Early Years Community Partners Resources

Outlines the strategic priorities & recommended goals for the Hamilton Early Years system over the next 5 years.

The Hamilton Early Years Community Plan (EYCP) 2016–2020 builds on a decade of collective leadership in planning and implementing a comprehensive system of services and supports for children and families.

Executive Summary for the 2016-2020 Early Years Community Plan(PDF, 1.21 MB)

Significant progress has been made towards achieving the goals set in the last Early Years Community Plan 2012-2015(PDF, 1.21 MB), and the EYCP 2016-2020 builds on this strong foundation. The Hamilton EYCP 2016-2020 provides the community with the opportunity to see the  achievements and progress made in the last EYCP (2012-2015) and how we are moving forward by designing an integrated system that can effectively respond to the changing landscape and priorities of the early years programs and services.

The 2016-2020 Early Years Community Plan reflects the:

• community-wide commitment to the principles of the Best Start Network (BSN)
• important learnings and beliefs reflected in the Hamilton Parent Charter of Rights, Hamilton’s Charter of Rights of Children and Youth
• 2014 framework created by Ontario’s Ministry of Education in How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years.

The Charters are not only about supporting the City of Hamilton’s vision to be the best place to raise a child and age successfully, but also about making Hamilton the best place to be a child.

Learn more about Hamilton’s Charters of Rights of Children and Youth

Hamilton Parent Charter of Rights

The Hamilton Early Years system is about supporting parents and families to provide children with the best possible opportunities early in their lives. Parents are the first, most important and most lasting teachers in a child’s life.

In 2010, a Hamilton Parent Charter of Rights was created. The Charter:

• sets out shared principles and beliefs for providers to guide them around planning and delivering services that make parents feel valued, respected, and supported in their roles at each stage of their children’s lives

• reflects the voice of the community, developed through extensive public consultation and feedback

• provides a strong foundation for the future of families, service providers, and organizations that serve parents in Hamilton

Hamilton Charter of Rights of Children and Youth

The Hamilton Early Years system supports the belief that all children and youth have rights. The Hamilton Charter of Rights of Children and Youth was created with the input of over 2000 children and youth from Hamilton, in their words, through extensive community engagement. Participatory responsibilities were added to open conversations between adults and children.

The Charter was released in 2015. A tour of the children’s artwork and celebrations of the charter occurred throughout the City of Hamilton with the hope of engaging the community in discussions about rights and building awareness.

The Charter is not only about making Hamilton the best place to raise a child, but also about making Hamilton the best place to be a child

Key access points to services for families and their children.

The Pathway to Connect (PDF, 1 MB) showcases key access points to services for families and their children. The pathway provides information on both universal and specialized services.

Financial resources available to help low-income families

The Basic Needs Financial Supports Catalogue (PDF, 4.6 MB) offers a variety of information about benefits, tax credits and programs which provide some form of financial assistance to those who need it.

Intended to provide a collection of financial resources to help low-income families access and apply for local, provincial and federal income support, this catalogue enables families to take advantage of programs that have been established to be a great benefit to them.