FASD and the 23 initiatives

In September 2015, the Province of Ontario released the FASD Provincial Roundtable Report after speaking to hundreds of individuals, caregivers and service organizations.  Following that report, MCCSS created legislature and provided funding to support children with FASD known as the six initiatives in the FASD world.  To date, besides Sandy’s Law and Sept 9 being officially declared FASD Awareness Day in Ontario on Dec 14, 2017, no other legislature has been passed in Ontario regarding FASD.

The Rural FASD Support Network started as four families and two service providers gathered around a kitchen table and a question.  “What can we do to support not just ourselves, but others?”  In 18 short months, we grew from four families to 90 families across the province and 26 service providers.  Within this growth, we asked every single family,  “What are the biggest challenges you are facing?”  and “What is the best thing you have discovered in terms of support?”  We quickly discovered there are seven ministries and 14 issues that kept getting repeated.  We also discovered through our service providers that solutions and models to solve these issues already exist, we just can’t access them.  We also learned the six initiatives from the Roundtable Report which include the Indigenous Nutrition Program, the FASD Ontario website, the FASD workers, the FASD Support Groups, the FASD Advisory committees, and the membership with CanFASD through MCCSS have been extremely beneficial to all of our families.

As a result, we reached out to the Canadian FASD Research Network (CanFASD) and Citizen Advocacy Ottawa to develop some next steps to tackle those 14 issues.  Over the past 18 months, we have consistently dialogued, and with guidance from our service providers, have prioritized 23 initiatives that, based on our evidence and research, will make another positive impact in the lives of all Ontarians with FASD.  These initiatives all have a common theme.  Further awareness and education on FASD is needed in all sectors of society and these initiatives are designed to encourage further discussion and collaboration on how to reduce stigma for individuals with FASD.

While these 23 initiatives are seen as priority, we also know FASD is a societal issue that impacts all ministries and all levels of government.  This is why we are so thankful 20 of our MPP’s have already confirmed their attendance on Feb 24 for FASD Awareness Day at Queen’s Park and why we are available to speak to any MPP who wants a private audience afterwards.  As part of the day, we will have an FASD display and info session in Room 230 from 10am to noon where service providers and support groups from across the province will be gathered and available to speak.  At noon, we will hear greetings from MPP’s and you will have the opportunity to hear from our 14 youth and adults with FASD and their caregivers as to what they do well and where they need support.  Following that, there is an opportunity to meet in private with a team consisting of a youth with FASD, a spokesperson from our group and at least one service provider who will explain an evidence-based model that supports the youth.

While we understand these 23 initiatives are not a comprehensive provincial strategy, it is our hope they will serve as a starting point for further dialogue.  Over the next three weeks, we will be sharing with you how we came to these particular initiatives, the current and evidence-based models that demonstrate the positive impact and our youth’s stories that show how those models have already made a difference for our youth in the counties of Leeds-Grenville, Lanark, Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry and Prescott-Russell.

If you would like to meet with us on Feb 24 in Room 230 or afterwards in your office, please confirm your attendance by contacting Rob at ruralfasd@gmail.com.