the level of staffing our agency had dedicated. While our contrac t association ended as

of March 31, 2015, our experience had been a good one, as the staff who had been involved learned and grew as

professionals.

We have been fortunate with allocations of grants from Gaming funds and from the United Way to enhance the

programmingoptionsweareabletoprovide.However,theprocessofstaffFTEreconciliationnecessitatedwith

our early intervention contracts also extended to the monies received from grants and contracts applied for or

renewed on a yearly basis. While we did receive grant monies over this year to provide for the Hippotherapy and

Therapeutic Riding Program, the Clinical Counseling, and the Behavioral Consultative Support to the Autism

Program, the funders provided clear messages that there were no guarantees that such individual agency

allocations will continue. As each of these programs offers such value-added to the children and families who

participate, and we are passionate about continuing to provide them, we are ever aware that we may need to

seek funding that to support their continuance. Our hope is to secure funding that will extend over blocks of

years. We are not afraid of the work to find funding – we are afraid of not finding it at all.

2. Facility

The building our agency occupies was built in the mid-1970s at a time when the number of children requiring

the early intervention services was much smaller than today! While over the years the Association has maintained

the building very well, the lack of space for current caseloads is becoming more problematic. Only the Executive

Director and Human Resources have offices that they do not share with one, two, three, or four other

professionals. While we have shifted our interior space as much as we can, the unalterable fact is we need a new

building, and given our not-for-profit status, the challenge is, once again, funding.

Part SEVEN: What is the Direction for the Next Year?The Board of Directors reviewed their strategic plan that had been developed for the 2014-17 year span. They

considered what had been accomplished to date, actions that are ongoing into the following years, and what

efforts will be the focus in the upcoming next year.

The five goals that had been set to guide the Starbright Children’s Development Association (Central Okanagan

Child Development Association - COCDA) fell under the following headings:

GOAL: Service ExcellenceEmbed within the day-to-day operations of the COCDA the focus on quality, value and outcomes

of services for the children and families accessing agency services

GOAL: Continuous Learning and GrowthProcesses to incorporate continual improvement within the COCDA will ensure a high level of

awareness within all staff of the need to identify gaps, address inefficiencies, and work together to

improve in all levels of interaction and service.

GOAL: Operational ExcellenceImprove the exposure, visibility, and recognition of the agency within the Central Okanagan

region

GOAL: Expansion of Current FacilitiesDue to the expansion of need for the services provided by the agency, there is a need of

additional office and therapy space.

GOAL: Diversification of Funding SourcesDiversifying funding sources to foster future growth and for increased stability.

The Board was very pleased with the significant progress that had been achieved within the goals of Service

Excellence, Continuous Learning and Growth, and Operational Excellence. While within each there are still

actions and outcomes to be worked toward, maintained or enhanced, due to the efforts over the past year sig-

nificant action had been effected overall. The focus for the next fiscal year will be continued emphasis on all the goals,butwithspecialattentiontothoseofExpansionofCurrentFacilitiesandDiversificationofFundingSources.

Plans have been made to engage in a separate strategic planning session centering on these two areas in the fall

of 2015.

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1546 Bernard Ave.Kelowna, BC V1Y 6R9

Phone:250.763.5100

Toll Free: 1.877.763.5100

Fax: 250.862.8433

Website

www.starbrightokanagan.ca