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About

This report informs the development of a monitoring framework for British Columbia’s (BC) universal prenatal and early childhood public health prevention and promotion services.

We conducted a focused review of monitoring approaches in comparable jurisdictions with publicly funded health systems to identify features relevant to the BC context. We found that BC already has many foundational elements needed for population-level monitoring, including existing child health indicator work, regional health authority data systems, and public health infrastructure. Building on these strengths, the next step is to develop a coordinated provincial system that supports consistent data generation and monitoring.

Our findings identified five system requirements: a standardized service contact pathway, harmonized data collection, routine data linkage capacity, a feasible indicator strategy, and appropriate governance and equity foundations. Together, these elements would support consistent monitoring of service reach, service quality, child-maternal outcomes, and equity, providing information to guide ongoing system improvement.

Read the full report to learn more.

Project Team

• Nicole L.A. Catherine (Principal Investigator
• Jen Barican
• Jessica Tang
• Oliver White
• Kimberly Thomson

Funder

• BC Ministry of Health

Publications

• Catherine, N.L.A., Barican, J., Tang, J., White, O., & Thomson, K. (2026). Informing a Monitoring Framework for British Columbia’s Universal Prenatal and Early Childhood Public Health Prevention and Promotion Services. Vancouver, British Columbia: Children’s Health Policy Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University. Commissioned report for BC Ministry of Health

Key Questions

• How are universal prenatal and early childhood public health services monitored in comparable jurisdictions?
• What system components are needed to support population-level monitoring across British Columbia?
• How can service delivery, data collection, and indicators be better aligned to support monitoring of service reach, quality, outcomes, and equity?
• How can monitoring information support evidence-informed planning and continuous improvement of services for children and families across BC?