Partners for Planning is a national non-profit organization that supports people with a developmental disability and their families to be proactive in planning for the future. We were founded in 2009, by families and for families, to help answer the question “Who will love and protect our sons and daughters when we no longer can?” 

Since that time, Partners for Planning has been providing Independent Facilitation for people who have a disability and their families to imagine and create a good life, with financial security, rooted in community. To support those principles, Partners for Planning has become a respected leader in the province of Ontario in developing trusted resources for people and their families to support income security and reduce poverty, create and nurture personal support networks, consider innovative housing solutions, appreciate legal planning considerations, and contribute in valued ways to their community. Our Planning Network is an online resource hub which provides free resources to people and their families based on our Planning Framework. More than 50,000 people visit the Planning Network every year.

The Planning Network

In 2014, P4P launched an online resource for families caring for a relative with a disability focused on future planning. Awareness of the Planning Network is supported by more than 250 organizations across the province of Ontario who share our resources with the people and families they support. The Planning Network is a one-stop planning centre with:

• Over 40 webcasts and webinars delivered each year;
• Dynamic video content and self-directed learning modules;
• Information about accessing and maximizing government benefits, tax credits and financial education to increase income security and reduce poverty for people who have a disability and their families;
• Access to legal, financial and accounting professionals with expertise in disability planning;
• Resources in English and French; and
• Inspirational and informative documentaries.

This online resource is free to families and can be found at http://www.planningnetwork.ca/.

The Planning Network has become a platform of innovation and collaboration. Annually, the Planning Network has over 40,000 unique visitors and over 8,000 webcast registrations. 

Independent Facilitation

Many people and their families have difficulty envisioning opportunities outside of traditional services and supports. Independent Facilitation is an ongoing process that supports individuals and their families in exploring and creating a community-based plan by focusing on the individual's dreams, strengths and gifts. Central to the process of Independent Facilitation is the development and nurturing of personal networks or circles of support.

Independent Facilitation is a process whereby a Facilitator will walk with a person and family as they implement their plan. Central to the Independent Facilitation process are values rooted in community, individual choice, control and self-determination. We have provided independent facilitation and person-directed planning services on a fee-for-service basis since our inception.

This process is instrumental in helping people envision and create a future without limitations. At Partners for Planning, we support people living with a disability and their families and friends to think creatively and to identify opportunities that will create a good life today and form the foundation for a safe and secure future.

For more information on Independent Facilitation, please visit our Independent Facilitation page here.

Planning and Facilitation Collaborative (PFC)

With a commitment to support the growth and capacity of Planners and Facilitators nationally, Partners for Planning has launched the PFC. This is a 3-year project (2023-2026) funded federally by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The PFC’s virtual online community is intended for those providing, or who are interested in offering, planning and facilitation for people with developmental disabilities, their families, and allies.

The PFC is a space where professionals and aspiring professionals can gather together to share knowledge and experiences in an engaged community of practice, while also continuing to develop their skills and expertise through a series of online courses and learning events related to planning and facilitation.

RDSP Action Coalition of Ontario (RACO)

Partners for Planning supports individuals in empowering their financial future. We coordinate a number of aligned partners to form the RDSP Action Coalition of Ontario (RACO). RACO works to increase the uptake of the RDSP and advocates for improvements in the RDSP to remove the barriers to uptake including for Supported Decision-Making legislation in Ontario. The absence of supported decision-making forces many to apply for guardianship to help apply for an RDSP or manage an RDSP later in life. Partners for Planning has recently begun convening National partners to work to improve access to the RDSP more broadly.

RealXchange

The Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) initiative is a resource hub supported in partnership with Partners For Planning, Community Living Essex County and Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN), with support from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.  The REAL Xchange KTT hub shares learning, tools and resources for developmental services professionals. 

You can visit the RealXchange here.

1. WHO ARE PARTNERS FOR PLANNING?

Partners for Planning is committed to helping people with a disability and their families take charge of the future, today. We help families envision, plan and implement individual strategies to ensure that their relative with a disability has a good life, unlimited choices and opportunities to thrive—from childhood into adulthood and for the rest of his or her life. As an organization formed and directed by families, more than half of our board members must have a relative with a disability. Partners for Planning is an affiliate of PLAN and the PLAN Institute.

Over 100 disability organizations and family networks across Ontario have partnered with us to share our resources with their communities. Together we form a strong collective voice addressing issues of isolation, exclusion and poverty while seeking to influence positive change in social policy.

2. WHAT IS THE PLANNING NETWORK?

In 2014, Partners for Planning launched the P4P Planning Network as a response to this pressing question - “Who will love and protect our sons and daughters with a disability when we’re unable to?”

All of our resources have been designed to empower families to be proactive ass they consider their future. As a family led organization, we know that planning with a person living with a disability takes effort and intention and it is often families that take the lead. From building supportive relationships to successful transitions throughout life, finding opportunities to participate in community, to creating financial security and more – very little happens without planning. Families must envision, strategize and above all, take action. The Planning Network has been designed to provide tools, strategies and resources to make the path to a good life and secure future a little easier.

3. DO YOU ONLY SUPPORT PEOPLE WITH A PARTICULAR DISABILITY?

Partners for Planning and the Planning Network are designed to offer resources and planning to any family or person supporting someone with any type of disability.  We do not provide disability specific resources.  

4. HOW IS PARTNERS FOR PLANNING FUNDED? 

Partners for Planning is funded through the generous support of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.  We receive additional funding for specific projects through grants and generate other revenue by producing digital resources for other organizations.

5. HOW DO I GET UPDATES FROM PARTNERS FOR PLANNING? 

Register for updates and we will let you know when we develop and release new resources. We will not ever share your information.

6. I’M LOOKING FOR A PROGRAM FOR MY SON OR DAUGHTER, DO YOU KEEP A LIST? 

Partners for Planning believes in helping families envision a safe and secure future for their loved one by creating loving relationships, community involvement, opportunities to contribute in a meaningful way, financial security and a home of their own.  We do not keep lists of congregated programs or group living arrangements.  Instead we encourage families to seek out individual opportunities within their communities with people with shared interests.  Check out our Online Supports for help with this or for more information contact Natalie Jones at info@p4p.ca.  

7. DO YOU HELP FAMILIES SECURE FUNDING OR SUPPORTS? 

Partners for Planning does not work with families to secure funding or supports.  However, we do offer many resources outlining the resources and funding available to people with disability. We believe that in order to live a full life, people with a disability and those that care for them should access all of the supports they are eligible for. We also provide creative ideas to use these individualized supports to build the best possible life for their loved one.  Check out our Action Guide: Figuring out Funding and Support at the www.planningnetwork.ca for more information.

8. MY CHILD HAS RECENTLY BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A DISABILITY.  HOW DO I START PLANNING FOR THEIR FUTURE?  

For parents with a child with a disability planning for the future can be a complex and daunting task.  Future planning is a lifelong process and decisions made throughout your child’s life will impact opportunities available later in life.

We recommend parents begin by either downloading our e-book (free) or ordering a copy of our book, Safe and Secure: Seven Steps on the Path to a Good Life for People with a Disability.  Think of Safe and Secure as your manuscript for the future, designed specifically with and for your loved one with a disability – so that together you can begin building your son or daughter's very own "everyday life" and safeguard their future. Visit the Safe and Secure page on the Planning Network to purchase or download your copy.  

Additionally, Partners for Planning has launched the “Planning Towards Peace of Mind” project, developed to help families define what a good life looks like for them and their family member. Using our future planning framework, families can then determine their short-term priorities and begin to take actions to create a future that will provide their family member with a good life and secure future and will provide them with peace of mind.  Contact info@p4p.ca for more information.  

9. CAN I COME INTO YOUR OFFICE AND MEET WITH A PERSON TO ASSIST MY FAMILY WITH PLANNING?

As a provincial organization, all of our supports and resources are available online. If you have an interest in meeting with our staff and learning more about planning for a good life please email info@p4p.ca.