VISION / Mission / Values / PRINCIPLES
VISION
All people, including children and youth with developmental disabilities, have full and meaningful lives as welcomed and contributing members of their neighbourhoods and the broader society.
MISSION
In partnership with families and community, we build a life of belonging for children and youth with developmental disabilities. We focus on their unique gifts and contributions to facilitate friendships, community connections and valued social roles.
VALUES
Diverse, caring relationships
Individual gifts and strengths
Participation in everyday community life
Respecting and honouring choice
Valued member in society
PRINCIPLES OF SUPPORT
Supporting Families to Strengthen the Futures of their Children or Youth with Developmental Disabilities
A Meaningful Life: Families are strong. Every family has the capacity to develop and pursue a meaningful life for their child or youth with a developmental disability. Sometimes, they need help to uncover or strengthen that capacity.
Partnership with Families: We believe in the power of partnership with families and offer information, perspective and connections to help equip families to support their child or youth in building a meaningful life.
Families are the Decision-Makers: Families typically offer the longest-lasting, most committed relationships in all of our lives. We respect the family members (which includes the young person with developmental disabilities) as the primary decision-makers in this partnership. At every step, we work to ensure families feel heard, respected, and valued.
Family-to-family connections can promote important learning, motivation, support and courage. These connections happen through the sharing of family stories, invitations to meaningful conversations, discussion groups, shared workshops, brainstorming & problem-solving meetings, and more.
Listen: When families feel supported and their immediate needs are addressed, they can more fully focus on what matters most: helping their child thrive. Even when EAF isn’t able to provide direct help for difficult situations, we continue to show up and listen.
Creating Pathways to the Good Things in Life - Alongside Families
The Good Things of Life: The good things in life such as belonging, purpose, relationships, and community participation should be within everyone’s reach.
Vision: Creating pathways to the good things of life starts with a strong vision rooted in ordinary family, neighbourhood and community life.
Valued social roles open doors to the good things of life.
Unpaid Relationships: At the heart of a good life are natural, unpaid relationships such as those with family, friends, neighbours, and community connections. These relationships bring joy, belonging, rootedness and increased safety.
Understanding a child or youth deeply— their hopes, strengths, interests, family and neighbourhood contexts —is the foundation for creating meaningful opportunities for their participation in ordinary community life.
One Person at a Time: Planning for these things works best when it's done one person at a time.
Life Domains: Valued social roles in all life domains (school, work, leisure, home, faith community, etc.) are important. If a valued social role is not available in one domain of life, we continue to foster them in the other life domains.