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.