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Children's Services News and Events

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• Full-Day Kindergarten - A Question and Answer Guide for Parents
  Beginning full-day kindergarten is an exciting new step - for your child and for you.
  
  This guide was prepared to help you understand full-day kindergarten and answer some questions you may have about how it works and how it will help your child.
  
  
  To view the guide click here
  
  
• Sustaining the future: What is at stake for families and children in Ontario
  A report on the federally derived $63.5 million child care funding and its impact on Ontario’s communities
  
  
  To view the entire report click here
  
  
• With our best future in mind: Implementing early learning in Ontario. A summary and comment from OMSSA
  On June 15, 2009, Dr. Charles Pascal issued his long-anticipated report on early learning in Ontario, titled, With our best future in mind: Implementing early learning in Ontario. The report recommends the creation of a new integrated child and family service system for Ontario by blending municipal service system management and planning with school board responsibility for new early learning programs and extended-day activities.
  
  We are pleased to note that Dr. Pascal’s report reflects much of what OMSSA advocated in our position papers, in terms of service system management, program consolidation, and other issues.
  
  
  To view the entire report click here
  
  
• Hand in hand How the province and municipalities can create the best early learning and child care service system for Ontario
  This is a paper about children. It is a paper about how to create the best possible environment for Ontario’s children and families to receive the early learning and child care services they deserve. The language in this paper might speak of "programs,"  "funding," "system," and other technical terms - but at the heart of the paper
  are the children.
  
  
  To view the entire report click here
  
  
• Full-day learning for 4 and 5 year old children: Building a stronger early learning and child care system in Ontario
  In the fall of 2007, the Ontario government announced the
  appointment of Dr. Charles Pascal as the Early Learning Advisor to the Premier. Dr. Pascal was charged with exploring all of the elements required for effective implementation of full-day early learning for four- and five-year-old children across the province. In the initial stage of this process, Dr. Pascal met with individuals and organizations across the province and beyond to gather
  information, ideas, and data about these elements.
  
  On April 24, 2008, Dr. Pascal met with members of the Ontario
  Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) for an exchange of ideas, issues, and challenges. The primary purpose of the meeting was to share best practices and opportunities.
  
  The day-long OMSSA Forum included presentations reviewing the challenges and opportunities for the licensed child care system in communities with existing experience with some form of full-day kindergarten; workshop sessions on the implementation of full-day early learning; presentations exploring the role of CMSMs/DSSABs
  in service system management for early learning and child care; and roundtable discussions summarizing the day’s proceedings. This policy statement is the product of the discussions at that April meeting. It represents the collective vision for an early learning and child care system as seen by the managers of Ontario's child care service system.
  
  
  To view the entire report click here
  
  
• Report to the Premier by the Special Advisor on Early Learning Charles E. Pascal
  Charles E. Pascal, Special Advisor on Early Learning has submitted his report to the Premier, With Our Best Future in Mind.  The report provides the government with a comprehensive plan of action regarding the implementation of your early learning vision. As per the Premier's direction, the report situated full-day learning for 4- and 5-year-olds in the broader context of moving further on Ontario’s Best Start goals for a seamless and integrated system to support children from 0 to 12 years old and their families.
  
  To view the entire report click here: for English        en Français
  
  To view the summary of the report click here:  for English        en Français
  
  
• Senate Report on Child Care
  The Senate of Canada, on 20 November 2006, authorized the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to undertake two tasks. First, the Committee was to examine the state of early learning and child care in Canada in view of the OECD report  Starting Strong II, released on September 21, 2006, which rated Canada last among 14 countries on spending on early learning and child care programs. Second, the Committee was to study and report on the OECD challenge that "....significant energies and funding will need to be invested in the field to create a universal system in tune with the needs of a full employment economy, with gender equity and with new understandings of how young children develop and learn."
  
  For more details click here: for English                en Français
  
  
• Your Child Care could be FREE
  For more details click here: for English        en Français
  
  
• 2007-08 Manitoulin-Sudbury Best Start Community Plan
  For a complete copy of the plan click here
  
  
• Child Care Subsidy Changes Take Effect January 1, 2007
  The Province of Ontario has amended its Day Nurseries Act to effectively change the criteria used in determining a parent’s eligibility to receive financial assistance to help subsidize their child care costs. (more)
  
  
• 2007-08 Best Start Community Plan
  Learn more about the Best Start Community Plan....(more)
  
  
• Addendum Implementation Planning Guidelines to Best Start
  Best Start November 15, 2007 (more)
  
  
• Presentation Overview
  Best Start Presentation Overview November 15, 2006...(more)
  
  
• Manitoulin-Sudbury DSSAB Phase 1 Best Start Integrated Implementation Plan
  
  Appendix A        Community Profile
  Appendix B        Child Care Plan
  Appendix C        Terms of Reference
  Appendix D        Parent Consultation
  Appendix F        Core Functions
  
  
• Best Start Implementation Planning Guidelines
  The July 1st 2006 planning guidelines....(more)
  
  
• Best Start Q & A
  List of commonly asked questions and answers about Best Start (more)
  
  
• What is Best Start
  Best Start is a comprehensive, evidence-based early learning and care strategy designed to help give Ontario’s children the best possible start in life and help them achieve success in school. (more)
  
  
• Best Start Overview September 2005
  Overview of the Best Start Initiative
  Best Start is a major redesign of services in terms of how children and families are supported from birth through to Grade 1.....(more)