OUR VOICE

ONTARIO EARLY YEARS CENTRES...
COMING SOON TO A COMMUNITY NEAR YOU

Source: Ministry of Community and Social Services

TORONTO - Minister Responsible for Children John Baird today announced the location of the first 41 Ontario Early Years Centres, part of the third phase of the Harris government's Early Years Plan.

The centres, to be up and running by April 1, 2002, will be located in 15 communities: North Bay area, London area, Niagara, Hastings/Prince Edward, Grey Bruce, Peterborough area, Sudbury area, Windsor area, Leeds-Grenville, Halton, Brant, Thunder Bay area, York, Ottawa area, and Simcoe.

"Our government recognizes the importance of focusing on a child's first few years of development," said Baird. "In order to support parents and their children, we are developing Ontario Early Years Centres which will be gateways to a variety of programs, services and information."

A network of Early Years Centres will eventually span the province, providing answers to questions parents may have about their children's learning, behaviour and health. They will provide a set of core programs such as early literacy services, as well as programs to reflect the unique character of each community. The centres will be accessible to all parents, regardless of socio-economic background, culture or special needs.

Ontario's proactive early years initiatives reflect the new way of thinking outlined in the Harris-government commissioned Early Years Study, co-authored by Dr. Fraser Mustard and the Honourable Margaret McCain. Today's announcement comes a year after the release of the First Ministers Communiqué on Early Child Development. At the First Ministers meeting, the federal, provincial and territorial leaders, led by Premier Mike Harris, established a national agenda recognizing the importance of the years zero to six in a child's development.

Today, the Harris government also announced the names of Ontario's Community Champions. These people are experienced in the early years field and will lead the community planning process for the Early Years Centres. This fall, the champions will bring together key sectors to develop the individual plans for each centre that will include: location in an existing facility, the identification of other community needs, professional and volunteer staffing requirements, and information and resources for parents.

An additional 62 Ontario Early Years Centres will be opened by April 1, 2003, bringing the total network of Early Years Centres to 103. For more information, visit: http://www.childsec.gov.on.ca/