About the Children and Youth Planning Table
of Waterloo Region
The Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT) is a community-wide partnership that includes over 1,000 service providers, researchers, planning bodies, and funders serving children, youth, and families in Waterloo Region.
Our Vision
Happy, healthy children and youth — today and tomorrow.
Our Mission
To unite young people, organizations, and decision makers to take actions that prioritize the well-being of all children and youth in Waterloo Region.
How We Work
Our work is guided by several principles and structures, including:
- Our 2024-2027 Strategic Plan
- Our Shared Goals: the nine dimensions of child and youth well-being
- Our Collective Impact: our model of change
- Our Charter: our governance structure
People supporting the work
A great deal of support is needed to ensure that the Children and Youth Planning Table is able to work collaboratively to improve the well-being of children and youth in Waterloo Region.
Learn more about the people who help move the work forward:
Join the CYPT
All organizations providing support services to children and youth in Waterloo Region are partners and are welcome to join the CYPT.
Together, we’re working to improve the well-being of children and youth in Waterloo Region and to move the needle on nine dimensions of child and youth well-being.
Youth Portal
This section of our website is just for you(th)! Stay updated on the work of the CYPT, find opportunities to be involved with the CYPT spaces and/or our partner organizations, and find resources just for you.
Our Funders
The work of the Children and Youth Planning Table could not happen without the time and contributions of many organizations. This includes significant financial contribution from the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation, Astley Family Foundation, KW Community Foundation, United Way, and the Region of Waterloo. We thank them, and all our partners, for their support.
Territorial Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the land on which the work of the Children and Youth Planning Table is performed is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Chonnonton Peoples. We acknowledge the enduring presence of the Indigenous people with whom we share this land today, their achievements, and their contributions to our community. We offer this acknowledgment as an act of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of Canada.
History of the Children and Youth Planning Table
The Children and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region has evolved over time as the needs of our community have changed.
See below to follow along with our journey!
- In 2005, our group focused primarily on providing guidance to the Region of Waterloo’s Children’s Services and Public Health. The name of the group at that time was the Region of Waterloo Children and Parents Services Committee (ROWCAPS).
- In 2009, the mandate of ROWCAPS expanded to a broader community focus involving all service providers for children prenatal to six years of age.
- In 2011, the Children’s Planning Table (CPT) is established.
- Vision: All Children in Waterloo Region live in a community that supports their developmental health through a system of coordinated effective services.
- Membership shifted to an open membership structure. Any service provider working with children, pre-birth to 12 years of age were welcomed to join.
- Meetings emphasized working collectively to plan for and create a system of more effective and coordinated services.
- In 2012, recognizing the complex issues the Children’s Planning Table was addressing, we adopted a Collective Impact framework.
- It was agreed that the CPT would be Co-Chaired by the director of Children’s Services at the Region of Waterloo and a community Co-Chair.
- Areas of focus for the collaborative included service and access.
- The CPT developed a shared understanding of system integration.
- In 2013, the CPT began hosting large, full membership meetings.
- Two working groups added to the energy and engagement to determine priorities through a collective decision-making process. This process began a cultural shift with significant benefits, including more broad and diverse involvement of participants, greater transparency, and greater trust in each other and the process.
- In 2014, the Child and Youth Well-being Dashboard launched which included four indicators:
- Health
- Learning
- Relationships
- Fundamental needs
- Shared Philosophy Working Group and Navigation Action Team was started
- In 2015, the Virtual Action Team was formed.
- CPT Voting Members were asked to participate in a formal vote to increase the mandate of the Children and Youth Planning Table to age 18. Voting Members overwhelmingly approved increasing the age mandate up to 18-recognizing that some youth will be part of the youth-serving system beyond age 18.
- Shared Philosophy Implementation Team recommended the adoption of the Shared Philosophy of Practice.
- In 2016, we began work on the Shared Goals.
- A conscious link to Wellbeing Waterloo Region was identified.
- Mapping Moving Trains
- In 2017, the CPT was rebranded as the Children and Youth Planning Table (CYPT).
- The membership established six Shared Goals of Child and Youth Well-being.
- Shared Philosophy of Practice was renamed the Shared Foundation of Practice.
- The CYPT connected with UNICEF Canada One Youth.
- In 2018, we launched Family Compass.
- Formation of the Collective Impact Working Group
- In 2019, we created and published Less Telling, More Asking, a resource on Youth Engagement.
- In 2020, Voting Members mapped out what Belonging means for the CYPT and includes three key pillars. Equity, Attachment and Relationships and Children and Youth Feeling Valued, Heard, and Included.
- The Pilot phase of the Youth Impact Survey launched.
- Brain Story work started.
- Pandemic Working Group formed.
- Family Compass added a new section: COVID-19 Resources for Children, Youth and Families.
- In 2021, the CYPT celebrated 10 years as a collaborative.
- The Youth Impact Survey launched in four communities across Canada, including Waterloo Region.
- We created and published Building a Case for Belonging: Insights from the Children and Youth Planning Table
- In 2022, CYPT published eight disaggregated snapshots based on the Youth Impact Survey data.
- The first-ever Data in Action report was released — a list of 63 actions youth want to see in their community.
- Launch of the Shared Measurement Pilot (now called Measurement4Change).
- First-ever CYPT Annual Forum — three days long with Belonging Expo and Impact & Action Summit.
- 2023 marked the start of the Child Engagement in Systems Lead role on the CYPT Backbone Team.
- Third Youth Impact Survey launches — with 12 Youth Ambassadors. The survey closes with over 2,000 responses.
- Second Annual Belonging Expo at the Kitchener Public Library, open to the public.
- Two-day Annual Forum (virtual and in-person.)
- Launch of the Youth Impact Project pilot (a collaboration with SWRIL).
- In 2024, CYPT published eight disaggregated snapshots based on the 2023 Youth Impact Survey data.
- Launch of the Data, Research and Evaluation Lead position and the Coaching and Sustainability Lead position on the CYPT Backbone Team.
- Sonia Dennis becomes the Interim CYPT Community Co-Chair, then Jim Moss becomes the 2024-2028 Community Co-Chair.
- CYPT & SWRIL fund 12 youth community projects ($70,000) via the Youth Impact Project.
- CYPT attends and presents belonging and well-being research at the Othering & Belonging Institute Conference at UC Berkeley.
- CYPT introduces new Strategic Plan 2024-2027.
- CYPT, Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership, and Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan co-host 2024 Community Conference.
- Measurement4Change Task Group works with organizations across Waterloo Region to track program-level data about belonging.
- CYPT conducted Sense-making Sessions with youth based on the 2023 Youth Impact Survey data.
- Smart Waterloo Region became a part of the CYPT, nested underneath it.
- The first-ever Child Voice Project, in partnership with the Landon Pearson Centre. Using the “Shaking the Movers” model, CYPT hears directly from children aged six to eight about their well-being.
- Youth Impact Project launches for the second year in a row. $70,000 is awarded to 17 groups of youth so they can make their project a reality.
- Measurement4Change Task Group offers training to organizations about how to measure program-level belonging. The group also launches a pilot to connect graduate students with community organizations to coach them around using data.
- Child Voice Project Pilot Report shares CYPT’s learnings after hearing directly from children aged 6-8 about their well-being
- FamilyPsycle Lab (University of Waterloo) publishes numerous academic research projects using 2023 Youth Impact Survey data
- CYPT contributes to the Inspiring Healthy Futures Conference in Ottawa
- Annual Conference with the theme “Child & Youth Belonging: From Data to Action”
- Data in Action resource is released: a top 6 list of actions youth want to see in Waterloo Region
- CYPT released Children and Youth in Waterloo Region: A Demographic Profile.
- The CYPT Steering Committee restructures to align with the five pillars of the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan.