Measuring the Effects of Proximity Work on Families

The proximity approach refers to a set of practices that allow a worker to get closer to the living environment of the target individuals (Houde et Langlois, 1998). This approach is mainly used to reach vulnerable families and to provide them with support based on their specific needs. In the Estrie region, the approach takes many forms and is practiced by a variety of stakeholders. Within the Memphremagog MRC, Équipe Ressources Relais has been given the task of serving all clienteles in Magog, Stanstead and Potton.
Although partners in the field see the positive impact this approach has on families, getting donors and institutions to recognize it and ensure its sustainability has been difficult. This is due to a number of factors, such as the complexity of the social problems involved, the lack of long-term support for adapting professional practices, the diversity of practices from one territory to the next, limits within organizations and the difficulty in measuring long-term effects.
In 2016, discussions between several local and regional stakeholders in Estrie highlighted concerns about the sustainability of the approach, given that public or private funds are temporary and non recurring. For this reason, the Estrie Collective for 0-5 year olds prioritized the proximity approach in its action plan and held a promotional event on November 30, 2017. At the end of the day, close to 150 participants expressed a willingness to rally together to promote the proximity approach among the different institutions in the region. The main motivation for this mobilization is the sustainability of an approach that benefits the health and well-being of the most vulnerable families in Estrie. To develop a valorization plan at the national level, a working day was held on May 17, 2018. Some 40 intersectoral participants from every territory in Estrie identified strategies and concrete measures they wanted to incorporate into the plan.
Between now and 2020, the main goal of the valorization plan is to make sure the proximity approach is seen as a lever for reaching vulnerable families in Estrie.
The specific goals include:
  1. Fostering joint ownership of the proximity approach by communities
  2. Demonstrating the added value of the proximity approach
  3. Gaining recognition for, and maintaining, the expertise of community workers
  4. Strengthening collective action around the proximity approach
One of our projects involved creating a portrait of proximity work and its effects on the ability of parents to promote their children’s overall development.
With this research project, we attempted to:
  • Paint a picture of proximity work carried out by community workers in RLPs (Regroupement locaux de partenaires) in Estrie.
  • Document the effects of the proximity work carried out by community workers in RLPs on the overall development of children and on the needs of the families receiving these services (as seen by these families and the community workers involved).
  • Document the nature of collaborations between local agents and community partners, as well as the factors that impede or facilitate the implementation of proximity work.
Memphré en Mouvement and Équipe Ressources Relais were excited about taking part in the research. In fact, a number of individuals, including a proximity worker, the head of a CPE in a disadvantaged area, a practitioner in a CLSC for 0-5 year olds and two mothers who received support from Équipe Ressources Relais, took part in individual interviews to help identify the key elements and effects of the practice.
We are eager to read the research results, which will surely help us to consolidate funding for an action that’s so crucial to reaching isolated and marginalized families. So stay tuned!