1997   Making Services Work for People (MSWFP):  The provincial policy called for communities to create single points of access for children’s services and services for individuals of all ages who have a developmental disability.  The five system features for an Access Mechanism are:

  • Coordinated Information;
  • Single Point of Access;
  • Common Tool for Intake (families only need to tell their story once);
  • Single Agreement for Service (now called a Coordinated Service Plan);
  • Case Resolution Function.

A Brant Advisory Panel of service providers, consumers of services, and Brant citizens, advised regarding the MSWFP Brant model.  Their final report was released January 26, 1998 outlining the Contact Brant model.

1999   Contact Brant for Children’s and Developmental Services was incorporated September 1999.  Doors opened in 2000.

2007   Initiated the tri-county publication of Your Guide, which is published two times/year, listing workshops, courses, groups and events available free to children, youth and families in Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk.  This is also posted on our website.

2011   Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) satellite office co-located with Contact Brant.

2012   Assumed management of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Community Information website, www.info-bhn.ca.  This website provides the public with easy access to information on community services.  Our records are leased by 211 Ontario to provide their provincial 24/7 information phone service, available in over 150 languages.

2016   Contact Brant was named as the Coordinating Agency for Brant.  Implemented Coordinated Service Planning, working with other community stakeholders, to provide families of a child/youth with special needs with a key contact person to help coordinate their supports across education, health and children’s community services.

2018   Implemented FASD Service Coordination supports to families of children and youth with FASD or suspected FASD to navigate the service system, connect to services and help them better understand FASD.  Our staff supports the peer leaders of the Brant FASD Caregiver Support Group that provides opportunities for parents and caregivers to network.  The FASD service will also provide education and strategies on FASD to parents and professionals.