Hamilton & District Extend-A-Family

STRATEGIC PLAN

April 2012 - March 2016

Authorized May 21^st, 2013 by the Board of Directors:

Jessica Cooper, Chair

Terry Riley, Vice-Chair

Tyler McNeil, Secretary

Nancy Dingwall, Past Chair

Ruth Bolton, Member At Large

Executive Summary

Hamilton and District Extend-A-Family has a long history of excellent service to the community. It has continued, for over 30 years, to serve as a respite provider to families with children who have special needs. As the decades have past, Hamilton and District Extend-A-Family has been required to reinvent and restructure its programming to meet the changing needs of the community and the requirements of the province of Ontario. As the organization now moves forward, it will be required to: maintain financial stability, meet the needs of the French Language Service Act with no increase in funding, continue to work towards increasing community awareness, continue to improve and increasing its programming, re-develop its Risk Management Plan and build a stable Board of Directors. The following Strategic Plan outlines the long and short term goals of Hamilton & District Extend-A-Family as they have been determined by its Board of Directors in conjunction with its Executive Director.  Some of the actions outlined in the document include: meeting the requirements of the French Language Service Act, exploring new media platforms to increase community awareness, seeking out stable funding sources along with other possible sources of revenue, and increasing the Board of Director membership to ensure a stable and capable governance of this valuable organization.

Our History

Extend-A-Family began with a group of North Toronto parents who formed an organization to meet the needs of their disabled children.  The children needed a broader base of social experience while the parents longed for occasional relief from the unique challenges of parenting a child with special needs.  The families hoped that Extend-A-Family would help the community become more aware of the needs and gifts of children with special needs.

Since the inception of the first Extend-A-Family, the success of the organization has kindled interest in other cities across Canada and the U.S.  By 1986, twenty-two new Extend-A-Family organizations had sprung up in Canada including Hamilton and District Extend-A-Family which opened its doors in March of 1980.

We now serve many children and their families through our Host Family, Buddy, Summer Support, ASD and Recreational Programs. To manage the growing volume of children served, Hamilton & District Extend-A-Family employs a full-time Executive Director, two part-time Family Coordinators, a part-time Recreational and ASD Coordinator and an Administrative Assistant.  We are served by a voluntary Board of Directors.

Our Programs

The Host Family Program:  The Host Family Program encourages a match between a child or teen with special needs and a volunteer family, for the purposes of expanding the child’s social circle while integrating the child into the life of the community.  The program provides much-needed respite to the child’s parents and siblings.  The Host Family program was the initial program offered by Hamilton & District Extend-A-Family and has resulted in the most stable, long-term relationships.

The Buddy Program:  The Buddy Program encourages a one-to-one match between a volunteer and a child or teen.  Offered as an alternative to the Host Family Program, the Buddy Program allows single individuals to have the opportunity to form a friendship with a child who has special needs while providing the child’s family with respite from the unique challenges of raising a special needs child.

ASD Recreational Programs:  The ASD Recreational Program serves children and teens who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis.  Activities are scheduled six times each month to provide children and teens with fun outings while providing families with respite.  The ASD/Recreation Coordinator supervises a wide variety of events both in our facility and in the community. Social and life skill development are a focus of the program.

The Summer Support Program:  The Summer Program was designed to provide social activities to children and respite to the parents during the crucial months when the need for respite is the greatest.  Children on the waiting list with the most urgent needs are given preference over children who are already matched with a Host family or Buddy.  Depending on grants from Service Canada, 2-4 university or college students are hired to act as buddies to the children, taking them out into the community for one-on-one activities.  The Summer Support Workers also help to plan and supervise group events throughout the week.  Bowling is scheduled once a week, in addition to play days at the park and arts & crafts days during rainy weather.  Special events such as a bus trips to Canada’s Wonderland and visits to local attractions are highlights of the summer. 

Our Mission

 “Hamilton & District Extend-a-Family, as a non-profit community service, provides social opportunities and friendships to children with special needs while providing respite to their families.”

Core Values

·                Every child with special needs should be socially included into the community.

·                Every child with special needs should be accepted and respected.

·                Every child with special needs should be recognized as a unique individual.

·                Families of children with special needs are entitled to support to assist with the increased demands that they face.

·                Our services have value to the community and the need for our services will be ongoing.

Vision

Our vision is that all children with special needs will be accepted, supported and included in the community.

Hamilton & District Extend-A-Family will be a recognized service provider in the community that remains attractive and accountable to consumers, volunteers, donors, and our employees.

Critical Issues, Strategic Goals & Priority Actions