Informing a Monitoring Framework for British Columbia’s Universal Prenatal and Early Childhood Public Health Prevention and Promotion Services

This report informs the development of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for British Columbia's (BC) universal prenatal and early childhood public health prevention and promotion services. To inform this framework, we conducted a focused scan of established 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 indicators, 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. Findings identified five system requirements for establishing a service-monitoring system in BC: 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, access, quality, and continuity, child-maternal outcomes, and equity, providing information to guide ongoing system improvement.