Report from the Chairperson

June 6, 2008: EINS Annual General Meeting

It has been an interesting year. The Service Level Agreements have continued to provide us with some challenges. We are glad to have finally reached a common meaning for the word actuals. Communication is critical and always challenging. Communication is the key to improving and nurturing the relationships with each other and the Department of Community Services. This year we have seen the value in persistent communication. You came together under the leadership of the Progress Center Board to communicate a strong message. That message was received and responded to.

On your behalf I have written a few letter this year. In fact sometimes we joke at our Board meetings that we should change the name of the association to EINS: The Letter Writers. Once again the point of letter writing is communication. Communicating with those we are or wish to be connected with.

This has been our first year benefiting from the Credit Union Charitable Foundation donation. We were excited by your proposals. It will be interesting to see if there are any changes in the process this year. The Charitable Foundation is undergoing some personnel changes again so I imagine that will result in some changes for us.

We still did not get the results that we were hoping for with the package we sent to Minister Streatch re salaries, so we will try again. I am hopeful that the recent survey will generate some useful data. We are also checking into the Hay Group's services but they may be more expensive than we can manage.

The Partnerships for Inclusion Project will be finished in June of this year. It is with regret that we say goodbye to the facilitators of PFI. The Manager Carolyn, facilitators Elizabeth, Margo, Shannon and Liz have worked hard to increase inclusion capacity in Nova Scotia.

A small group is continuing the work on the procedures manual. We are nearing completion. We are looking forward to the results of today to inform our discussion around IFSP's.

EINS was able to organize and sponsor a professional opportunity in EI month around Occupational Health and Safety. The presenter provided us with an entertaining and informative day.

EINS is pleased to have been able to make a financial contribution to support the conference that will be held at Liscombe Lodge with Lorraine Fox on October 15th and 16. It has been positive to be able to cooperate with ECIANS on shared areas of interest on behalf of Early Intervention.

Some of you are participating in the pilot project for the Parenting Journey. EINS is also participating by managing the funds for the training components. It is primarily a bookkeeping relationship at this stage.

I continue to be excited to be Chair of EINS. You are indeed an inspirational group of people. I used this quote last year I believe it bears repeating. Mustard and McCain in the Early Years Study (1999) make a powerful statement:

It is clear that the early years from conception to age six have the most important influence of any time in the life cycle on brain development and subsequent learning, behaviour and health. The effects of early experience, particularly during the first three years, on the wiring and sculpting of the brain's billions of neurons, last a lifetime. (p. 7)

This is the work of Early Intervention, work that lasts a lifetime.

Submitted,
Brenda Putnam
EINS Chairperson

Recent Chairperson's Reports
 June 8, 2007: EINS Annual General Meeting
 April 20, 2005: Cooperation with Community Services
 June 5, 2004: EINS Annual General Meeting