In 2008, SchoolsPlus began as a recommendation from the Nova Scotia Nunn Report, wherein the Nunn Commission made a number of recommendations specific to education and the development of a strategy for children and youth. Our Kids are Worth It – Strategy for Children and Youth sets out a comprehensive vision to ensure that children and youth are healthy, safe, nurtured and responsible and are given the right opportunities to be the best they can be. SchoolsPlus began as one of several initiatives in the province under the Child and Youth Strategy (CYS) and is a response to the Nunn Commission’s recommendation for improved coordination and collaboration in the delivery of programs and services for children, youth and families. It is an inter-agency approach where schools become centres of service delivery. This enables enhanced collaboration and brings professionals and programs together to help children, youth and families in a welcoming, accessible place. (Our Kids Are Worth It, 2007, p. 36). It is predicated on the belief that all families benefit from some level of support, and that activities and resources need to be coordinated to avoid duplication and waste. In 2011, the SchoolsPlus pilot program expanded across the province to service all Nova Scotians.

The objectives of SchoolsPlus are as follows: 1. To reduce or eliminate gaps and duplication of services among professionals and programs. 2. To identify and respond to children, youth and families in need of additional supports and services in a timely manner 3. To develop an array of programming and services offered at school sites 4. To provide services via a team approach across a family of schools 5. To enhance the use of school facilities by students, families and communities 6. To improve student engagement and school success 7. To increase information sharing, networking and communication between government and non-government service-providers 8. To increase communication between parents and schools.

SchoolsPlus now has sites at all Regional Centres for Education across the province, wherein the services provided will respect and address the unique needs of the community and works collaboratively with an advisory team with representation from various government and non-profit departments, which helps guide, enhance, and expand the services provided. Further, each SchoolsPlus site is supported by a facilitator, along with community outreach workers and child and youth care practitioners. The services provided at each SchoolsPlus site will respect and address the unique needs of the community. Each site has a regional advisory committee with representation from various government departments such as Justice, Community Services, Education, and Health and Wellness. The advisory committees help identify gaps in services or resources and help come up with solutions. SchoolsPlus makes it easier for professionals to collaborate on behalf of children, youth, and families. Families are served in a welcoming, accessible place—a school in their own community. The services provided at each SchoolsPlus site respect and address the unique needs of the community.

Specifically, our SchoolsPlus organization falls under the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education and provides services to 16 schools and their communities, families, and students throughout Cumberland County. Our role is to act as a liaison between the community and the school, advocate, coordinate, and expand available services for families and students, as well as assist families in navigating various systems to get the support they need.
As previously stated, the Chignecto/Celtic Family of Schools provides support to 16 schools throughout Cumberland County, with a total of 3,912 students and their families. SchoolsPlus serves all children, youth, and families, and especially those who need additional support and services. The services provided includes, but is not limited to, providing outreach and mentoring programs, supporting youth groups such as the GSA and multi-cultural groups, providing recreational programming both during and outside of school hours, having food and hygiene products easily accessible for students in need,
supporting breakfast programs, providing employment support and assisting families get connected to any services they made benefit from. Our service extends beyond the school day and provides safe places for students while they are at school. At its core, SchoolsPlus is a collaborative interagency approach supporting the whole child and their family with the school as the center of service delivery.