The Infant Development Program (IDP) supports families with children from birth to three who are at risk for developmental delay or who have a disability. Referrals may come from any source and should be directed to the Comox Valley Child Development Association.
Once a child has been referred to the program, the IDP Consultant makes contact with the family and sets up a home visit. The IDP Consultant explains the service and describes the related services available at the Comox Valley Child Development Association. In addition to frequent home visits that offer support, education and information to family members, the IDP also hosts a weekly drop-in Play Group.
The program is family-centred. This means that parents decide what type of support they need. Families play a vital role in every child's development. From birth to three years, a child develops at a rapid pace. Physical, social, emotional, behavioural, communication and intellectual development depend in part on experiences provided by the infant's family.
Rationale:
Infant Development Programs are based on the following assumptions;
- Interventions for children with developmental problems have been proven to be most effective if begun early in the child's life.
- Infancy is an important period of life and delays in development during that period may have long-lasting, cumulative effects on the patterns of development of a child, as well as on the patterns of interaction between the child and his family and community.
- The family unit is the most crucial source of learning, of emotional support and of developmental encouragement available to the child.
Infant Development Programs provide an opportunity...
For parents to:
- Learn ways to encourage your child's development
- Meet other parents
- Discuss parenting issues
- Make the best use of other
community resources and activities
For your baby to:
- Become more independent
- Discover abilities
- Learn new skills
Services Available:
- Home visits to encourage progress, develop new activities and support parents
- Developmental assessments and written reports
- Parent and child playgroup (our group is held Wednesday mornings at 9:00 am at the Comox Valley Child Development Association, 237 - 3rd Street, Courtenay - Downstairs)
- Toy and book-lending library
- Referral to other services
Professional Partners:
- Public Health Nurse
- Supported Child Development
- Physiotherapist
- Speech and Language Pathologist
- Occupational Therapist
- Physician or Pediatrician
- Preschool/Daycare Personnel
- Social Worker
Structure:
The program is funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and sponsored by the Comox Valley Child Development Association. There is no charge for the services of the IDP Consultant.
Advisory Committee:
The local IDP advisory committee serves as a voluntary, multidisciplinary consultant body. Membership includes parents of children who have received or are receiving service, a Public Health Nurse, a board member of the Comox Valley Child Development Association, a Ministry of Children and Family Development Social Worker, a Physiotherapist, and a Supported Child Development Consultant. The aim of the committee is to advise and support the development and continuity of the IDP program for infants and their families in our community.
IDP Consultants:
Staff function as generalists to gather information from a variety of sources and translate it into daily practical use for the family. IDP Consultants must have professional training in a field related to early childhood development. Demonstrated ability to work with infants and young children and their families as well as other professionals is necessary.
Submitted by Lee Bjarnason, Michele Walls and Dixie Hunt-Scott,
Infant Development Consultants
250-338-4288
(Lee - Ext. 223, Michele - Ext. 222, Dixie - Ext. 226)
For more information on the Provincial Infant Development Program, visit:
