Terms of Reference

Who we are?

The British Columbia Healthy Child Development Alliance (BCHDA) is a coalition of health, social, education, research and community organizations sharing a common interest in supporting the healthy development of all children in BC.

The Alliance grew out of the 2004 Healthy Child BC Forum in part from the identification of health child development as a core public health function. Participants at the 2004 Forum outlined a numberof key areas and recommendations foraction in early childhood development.

The Alliance recognizes that:

  • "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing" (WHO Constitution, 1948);
  • Child development is a determinant of health lifelong health and well being;
  • Healthy child development is determined by broad environmental, social, economic and cultural conditions; and human biology.
  • Healthy pregnancy is an important determinant of healthy infant and child development;
  • There is a strong correlation between early childhood experiences and adult health status and social well-being, including intellectual development and lifelong learning. Health promotion, prevention and early interventions are critical to ensuring healthy child development and healthy adulthood.

Purpose

The purpose of the Alliance is to provide leadership in encouraging and supporting the development and implementation of policies and strategies that are essential to ensuring healthy child development of all children in BC.

Specifically, we will:

  • Develop a comprehensive early child development framework that will outline measures to support the development of policies and programs that contribute to the healthy development of all children in BC;
  • Develop and disseminate a series of discussion documents to inform child policy in key topic areas;
  • Support multi¬level opportunitiesfordiscussion and action around healthy early childhood development policies through regular meetings and periodic special events;
  • Work with partners at all levels to encourage and support the collaborative implementation of those policies and strategies;
  • Emphasize the importance of prevention and health promotion in the early years.
  • Emphasize the importance of high quality early learning and child care environments.

Chair/Alternate Chair

A chair and alternate chair will be elected by membership of the Alliance upon nomination at the discretionof the Alliancefor2 years and is renewable. The Chair will represent ahealth sector organization.

Frequency of Meetings/Communications

Regular meetings will beheld monthly fromSeptember to June. When required, members may also be requested to participate in smaller working groups.
Minutes will be taken during the meeting and distributed prior to the next meeting. Members will have an opportunity to review and approve minutes.

Decision-making

Consensus is a decision¬making strategy where most of the committee members are comfortable with the decision and all are in agreement with its implementation. It is a decision that is fair and workable andhas the support of all committee members. Inorderfor consensus decision making to be successful, it is paramount for committee members to participate in discussion.

Levels of Consensus: During each round of decision¬making, each person indicates where they are with respect to the decision being proposed:

  1. Fully support.
  2. Support with reservations.
  3. Acceptable.
  4. Will not block it, can live with it.
  5. Abstain fromparticipating in decision.
  6. Need more information or more discussion (identify what information is needed, how it will be obtained and when).
  7. No, cannot accept it.

Any response at #5 or above constitutes consensus. #6 indicates that consensus may be possible with more information or discussion. #7 indicates a fundamental disagreement.

Membership/Participation

The Alliance recognizes several different types of participation:

  1. Members (regular attendance, participation in decision making)
  2. Government Liaisons (regular attendance, may ormay not participate in decision making)
  3. Corresponding Liaisons (receive regular Alliance updates, minimal participation in meetings or decision making)
  4. Guests/Individuals