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A strong foundation for future success

A strong foundation for future success

Investing in early learning and development through the Early Years.

A young student wearing a red shirt examines a braided object through a magnifying glass

The early years of a child's life are critical for building a strong foundation for future success. Investing in early learning and development has a long-term, positive impact on achievement. At the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø, we work to provide a safe, challenging and engaging environment where children know they belong and can thrive.

In partnership with various organizations, the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø supports a range of early years programs in our schools. This includes EarlyON Child and Family Centres, licensed child care for children who are four and under, and before-and after-school programs for children between the ages of four and 12 years of age.
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Bringing child care and before and after-school programming to more families

Following the Ìýthe ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø supports 225 independently operated child care programs for children aged four and under. We also provide approximately 400 before and after-school programs for students in Kindergarten to grade six through licensed child care, authorized recreational and skill-building programs, as well as ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø’s directly operated Extended Day Program.

These programs, operated by over 270 organizations, support the Board’s vision for the Early Years and the Board’s legislated duty to provide Before and After School Programs. In September 2024, seven new programs were developed to create new spaces for over 300 ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø families. Additionally, continuity of programming and care was maintained for 1,700 families through new Before and After School Program agreements with community-led, authorized recreational and skill building programs.

It’s anticipated that in 2024-25, three child care capital projects will be completed, resulting in 248 new licensed child care spaces for children who are four and under across ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø schools

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The Extended Day Program

The Extended Day Program is operated by the Board as a fee-based, before and after-school program. Currently, it provides programming for up to 930 ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø students from Kindergarten to grade six across 23 school locations.

The program is led by Designated Early Childhood Educators who also support the Kindergarten Core School Day Program and aims to offer a seamless learning experience and continuum of care for students, with links to individual and school-wide learning objectives

The Extended Day Summer Program was through 12 ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø schools this past summer, providing summer programming to 400 students over the course of a seven-week program period, from July to August.
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A commitment to EarlyON Child and Family Centres

The ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø continues to directly operate 75 EarlyON Child and Family Centres in our schools, supporting many families across Toronto. Approximately 8,000 children six and under and their parents and caregivers accessed these programs last year.

In 2022, the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø entered into a partnership with Early Childhood Development Initiative to create and deliver EarlyON programming specifically for Black families with young children. This pilot project was made possible through a funding grant provided by Toronto Children’s Services under the EarlyON Innovation Grant: Reimagining Early Years Programming for Black Children.

Innovation Grant EarlyON Child and Family Centres at Glen Ravine Junior Public School and Oakridge Junior Public School are also jointly staffed by Black-identifying Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) from the Early Childhood Development Initiative (ECDI) and the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø. Culturally responsive and inclusive programming also supports early learning for children six and under, that celebrates and affirms Black families and identities.

To support the Board’s commitments to Equity and Truth and Reconciliation, the EarlyON department continues to partner with the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Professional Support Services department to deliver Equity and Inclusion training to all EarlyON staff. Training began in 2021 and continues into the current school year. This mandatory professional learning is centred on an exploration of what belonging and inclusion look like in EarlyON programs, with an emphasis on self-reflection and critical thinking.

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