Raising the village : Developing shared outcomes

Measuring the Well-being of Children and Families in Toronto PART 1: DEVELOPING SHARED OUTCOMES The Toronto Child & Family Network Raising the Village Measuring the Well-being of Children and Families in Toronto Part 1: Developing Shared Outcomes November 2013 Toronto Child & Family Network 1 ABOUT About this report Raising the Village: Measuring the Well-being of Children and Families in Toronto [...] That goal was furthered by the creation of the Toronto Child & Family Network in early 2011, with the mandate to plan, coordinate and promote the broad range of services for children and their families. [...] Understanding the well-being of the population will help the Network plan and coordinate services to better meet the needs of children and families by using what is called "evidence-based decision making,” drawing on research and data to identify priorities, to direct funding and resources, and to guide strategic planning. [...] The child and family service system in Toronto is complex and fragmented, consisting of a patchwork of different funders and operators, including all levels of government, non-profit organizations and the private sector. [...] Building a service system that is responsive to their needs, and the needs of their communities requires research and evidence to support service planning at all levels of the system: the level of individual programs and services, the community or neighbourhood level, the municipal or regional level, and the population level (see Figure 3).