With over 60 participating organizations, individual family and youth partners, and individual practitioners in Kids Come First, a streamlined structure of membership and governance is required.
Kids Come First is supported by the Ministry of Health under the Connecting Care Act, 2019 and the members of Kids Come First will enter into a Collaboration Decision-Making Agreement (CDMA).
The purpose of the CDMA is to:
- Set out how Kids Come First partners will work together to achieve the Shared Objective;
- Establish a Steering Committee and other organizational structures to enable the work of Team Members to achieve the Shared Objective; and
- Set out the rights and obligations of Team Members
Kids Come First will have two categories of membership for partners, such that each partner participant would be identified in one of these categories and their role and responsibilities to Kids Come First would be governed accordingly.
Organizational Partners
This category includes organizations which play a central, consistent, and continuing role in, and are accountable for, the functioning of Kids Come First. Organizational Partners have organizational mandates that are substantially child and youth-focused and in alignment with Kids Come First Health. This does not mean these organizations are necessarily involved in every aspect of Kids Come First activities.
Criteria to become an Organizational Partner:
- Organizational mandates are substantially child and youth-focused and in alignment with Kids Come First
- Comprehensively engaged in the overall Kids Come First Strategy, multiple Kids Come First initiatives and ultimately accountable for the success of the Health Team
- Engaged in delivering improvements to healthcare at multiple levels and across multiple organizations and health sectors
- Engaged in the alignment of Kids Come First strategy and initiatives with other Ontario Health Teams
Collaborative Partners*
This category includes key sector-based organizational partners and individual partners who will be engaged in their sector(s) and the sector’s contributions to Kids Come First Health. Collaborative Partners have a component of their organizational mandates, and/or strategic direction, or for individuals, the personal commitment and experience that are child and youth-focused.
Collaborative Partners will participate in working groups and/or sector teams and could be selected from their group as co-chair or sector representative, and may become members of the Steering Committee.
Collaborative Partners participate in the facilitation and implementation of projects and collaborative initiatives that support Kids Come First’s mandate.
Criteria to become a Collaborative Partner:
- Organizational mandates and/or strategic directions or for individuals, the personal commitment and experience that have a child and youth component which is aligned with those of Kids Come First
- Frequent contributor and selected involvement in certain initiatives
- Engaged in fostering improvement in own sector of care
- Provide support to sector projects/initiatives