Program Assessments

Most programs already have assessments in place to ensure that basic child care requirements are met—but if you operate a program that serves young children in any major city, it’s important to understand how to respond to the specific needs of immigrant and refugee families.

CMAS can help you ensure your programs are newcomer-friendly.

Since CMAS was first approached in 2000 to develop assessments for IRCC-funded programs, we have become an innovator and leader in the end-to-end assessment and support of programs that care for immigrant and refugee children. We draw on our well-researched methods to design, build and implement assessment frameworks that measure a program’s adherence to a set of health, safety, facility, staffing and quality standards. Then, we take it one step further with our custom assessment tools that focus on meeting the unique requirements of newcomer children and their families.

What can CMAS do for your organization? We can identify essential practices and develop an assessment process to ensure these practices are reviewed. We even can assess your existing programs, not only for compliance with health and safety standards, but also for how well they are meeting newcomer needs. In doing so, we will help you recognize and build on strengths and create an action plan to improve areas of weakness.

 

CMAS Experience in Action: Assessments of IRCC-funded Programs

One of CMAS’s most important roles is to conduct a yearly review of all Care for Newcomer Children (CNC) supports that operate in conjunction with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) funded settlement services. During these yearly assessment visits, consultants observe programs across Canada, interview staff members and review documentation, including fire safety plans, enrollment forms and policies and procedures. This transparent and inclusive process uses an 80-point checklist to review all aspects of care. If it is determined that a program has failed to meet one of the requirements, the consultant works with program staff to develop a plan of action.

An assessment is never a 100% positive experience, especially when it involves taking up the better part of an already busy day. Nor is it 100% comfortable having someone observe and comment on your work. We try to make the process as transparent and relaxed as possible, while ensuring a safe program for children. That being said, in recent evaluation surveys, almost all organizations assessed were ‘Extremely’ or ‘Very Satisfied’ with the process.

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