Early Years Programs & Services

EarlyON Child and Family Centres provide opportunities for children from birth to 6 years of age to participate in play and inquiry-based programs, and support parents and caregivers in their roles. These centres offer safe and welcoming environments open to all families across Hamilton, with qualified professionals and quality programs. Families and caregivers can find support, advice, make personal connections and access a network of resources at these centres.

View a map and listing of EarlyON Child and Family Centres in Hamilton

Additional community supports are available monthly at select EarlyONs to answer questions about child development and well to being. 

Bring your child (ages 0 to 6) to an Ask a Professional session and talk to a Speech to Language Pathologist, Resource Consultant, Mental Health Counsellor, Home Management Worker, Subsidy Eligibility Worker and/or Newcomer Vaccine Ambassador for free. No pre to registration required.

A Speech to Language Pathologist can help you with:

• Questions about your child’s speech and language development 
• Understanding whether your child is using words and sounds expected for their age
• Questions about your child growing up with two or more languages
• Building your child’s play, social and communication skills
• Learning about the Early Words Preschool Speech and Language Program

A Resource Consultant can help you with:

• Questions about your child’s development
• Building daily routines for your child, like sleeping, toileting or transitions
• Finding strategies to support your child’s behaviour and well to being
• Preparing your child to start school
• Understanding how inclusive programs and spaces can support the diverse needs of all children

A Mental Health Counsellor can help you with:

• Answering questions about your child’s social, emotional and/or behavioural concerns
• Connecting families with mental health resources and supports 
• Sharing guidance on accessing community supports, assessments, and treatment options
• Helping parents/caregivers understand your child’s social, emotional, behavioural development and finding strategies to support them

A Home Management Worker can help you with:

• Navigating community resources
• Managing time and priorities
• Learning basic budgeting techniques
• Setting goals and problem solving

A Subsidy Eligibility Worker can help you with:

• Understanding child care fee subsidy and whether your family may be eligible
• Applying for child care fee subsidy
• Finding information about licensed child care options in your community
• Navigating child care services and resources
• Finding child care that meets your family’s needs
• Sharing community supports available to children and families

A Newcomer Vaccine Ambassador can help you with:

• Learning about childhood vaccinations and why it is important to keep immunizations up to date
• Understanding vaccine requirements for children attending school in Ontario 
• Finding information about local vaccine clinics and where your family can get vaccinated

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.

Hamilton Parent Charter of Rights

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.

Guidebook to the New Parent & Family Engagement Framework

In May 2011, after extensive consultation, the Parent & Family Engagement Committee released Hamilton’s Parent Charter, enumerating the rights that parents should expect to have respected in their dealings with service providers and with all organizations that they come in contact with. The Vision and the Charter set out our values. But what should those look like in practice? That is the purpose of the Parent & Family Engagement Framework.