Best Start Initiative

The Counties of Huron and Perth have selected 9 schools within the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board as future sites for a Phase 1 Best Start Program to enhance service to Junior and Senior Kindergarten age children and their families.  The Best Start initiative will help parents support their children and help children in Ontario achieve success in school when they start grade 1.  These child care programs are aimed at helping children make the transition to grade 1 as smoothly, seamlessly and successfully as possible by providing high quality child care that will support the Kindergarten curriculum.

In essence, Best Start is intended as a system of services that seamlessly supports families with children from their birth through to their transition into grade 1.  These services run the gamut from newborn and infant screening to hearing programs and speech and language therapy that help identify and provide support to children who need extra help for healthy early development.  They include quality child care, public health and parenting programs that help parents help their children to be successful in school.  And they put families in touch with other services that they might need.  [Source:  Ministry of Children and Youth Services – Implementation Planning Guidelines for Best Start Networks, 2005:  pages 4, 10].

Ontario's Best Start Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based early learning and care strategy.  It aims to increase child care spaces, improve access to fee subsidies for services for children with special needs and improve the wages of child care workers.

As a Catholic community we understand that we play a vital role in the care and development of all the young people entrusted to us, and that we have a global responsibility to care for children in our neighbourhood community.  The Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board is proud to be working in partnership with parents, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Avon Maitland District School Board, and the Counties of Huron and Perth to promote early education and child care opportunities for children.

Capital funding has been provided specifically for the purpose of creating dedicated indoor and outdoor spaces for these Best Start centres.

Rationale for Best Start Program

As part of its efforts to transform children and youth services, MCYS is focusing on services for young children.  Best Start represents a major redesign of services in terms of how children and families are supported from the prenatal stage through to grade 1.

The early years from conception to age 6 have the most influence of any time in the life cycle on brain development and subsequent learning, behaviours and health (McCain and Mustard, 1999).  Learning begets learning:  learning is a dynamic process and is most effective when it begins at a young age and continues through adulthood (Heckman, 2000).  Children who are ready to learn when they start school are more likely to complete school, find employment and make positive contributions to society (Hertzman and Keating, 1999).

When we support our youngest children, society reaps the benefits over many years as those children develop into healthy, educated, confident and productive adults.  Investing in children is an investment in Ontario's future.

Benefits of Best Start Program

Best Start is the platform on which we can begin to address the broader determinants of healthy development for all children.  The Best Start Program will support the Kindergarten curriculum.  Child care professionals will work closely with primary teachers to ensure continuity and consistency in the learning process.  Kindergarten students will be able to stay within the familiar and secure school environment for the entire school day.

The Best Start Program will:

·        Help parents support their children.

·        Help children in Ontario achieve success in school when they start grade 1.

·        Help children make the transition to grade 1 as smooth, seamless and successful as possible.

·        Make high quality learning and care available for all our youngest learners.

·        Provide a variety of parenting supports.

·        Help identify and provide support to children who need extra help.

·        Build on partnerships within communities and community agencies with the support of municipal, provincial and federal governments.

Schools Selected for Phase 1 Best Start Program:

Every child in Ontario deserves a...Best Start!

For more information on Best Start, please review the following websites:

www.beststart.org

www.children.gov.on.ca

If you have any questions about our Board's Best Start Program, please contact L. Langan, Director of Education.