Neighbourhood Advisory Committee...

Best Start Hubs offer a single integrated, seamless point of access to services and supports based on local needs and available resources. The Neighbourhood Advisory Committee wil represent the communities, villages and rural areas that are considered in an identified neighbourhood area of the Best Start Hub. The work of the Committee will be to represent the interests of those families in this neighbourhood area, thus providing input into the Best Start Neighbourhood of services.

The Neighbourhood Advisory Committee:

• gives recognition to the pivotol role parents/caregivers play in the development of their children;
• is an opportunity to provide input to the enhancement and improvement of services to reflect ever changing neighbourhood needs; and
• is designed to provide a platform for future service integration

Purpose:

The Neighbourhood Advisory Committee supports the planning, development, implementation, and delivery of programs and services in the Best Start Hub. It provides outreach to the neighbourhood and community.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The Neighbourhood Advisory Committee, shall:

• represent parents/caregivers and the neighbourhood of communities and family of schools that are served by the Best Start Hub;
• provide a mechanism for adapting service design to reflect changing neighbourhood and community needs by making recommendations related to the local coordination of services for children and youth to the Lambton Children's Planning Network;
• provide input and support into neighbourhood services and community partnerships related but not limited to social, health, recreational and nutritional programs.

Advocate for children and families by:

• providing recommendations to support and improve programs delivered in the community;
• seeking input from service users on how programs can meet their needs, as well as to respond to input;
• teaching families how to be good advocates for their children.

Promote Best Start Services by:

• encouraging the connection of families/caregivers and promoting engagement in services;
• developing information and recommendations for growth, based on community needs;
• providing recomendations for scheduling Hub services in cosultation with Best Start Hub Coordinator;
• identifying neighbourhood and community leaders and champions, ans encouraging them to promote Best Start;
• raising community awareness of the Best Start vision of "A community that enriches the lives of children and families for a better tomorrow".