Early Years Programs & Services

Review the available

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

EarlyON Communication updates

EarlyON Progress Update: Have Your Say Survey Results - October 2019 (PDF, 499.96 KB) EarlyON Mise a jour en matiere du progres e Resultats des Cartes - Octobre 2019 (PDF, 350.45 KB) EarlyON Progress Update - February 2019 (PDF, 235.38 KB) EarlyON Mise a jour en matiere du progres - Fevrier 2019 (PDF, 242.29 KB) EarlyON Progress Update - June 2018 (PDF, 111.68 KB) EarlyON Mise a jour en matiere du progres - Juin 2018 (PDF, 113 KB)

A free program where parents can ask questions about their child’s development.

Many parents have questions about how their child is developing. A Check It Out Drop In is an opportunity for families to drop in and speak with clinicians regarding their child’s growth and development. They occur at different locations throughout the City every month. All parents/caregivers with children from birth to six years of age can attend.

Professionals are available to talk to you at Check It Out Drop In. Find a Check It Out Drop In session

There are Early Childhood Educators, Early Childhood Resources Teachers, Public Health Nurses, Speech and Language Pathologists, and Mental Health Resources Workers. Dental Hygienists, and Infant Parent Therapists are available at some locations.

You can ask questions about:

Nutrition
Speech
Health
Development
Behaviour
How to cope with stress and other challenges

Attend a free session to learn how to feed your baby (0 to 12 months old) or young child (1 to 6 years old).

Feeding Your Baby and Making Baby Food session

Public Health Registered Dietitians teach parents and caregivers of children age 0 to 12 months about:

When to start giving solid foods to your baby
What solid food to give to your baby
How to offer new textures
How to make baby food

Feeding Young Children session

Public Health Registered Dietitians teach parents and caregivers of children age one to six years about:

What foods to offer your child
How to create a healthy eating environment, including family mealtimes and role modelling

Sessions are free but registration is required. Find a Feeding Your Baby or Feeding Young Children session.

Early identification is the first step in early intervention. Learn more about community resources available to your family.

If you are concerned your child isn’t meeting the milestones for development, don’t wait. Early identification is the first step in early intervention.

Use the Nippissing District Development Screen, an innovative developmental checklist for infants and children up to 6 years of age, to monitor your child’s development.

Community professionals are available at a variety of locations to meet with families and children from birth up to the age of six to offer consultation, teaching, and referral with respect to a child’s health development.

Community resources list

These community resources are a great places to start.

EarlyON Child and Family Centres Call 905-524-4884
Check It Out Drop In Call 905-524-4884 or 905-546-3550
Contact Hamilton Call 905-570-8888
Information Hamilton Call 905-528-0104
Public Health Call 905-546-3550
Early Words Call 905-381-2828
McMaster Children’s Hospital Call 905-521-2100

City of Hamilton

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.

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 Parent Charter - English/French (PDF, 1.28 MB) Hamilton Parent Charter - Spanish (PDF, 329.63 KB) Hamilton Parent Charter - Chinese (PDF, 460.86 KB) Hamilton Parent Charter - Arabic (PDF, 1.16 MB)

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.

Hamilton Children and Youth Charter Booklet (PDF, 27.4 MB) Charte des Droits des Enfants et des Jeunes de Hamilton Brochure (PDF, 23.59 MB) Hamilton Children and Youth Charter Poster (PDF, 2.37 MB) Charte des Droits des Enfants et des Jeunes de Hamilton Affiche (PDF, 1.46 MB)

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.

Guidebook to the New Parent & Family Engagement Framework (PDF, 315.7 KB)

Date modified

September 19, 2022