BREAKFAST / REGISTRATION  

8:00AM to 8:45AM

Room: Mississauga Ballroom Foyer (Main Level)

Continental breakfast will be served.

 OPENING REMARKS AND PLENARY  

8:45AM to 9:00AM

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

Land Acknowledgement and Opening Remarks:

• Cathy Cousins, OMSSA Past-President and Director of Homelessness and Community Engagement, Regional Municipality of Niagara

 PLENARY  

9:00AM to 10:30AM

Weathering the Storm: Social Services and the Economy in 2025

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

2024 was a challenging time for people who use the social services that OMSSA Members provide. Among other things, rising inflation made affordability a key challenge impacting social services delivery. With the province mostly weathering the economic storms of the last year and on track towards achieving a balanced budget, how should we understand the growing challenges faced by members in terms of homelessness, affordable housing, child care, and social assistance?  

The provincial government’s new expenditures—announced this fall—are largely connected to tax cuts and rebates. Other announcements include spending in health care and the creation of the HART Hub program. The big question is how are these changes likely to affect OMSSA Members and the Ontarians they serve? What other opportunities might exist to better support OMSSA Members in the work they do? 

In this session, an economist and policy experts from a variety of relevant sectors will discuss what might be in store for OMSSA Members and people who use social services in 2025 and beyond. Panelists will lend their insights towards helping the audience understand the economic and policy effects of reduced immigration, efforts to stimulate housing starts, the expansion of the provincial child care system, growing food insecurity, changes to mental health and addiction approaches, and work to address the crisis of the unhoused. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Mike Nadeau, Chief Executive Officer, District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administrative Board
• Emis Akbari, Professor, Early Childhood and Coordinator, School of Early Childhood, George Brown College; and Adjunct Professor and Senior Policy Fellow, Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development, University of Toronto
• Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist, Conference Board of Canada
• Lindsay Jones, Director, Policy and Government Relations, Association of Municipalities of Ontario
• Ashley Quan, Senior Manager, Research & Government Relations, Feed Ontario
• Alexi White, Director, Systems Change, Maytree
  

 VIRTUAL PLENARY  

10:50AM to 11:50AM

Reconciliation with Indigenous Women: The Role of Municipalities in Improving Indigenous Women's Safety and Responding to the National Crisis of MMIWG

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

Please note the presenters will deliver this plenary presentation virtually. 

In municipalities across Ontario, Indigenous women are disproportionately impacted by all forms of gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence (IPV). The current interest of municipalities in responding to IPV in their communities following the Coroners Inquest into the murders of Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam presents an opportunity to also improve the municipal response to violence against Indigenous women, which has been a national crisis for decades. ONWA is seeking to leverage OMSSA’s Policy Conference to build Service System Managers’ (SSMs) awareness and understanding of a) how and why Indigenous women are disproportionately impacted by IPV and other forms of gender-based violence, and b) their roles and responsibilities in addressing this violence. 

ONWA’s presentation will improve participants’ knowledge of Indigenous women’s experiences of violence and the role that SSMs can play in improving Indigenous women’s safety and responding to the National Inquiry into MMIWG Calls for Justice. The presentation will: 

• provide an overview of the root causes of violence against Indigenous women 

• present solutions from Indigenous women’s perspectives 

• provide recommendations for SSMs on how they can address violence against Indigenous women and improve Indigenous women’s safety 

• provide information on ONWA’s programs and services across the province 

• provide advice on how to work with and support Indigenous women’s organizations to implement Indigenous women-led solutions 

• provide examples of collaboration between municipalities and Indigenous women’s organizations, including the development of an urban Indigenous Community Safety Plan for Thunder Bay. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Doug Ball, OMSSA Executive Director
• Ingrid Green, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Native Women's Association
• Jennifer Richardson, Senior Director of Strategy and Communications, Ontario Native Women's Association

 OMSSA-AMO MoU SIGNING  

11:50AM to 12:00PM

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

 BREAKOUT SESSIONS  

1:15PM to 2:35PM

 A  Bridging Divides: Voices & Visions About Homelessness in Mid-Sized Cities 

Room: Vista Salon (Main Level)

Working with collaborators from three mid-sized Ontario cities and an Advisory Group comprised of three people with lived experiences of homelessness, we created a documentary, Bridging Divides: Voices & Visions on Homelessness, using a brokered dialogue approach.

Throughout the documentary, stakeholder groups including people with lived experience of homelessness, law enforcement and community (e.g., municipalities and social service organizations, private citizens, and businesses improvement associations) engage in a discussion on their perspectives regarding homelessness, the use of public and semi-public spaces, and public safety.

The session will screen Bridging Divides (45 mins) and engage participants in an interactive Q&A focused on how mediated dialogues might be used as an innovative process for cross-sectoral and stakeholder collaboration in response to homelessness and community concerns. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Josh Myers, Director of Housing Services - Operations, Municipality of Chatham-Kent
• Jessica Braimoh, Assistant Professor, York University
• Erin Dej, Associate Professor, Wilfred Laurier University
• Barb McPhee, Lived Expert, Poverty Elimination Task Force - Guelph/Wellington and Market Manager, North End Harvest
• Carrie Sanders, Professor, Wilfred Laurier University

This breakout session is sponsored by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent

 B  Transforming the Future of Aging in Place Through Innovative Solutions

Room: Ontario Room (2^nd Floor)

Canada’s aging population is rapidly growing, as are their needs for more options through the aging continuum of care that can be tailored to them throughout their journey. 

There are already many cost-effective models that municipalities are championing, some of which pioneered by AdvantAge Ontario members such as Supportive Housing, Campuses of Care, and Community Wellness Hubs. 

Other models such as Nursing Home Without Walls can help seniors remain at home by connecting them with long term care services, which has proven to be successful in New Brunswick. 

This presentation will feature municipal leaders and will outline options that are already in place across the country and in Ontario, in the hopes that it will spur more municipalities to adopt these approaches and build the momentum for provincial government participation on a wide scale from both a policy and funding perspective. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Tracey Tyner Cavanagh, Manager, Strategic Partnerships and Priorities, Regional Municipality of Durham
• Lisa Levin, Chief Executive Officer, AdvantAge Ontario
• Kathy Peters, Executive Director, Burlington Ontario Health Team
• Paul Sharman, Councillor, Ward 5, City of Burlington and Region of Halton
  

Resources:

• Burlington OHT Community Wellness Hub

This breakout session is sponsored by the Regional Municipality of Durham

 C  Solving CWELCC Expansion: Building Capacity for Not-for-Profit Child Care

Room: Dundas Room (2^nd Floor)

People who work in children's services and early years in Ontario can clearly see the challenges that the province is faced with as it relates to creating an accessible and affordable network of high quality child care providers. Simply put, the implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program in Ontario has revealed the significant deficit in eligible spaces in the province, and where those spaces do exist, there is an additional deficit in qualified Early Childhood Educators. And while much recent solution-oriented discussion has highlighted the need to support an enhancement of for-profit child care options, comparatively little discussion has taken place around strengthening and expanding access to not-for-profit providers.

This session will look at some of the ways OMSSA members can support not-for-profit child care providers in their regions. In this interactive panel discussion, attendees will hear from experts in the field such as Sue Colley of Building Blocks for Child Care, as well as from not-for-profit providers, and OMSSA members about the approaches they have taken to enable vital expansion within the sector. Attendees will also have the opportunity to provide insights into their own approaches to supporting not-for-profit child care and to share the challenges and successes that they have encountered.

Presenters:

• (moderator) Satinder Klair, Director, Children's Services, Niagara Region
• Sue Colley, President and Chair of the Board Building Blocks for Child Care (B2C2)
• Carolyn Ferns, Public Policy Coordinator, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
• Michele Lupa, Executive Director, Mothercraft
• Christa O'Connor, Executive Director, Creative Beginnings Early Learning and Child Care

 D  Lessons & Discussion from the Field: Public Sector-led Employment Service Transformation

Room: York Ballroom (Lower Level)

Recently there has been a flurry of reports regarding the state of the Employment Service Transformation in Ontario. These reports have highlighted several challenges with the transformation including warehousing Social Assistance clients; negative impacts to former ODSP-ES providers; lack of transparency from the government; service provider sustainability; administrative burden; failed integration of Social Assistance and Employment Ontario; transactional services; and ultimately vulnerable people left behind. 

However, these reports have been heavily focused on service delivery by for-profit SSM. Quietly there has been five public sector SSMs trying to bring to life the ideals of this transformation: locally responsive services; client centred supports; and services accountable to generating sustainable and meaningful employment outcomes. 

Engage in an interactive discussion with public sector Employment SSMs regarding alternatives to the narrative above. Windsor, London, Bruce County, Durham Region & Fleming College will provide practical and actionable strategies that can be used in any catchment, regardless of the SSM. Engage in conversation with the SSMs to get the inside scope regarding what is possible, and what are the real limitations of the transformation. The session is not intended to highlight best practices, but to share how best practices can inform every CMSM and DSSAB in the province. 

Presenters:

• (moderator/speaker) Aaron Stauch, Director, Government Relations, Bruce County
• Sarah Haase, Director, Workforce Development, Fleming College
• Myles Soulliere, Manager, Windsor Regional Employment Network
• Rosanna Wilcox, Interim Director, London Regional Employment Services
• Christine Wilmot, Manager, Employment Services System, Durham Region

 E - SPONSOR PRESENTATION  
Measuring the Impact of Municipal Social Services

Room: Mavis Room (Lower Level)

This breakout session is hosted by York University

This participatory session will introduce you to two tools which have been co-developed by Research Impact Canada. The first is an Impact Health Check Workbook.  This workbook helps organizations assess how they currently support and generate impact from research. It also identifies ways to improve how they showcase the changes the organization’s research may have in societies and communities. The second tool is an Impact and Engagement Case Study resource.

Originally developed at UK universities, this resource can help leaders collect and communicate evidence of impact. Together, these resources can help advance the capacity of municipalities to operationalize impact assessment in their offices. We will make time to discuss the potential utility of these resources in the context of municipal services – policy and human services development/delivery.

Presenters:

• Michael Johnny, Manager, Knowledge Mobilization

 BREAKOUT SESSIONS  

2:50PM to 4:10PM

 F  Ending Homelessness in Greater Sudbury: Alignment of Homelessness Planning, Land Use Policy, Strategies and Incentives & More than a Checkbox: Studying Youth and Lived Expert Prioritization and Participation in Community Homelessness Planning in Ontario

Room: Ontario Room (2^nd Floor)

Presentation #1

On May 28, 2024, the Roadmap the End Homelessness by 2030 was presented by City of Greater Sudbury Community Development staff to Council and was unanimously approved.  The Roadmap to End Homelessness outlined 26 recommendations to reach functional zero homelessness through a housing first approach by 2030, with an estimated cost of approximately $350 million, through investments from federal, provincial, and municipal governments.  

The Roadmap to End Homelessness by 2030 included several recommendations to increase access to housing for individuals experiencing homelessness, as evidence highlights that the provision of sufficient affordable and secure housing significantly decreases the number of households who will experience homelessness.  

In early 2024, City of Greater Sudbury Planning Services staff developed a Housing Supply Strategy which aims to ensure that all current and future residents in Greater Sudbury have access to housing options that meet their needs and is attainable at all income levels.  The Strategy contains a series of action items targeting known gaps in housing supply. 

In order to achieve recommendations included within the Roadmap to End Homelessness focused on housing, Community Development staff have partnered with Planning Services staff to ensure alignment between the Housing Supply Strategy and the Roadmap to End Homelessness to accelerate progress on affordable housing development.  

This presentation will outline highlights from the Roadmap to End Homelessness and Housing Supply Strategy development process, opportunities for coordination between the two strategies to increase the supply of housing in the community, and progress to date. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Wade Matthews, Director of Human Services, District of Muskoka
• Caitlyn Bourque, Special Projects Manager, City of Greater Sudbury
• Melissa Riou, Senior Planner, Strategic and Environmental Planning, Planning Services Division, City of Greater Sudbury

Presentation #2

This interactive workshop will introduce participants to Amanda Buchnea’s preliminary doctoral research project’s findings, examining Ontario community homelessness planning processes and community engagement. The aim of the research is to generate a deeper understanding of origins and practice of community homelessness planning. It also explores the complexity communities navigate when developing and implementing plans with the collaboration and engagement of community members with lived expertise, including youth. The research is intended to create useful knowledge resources that can inform housing and homelessness service coordinators, planners, and policymakers as they navigate this important issue in their communities. During the workshop, preliminary research findings will be presented, with an opportunity for participants to reflect and draw on their own experiences to discuss points of interest, questions, and ideas to inform the next stage of the research and knowledge mobilization. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Wade Matthews, Director of Human Services, District of Muskoka
• Amanda Buchnea, PhD Candidate, Social Practice and Transformational Change Program, University of Guelph
• Zachery Dickinson, Lived Expert and LGBTQ+ Advocate

 G  Supporting Your (Social Services) Staff as Client Complexity Increases

Room: Vista Salon (Main Level)

This breakout session will provide senior leadership, managers, and supervisors,with tools to better support their frontline staff as they navigate clients with increasing complexity and mental health needs. 

The session will start with an overview of how clients have changed and what increasing complexity looks like, the impacts this could have on your frontline social service providers and why it is important to support your staff’s changing needs. 

This will be followed by an interactive workshop provided byMental Health Workson creating psychologically healthy and safe workplaces and learning tools to help staff deal withempathicstrain. During the session, staff will learn the meaning of empathic strain, understand the risk factors and signs, and gain some coping strategies to help them manage their mental health and well-being. 

Presenters:

• Tania Barrie, Director, Community Engagement and Social Care, CMHA Toronto
• Maria Boada, Director, Intensive Community Support Services, CMHA Toronto
• Pierrick Gacinya, Bilingual Facilitator, Mental Health Works, Canadian Mental Health Association
• Rann Sharma, Chief People and Culture Officer, CMHA Toronto

Resources:

• Mental Health Works - Immediate and Community Resources

 H  From Research to Action, from Values to Practice: Centering Equity to Transform the EarlyON System

Room: Dundas Room (2^nd Floor)

Many of us in the civil service are endeavouring to centre diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work, but often this work is additive, tokenistic and, when done without intentionality, even harmful. Recognizing historical, systemic disadvantages faced by many families, TCS, as funder and service system manager, is committing to building a more equitable EarlyON system. This presentation will share the journey, learnings, and next steps TCS’s EarlyON unit is taking to move research to action and embed equity as a foundational element in system planning, funding decisions, and program operations. This presentation will share insights gleaned from a provincial jurisdictional scan and sector-wide engagement and discuss how these processes informed the strategic direction of TCS in developing an action plan rooted in equity for the EarlyON system.

The presentation will then share how equity-driven funding decisions have been actualized by showcasing the Innovation Grant from 2022, when select EarlyON agencies partnered with Black-mandated organizations to pilot intentional, culturally safe programming and services to meet the distinct needs of Black children and families. The presentation will share the nuts and bolts of how the project came to be, how the grant process was administered, and project highlights including the successes and hard lessons learned when embarking on Confronting Anti-Black Racism work in the EarlyON system. The presentation will share the key learnings for service system managers embarking on intentional equity-driven programming and funding decisions.

Presenters:

• (moderator) Laura Sparling, Manager, EarlyON and Special Needs Resourcing, Region of Peel
• Jeffrey Hankey, Policy Development Officer, City of Toronto
• Angela Hutchinson, Program Manager, EarlyON, City of Toronto
• Roxanne Martin, Consultant, EarlyON, City of Toronto

 I  More Than Circling the Parking Lot: How Service Navigation Changes the Employment Landscape & Pathway to Enhanced Health Services - A Public Health Partnership Pilot

Room: York Ballroom (Lower Level)

Presentation #1

Many clients have been on social assistance for years, which begs the question - Why? In their search for answers, the Cochrane District Services Board (CDSB) believed the lack of access to a healthcare practitioner prevented clients from returning to work or accessing the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Through innovative partnerships and collaborative efforts, CDSB created a 1-year pilot project that aimed to enhance client access to healthcare. The project findings expose significant social challenges that affect client health, quality of life, and success, while also impacting Ontario Works caseloads. Join CDSB as they share details about their public health partnership pilot project which helped shape sustainable pathways to enhanced health services for social assistance clients. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Stu Beumer, Director of Ontario Works, City of Hamilton
  
• Christine Heavens, Director, Community Development and Services, Cochrane District Services Board
• Christine Lachance, Interim Housing & Ontario Works Program Manager, Cochrane District Services Board
• Tammy Smith, Program Manager, Community Development and Services, Cochrane District Services Board

Presentation #2

Ontario Works Brantford-Brant is conducting pilot to enhance our client service pathway. By providing community resource navigators to support the hands-on functions of case management alongside our service coordinators’ focus on ongoing eligibility, we aim to improve client outcomes and better meet our provincial targets.

With evaluation by Wilfrid Laurier University, we hope to imbed best practices (and lessons learned) into our work moving forward. Join us in a conversation about why we decided to undertake the pilot, what a community resource navigator does, and what the evaluation is telling us so far. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Stu Beumer, Director of Ontario Works, City of Hamilton
• Abigail Apenteng, Manager, Family & Income Stability, City of Brantford
• Nicole McGivern, Supervisor, Family & Income Stability, City of Brantford

 J - SPONSOR PRESENTATION  

Tangible Approaches to Community Engagement to Build Trust and Drive Better Outcomes

Room: Mavis Room (Lower Level)

This breakout session is hosted by Davis Pier

We all know including people with lived experience in community engagement is vital to the design and delivery of social services—and we all agree that we need more intentional and generative approaches that add real value to communities. But how do you balance that alongside the realities of tight timelines, limited budgets and resources, and political pressures and sensitivities? And what does that actually look like on the ground? 

Join us for a discussion on tangible approaches to community engagement that can build trust with communities and drive better outcomes for government. We’ll dig into the process, challenges, and lessons of first-voice engagement and provide you with some tools/resources to support your efforts in community.

Presenters:

• (moderator) Matthew Rios, Associate Partner, Davis Pier
• Daniel Cullen, Community Member & Gap Committee, Regional Municipality of Durham
• Mike Davis, President and CEO, Davis Pier
• Marcia MacAdam, Principal, Davis Pier
• Andrew Scavarelli, Director, Community Support & Wellbeing, County of Simcoe

 BREAKFAST / REGISTRATION  

8:00AM to 8:45AM

Room: Mississauga Ballroom Foyer (Main Level)

Continental breakfast will be served.

 OPENING REMARKS AND PLENARY  

8:45AM to 9:00AM

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

Land Acknowledgement and Opening Remarks:

• Andrew Scavarelli, OMSSA Board Member and Director, Community Support & Wellbeing

 PLENARY  

9:00AM to 10:20AM

Roundtable with the ADMs

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

Join Assistant Deputy Ministers to hear a short update on their portfolios, followed by a moderated roundtable discussion that focuses on changing policies and initiatives that relate to the work of OMSSA Members. We will hear what the coming months hold and what work needs to be done at all levels of human services to continue to ensure we provide person-centric services and stability supports for those we serve.

• (moderator) Doug Ball, Executive Director, Ontario Municipal Social Services Association
• Kirsten Cutler, Executive Director, Transformation Secretariat, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Developmen
• Cordelia Clarke Julien, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
• Dan Lawrence, Director of the Community Housing Policy Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
• Kyle MacIntyre, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health
• Holly Moran, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education

 2024 AWARDS PRESENTATION 

10:20AM to 10:35AM

Champion of Human Services 

• Janine Mitchell, City of Kawartha Lakes

Patti Moore Human Services Integration

• Gail Spencer, City of Greater Sudbury

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

 BREAKOUT SESSIONS  

10:55AM to 12:15PM

 K  Recuperative Care: When Homelessness and Health Meet & Home for Good Program: Partnerships in Housing and Mental Health

Room: York Ballroom (Lower Level)

Presentation #1

Supporting people experiencing homelessness who have been hospitalized and no longer require active acute care is a complex and challenging process. Planning for discharge from hospital is focused on supporting patients to transition to home, yet people experiencing homelessness live precariously without a fixed address.

 People experiencing homelessness are frequently discharged from hospital to emergency shelters that are not equipped to provide the appropriate interdisciplinary care needs and recovery or recuperative support. This often results in high rates of hospital readmissions given they do not receive appropriate follow up care. Individuals experiencing homelessness who stay in a shelter or on the streets often have multiple co-morbities and poorer health outcomes posing further challenges for recuperation in these settings.

 Find out how Niagara Region's blind proposal to Ontario Health led to funding the Recuperative Care program and the impact it is having to people experiencing homelessness and the Health system.

Presenter:

• (moderator) Sara Turner, Community Development Program Specialist, York Region
• Brendon Nicholson, Supervisor, Homelessness Operations, Niagara Region

Presentation #2

There is a growing recognition in community housing of the need for a variety of supports to ensure successful tenancies, prevent evictions, and end the cycle of homelessness, but housing professionals may be ill-equipped to address these needs alone. Partnerships with mental health and addictions service providers are one way to address these gaps.  

This session will explore the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board’s (TBDSSAB) experiences in working with Dilico Anishinabek Family Care and St. Joseph Health Care to address homelessness coupled with mental health and addiction issues through their Home for Good program. 

Through Home for Good, TBDSSAB works with partners to identify individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, determine their individual needs for housing and supports, and address the unique needs of this population. The program accesses a variety of housing models, including independent living with basic supports, independent living with in-depth supports, transitional supportive housing arrangements and long term live-in supports for those with the greatest need.   

Participants will hear about the program’s promising results and how further collaboration and service delivery between housing service managers and mental health and addictions providers, supported by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, could lead to a stronger support system with additional resources committed to the elimination of chronic homelessness. 

Presenters:

• (moderator) Sara Turner, Community Development Program Specialist, York Region
• Danielle McLeod, Home for Good Homelessness Prevention Services, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• Aaron Park, Manager, Housing and Homelessness Programs, District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board
• Christine Vita, Clinical Manager - Live in and Clinical Programs, Sister Margaret Smith Centre/Crossroads Centre St. Joseph's Care Group

 L  Shifting from Scattered Site Supportive Housing to a Focus on Whole Community

Room: Vista Salon (Main Level)

Public housing resources in Ontario are rare and precious considering the current homelessness crisis in Canada. Communities are looking for ways to maximize the good use of public resources to ensure people can find a home. Indwell and the Region of Waterloo are partnering to create good housing and opportunities for stability at two regionally operated multi-residential buildings. Implementation of a whole of community approach to support has produced noticeable changes in tenant stability, building aesthetics and sense of community safety.  

This presentation identifies the core attributes of successful partnership with a focus on overcoming challenges through thoughtful dialogue and decision-making based on evidence. We will explore what aspects of this partnership matter the most and how it can be replicated. 

Presenters:

• Leah Logan, Regional Director, Indwell
• Amy Osika, Manager, Client Services & Waterloo Region Housing, Region of Waterloo

 M  Working Towards More Equitable Access to Child Care: A Review of the Subsidy Access Pilot and the Crisis Spaces Pilot

Room: Dundas Room (2^nd Floor)

Since the implementation of the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan, the province has seen a significant increase in demand from parents wanting to access licensed child care. As the demand for child care spaces grows, we have learned that families using Child Care Subsidy often face additional barriers to accessing licenced child care spaces, and there are no longer vacant spaces available for families that may need a space urgently due to a family crisis.  

The Region of Waterloo has implemented two pilots aimed at increasing equity of access to child care for vulnerable or low-income families. These pilots support the local Access and Inclusion Plan created by the Region of Waterloo, as well as the Provincial Access and Inclusion Framework. In September 2023, Children's Services launched the Subsidy Access Pilot with initial participation of 14 child care sites. Child care sites participating in the pilot hold 20% of their spaces for children in receipt of Child Care Subsidy. In addition, all new child care centres or classrooms are required to hold 30% of their new spaces for children in receipt of Child Care Subsidy. 

The Crisis Spaces Pilot is a collaboration between Children’s Services and the local Children’s Aid Agency in reserving spaces specifically for families experiencing a crisis. Both pilots will be reviewed in greater detail, including implementation strategies, cost, challenges, and feedback.  

Presenters:

• Kristen Bustamante, Manager, Special Projects, Children's Services, Region of Waterloo
• Tyla Fullerton, Manager, Integrated Policy, Planning & Funding, Children's Services, Region of Waterloo
• Nickey Wiles, Manager, Child Care, YMCA of Three Rivers

Resources:

• Region of Waterloo's Childen's Services Access and Inclusion Plan

 N  Strategies for Building a Person-Centric System of Supports

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

The shifting landscape of service system management across Ontario requires an enhanced understanding of the human services eco-system to manage the challenges of today and plan for the future.  

Municipal human services are undergoing a radical transformation in program funding, delivery and evaluation that is affecting all programs.  This workshop provides tools and strategies to help equip municipalities to identify their needs, measure gaps in services and plan to transform their service system management practices.  The goal is to build the capacity to more effectively meet service users’ presenting and emerging needs and continue to respond to the escalating crises in every community. 

The presentation will focus on building a person-centric, competency-based service system, system characteristics that are essential to identifying and responding effectively to service users’ and communities’ needs through an integrated approach. 

The session will provide an overview of the current and evolving human services eco-system, and key factors to consider in service system management and planning.  Participants will also learn of best practices in service system management being implemented across Ontario. 

The presentation will be interactive in nature, and participants will be invited to share the challenges they face in service system management and best practices in optimizing the capacity for the service system to meet service user needs. Finally, the session will highlight the core human services competencies critical to creating greater synergy and capacity for service users’ success through effective, visionary engagement and collaboration among service system members. 

Presenters:

• John Howley, President, Labour Market Partners Inc. 
• Sue Ritchie Raymond, Principal Consultant, SLRR Consulting
• Marianne Seaton, President, Collaborative Strategies Inc. 

 O - SPONSOR PRESENTATION  
From Streets to Stability: The Role of Supportive Housing in Sustainable Solutions

Room: Mavis Room (Lower Level)

This breakout session is hosted by KPMG

Presenters:

• Jarrod Bayne, Senior Manager National Housing and Homelessness Program Advisor
• Shannon Field, Partner, Government Risk and Compliance Services
  
• Katherine Ros, Director, GTA Public Sector Solutions