Réponse à la proposition pour le comité de travail/Response to our proposition for the working committee

Family and Services familiaux
Community Services et communautaires



July 19, 2007

Ms. Renée Doucet
PresidentNew Brunswick Early Intervention Association
919 Prospect Street
Fredericton NB
E3B 2T7

Dear Renée:
Thank you for your request on behalf of the NBEIA to add to the membership of the Early Intervention Team that is part of the ECI Redesign. An early management decision was to limit membership of all teams to FCS staff for this project. Each team will develop a consultation process to ensure that information and feedback from others guides and informs the work of the teams. The exception to this is the Early Intervention Team, which has two EI directors nominated from within the Directors group. After discussing your request we remain committed to the current team composition with two representatives from Early Intervention, which is in effect 25% of this Early Intervention Team.
If your Association would like to negotiate a change in representation with the EI Directors, then the Project Management Committee would consider the change to the team membership, but would not consider adding to the total number of EI representatives. I would note that Brigitte Lapointe brings many years of experience as a director, and is also on the NBEIA executive. As director of a small agency she also provides home visiting to a group of client families. Beth Atherton has over 20 years of experience as an interventionist prior to her appointment as acting director in Woodstock. She is also a member of the NBEIA. While the role of committee members is to bring expertise, not to advocate or lobby for any particular interest, I already see that Brigitte and Beth’s expertise in this area is reflected in the action plan being developed by the team. I have attached a memo sent to Early Intervention Directors that clarifies the role and expectation of team members for the ECI Redesign Project. A similar memo has also been sent to FCS staff.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, please let me know.
Sincerely,



Jeff den Otter
Consultant for Early Childhood and School-Based Services
Department of Family and Community Services
Sartain MacDonald Building
P.O. Box 6000
Fredericton, NB
E3B 5H1