Component: provincial initiatives

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (CYFSA)

Service objectives

To provide adoptive parents who have adopted a child through a children’s aid society (“society”) with the connections and support they need to allow them to have opportunities to share with, and learn from, other adoptive families who are facing similar challenges presented by their adopted children.

Service description

Program staff (i.e., Peer Connectors; formerly Parent Liaisons) provide individual and integrated support to adoptive families to find, navigate and access supports needed to better meet their children’s needs. This includes providing adoptive parents with information; advocating on their behalf and supporting adoptive parents to advocate for themselves when engaging services in other service sectors (e.g., education, mental health); establishing and supporting adoptive parents to establish parent peer support groups in their communities; and connecting adoptive families with other adoptive families who have similar experiences to help them learn from each other.

The Peer2Peer Support Network (formerly Parent2Parent Support Network) includes the provision of information and resources through Community Engagement Liaisons; Regional Peer Connectors (formerly Regional Parent Liaisons) to help create and enhance existing local adoptive parent peer support groups and provide individualized integrated system navigation and advocacy support; a database which includes a directory of local resources (e.g., mental health providers, counselors with adoption and trauma expertise) that may be accessed by adoptive parents through their peer connector; and a buddy and mentor program to help adoptive parents connect with, and learn from, each other.

Program/service features

The services are directed at persons who adopt children through children’s aid societies.

The transfer payment recipient will

  • Continue supporting parent peer support groups
  • Increase the number of post-adoption parent peer support groups across the province, where possible
  • Increase the number of adoptive parents accessing post-adoption supports to meet the needs of their children
  • Provide a supportive environment for adoptive parents to acquire knowledge, share information, learn about and access resources to assist them in caring for their children
  • Increase knowledge about available post-adoption parent peer supports for adoptive parents among societies and professionals in other sectors (e.g., mental health professionals)
  • Increase awareness about post-adoption supports available to adoptive parents (e.g., through engaging societies and adoptive parents, and through adoption exchange events (AREs)

The program/services contracted by the ministry will reflect the following features.

Program goals

  • Provide parents who adopt through children’s aid societies with opportunities to access post-adoption services and supports to meet the needs of their children
  • Adoptive parents have increased awareness and knowledge about post-adoption supports (e.g., mental health) needed and available to them

Services will be

  • Reflective and responsive to child/youth, family and community strengths and needs
  • Accountable to the child/youth, family and community
  • Sensitive to the social, linguistic and cultural diversity of families and Indigenous communities
  • Staffed by individuals with the appropriate range of skills and abilities necessary to effectively develop and deliver training to meet the needs of children, youth and families

Ministry expectations

The transfer payment recipient must

  • Manage, deliver and promote the Peer2Peer Support Network as a vehicle for mentoring, providing guidance, sharing information and connecting children and adoptive families to post-adoption peer support groups and other community resources (e.g., mental health professionals with training and expertise in helping adoptive families)
  • Deliver the program across the province in areas where adoptive parents require post-adoption supports
  • Provide support to adoptive parents who have adopted a child through a society to establish and sustain peer support group programs in their communities, including providing training to group leads and supporting/hosting monthly parent peer support meetings, as needed
  • Provide continued mentorship to prospective adoptive parents, including those seeking to adopt children with special needs, throughout the adoption transition period (e.g., from the time they are matched until adoption finalization) by connecting them with experienced adoptive families through the Mentor Program
  • Provide continued peer support to adoptive parents beyond the adoption transition period by pairing them with other families who have similar needs through the Buddy Program.
  • Buddy matching will foster knowledge exchange between families about supports, services, therapies and parenting strategies, and provide encouragement as families gain firsthand knowledge of other families who have successfully navigated the challenges they and their children face
  • Provide information on post-adoption supports and resources to prospective adoptive parents and adoptive parents, and society adoption workers and private practitioners (e.g., training, local mental health practitioners who have experience working with adoptive families)
  • Provide information and support to adoptive parents in advocating for their children’s unique needs (e.g., with schools, societies, community service providers, mental and medical health professionals)
  • Maintain a database to track, report and manage services provided to adoptive parents
  • Respond to e-mails and phone calls from adoptive families and directing these families to parent peer support groups and/or community resources and professionals based on their needs, as appropriate
  • Provide information to prospective adoptive parents at provincial and regional ARE Resource Villages about post adoption supports available through the Peer2Peer Support Network

Reporting requirements

  • The transfer payment recipient is expected to monitor and evaluate program performance and to confirm that program objectives and deliverables are being met
  • At each reporting period, provide an interim report on the project objectives, services and outcomes
  • On an annual basis, provide a report which details program activities conducted by the transfer payment recipient in support of the initiative, including objectives, services and outcomes.
  • The following 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
Service Data NameDefinition
# of adoptive families refer. to post-adoption training programs: Pathways to Permanence 2 trainingTotal number of adoptive families referred to post-adoption training programs: Pathways to Permanence 2 training:
# of adoptive families refer. to profess. and partner orgs., for therapies /supports and servicesTotal number of adoptive families referred to professionals and partner organizations, for therapies and other supports and services.
# of adoptive families provided advocacy and one-on-one supportTotal number of adoptive families provided advocacy and one-on-one support.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database categories: Behavioural issuesTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by type: Behavioural issues.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database categories: Birth historyTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by type: Birth history (i.e., Genetic) risk factors.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database categories: Med diagnosis and/or develop. delaysTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by type: Medical diagnosis and/or developmental delays.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database by age : 10-14 yearsTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by age of children: 10-14 years.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database by age : 15-18 yearsTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by age of children: 15-18 years.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database by age 3-5 yearsTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by age of children: 3-5 years.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database by age : 6-9 yearsTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by age of children: 6-9 years.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database categories: Part of a sibling groupTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by type: Part of a sibling group.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database categories: Post adoption depressionTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by type: Post adoption depression.
# of child. in adoptive families regist. on database categories: Racial or cultural identityTotal number of children in adoptive families registered by type: Racial or cultural identity.
# of adoptive families referred to post-adoption training programs: Other (specify in narrative report)Total number of adoptive families referred to post-adoption training programs: Other (specify in narrative report).
# of information/awareness sessions with professionals and community service providersTotal number of information/awareness sessions with professionals and community service providers.
# of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: CentralTotal number of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: Central.
# of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: EastTotal number of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: East.
# of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: NorthTotal number of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: North.
# of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: TorontoTotal number of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: Toronto.
# of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: WestTotal number of information/awareness sessions with societies by MCCSS region: West.
# of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: CentralTotal number of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: Central.
# of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: EastTotal number of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: East.
# of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: NorthTotal number of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: North.
# of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: TorontoTotal number of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: Toronto.
# of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: WestTotal number of parent peer support group meetings facilitated by MCCSS region: West.
Of the total Number of newly regist. adoptive parents, numbers refer. by: Children's Mental Health ProfessionalTotal number of newly registered adoptive parents by referral source: Children's Mental Health Professional.
Of the total Number of newly regist. adoptive parents, the numbers refer. by: Medical/Family DoctorTotal number of newly registered adoptive parents by referral source: Medical/Family Doctor.
Of the total Number of newly regist. adoptive parents, the numbers referred by: Self-referralTotal number of newly registered adoptive parents by referral source: Self-referral - IC website or Facebook Page or other.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by Regional Peer Connector, the number by EastTotal number of parent peer support groups established by Regional Peer Connector by MCCSS region: East.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by Regional Peer Connector, the number by CentralTotal number of parent peer support groups established by Regional Peer Connector by MCCSS region: Central.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by Regional Peer Connector, the number by NorthTotal number of parent peer support groups established by Regional Peer Connector by MCCSS region: North.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by Regional Peer Connector, the number by TorontoTotal number of parent peer support groups established by Regional Peer Connector by MCCSS region: Toronto.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by Regional Peer Connector, the number by WestTotal number of parent peer support groups established by Regional Peer Connector by MCCSS region: West.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by adoptive parents, with IC support, the number by CentralTotal number of parent peer support groups established with IC by MCCSS region: Central.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by adoptive parents, with IC support, the number by EastTotal number of parent peer support groups established with IC by MCCSS region: East.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by adoptive parents, with IC support, the number by NorthTotal number of parent peer support groups established with IC by MCCSS region: North.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by adoptive parents, with IC support, the number by TorontoTotal number of parent peer support groups established with IC by MCCSS region: Toronto.
Of the total Number of parent peer support groups est. by adoptive parents, with IC support, the number by WestTotal number of parent peer support groups established with IC by MCCSS region: West.
Of the total Number of newly regist. adoptive parents, the number referred by: Another Adoptive Parent/FamilyTotal number of newly registered adoptive parents by referral source: Another Adoptive Parent/Family.
Of the total number of newly registered adoptive parents, the numbers referred by: Children’s Aid SocietyTotal number of newly registered adoptive parents by referral source: Children’s Aid Society.
Of the total number of newly registered adoptive parents, the number referred by: ACO StaffTotal number of newly registered adoptive parents by referral source: ACO Staff.
Of the total number of newly registered adoptive parents, the number referred by: IC staffTotal number of newly registered adoptive parents by referral source: IC staff.
Of the total number of newly registered adoptive parents, the number referred by: Family MemberTotal number of newly registered adoptive parents by referral source: Family Member.
The number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: CentralThe total number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: Central.
The number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: EastThe total number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: East.
The number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: NorthThe total number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: North.
The number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: TorontoThe total number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: Toronto.
The number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: WestThe total number of participants at each parent peer support group meeting held by MCCSS region: West.
Total number of adoptive parents matched with an adoptive parent buddyTotal number of adoptive parents matched with an adoptive parent buddy.
Total number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: CentralTotal number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: Central.
Total number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: EastTotal number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: East.
Total number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: NorthTotal number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: North.
Total number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: TorontoTotal number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: Toronto.
Total number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: WestTotal number of new adoptive families registered by MCCSS region: West.
Total number of new adoptive parents matched with an adoptive parent mentorTotal number of new adoptive parents matched with an adoptive parent mentor.
Parent2Parent Support Network: Ministry-funded agency expendituresTotal ministry-funded expenses for the transfer payment recipient to administer and/or deliver this service in the reporting year (cumulative).