EarlyON Child and Family Centres

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To help keep you and your families safe and healthy, EarlyON programs have been suspended effective March 13, 2020 for the next three weeks. Updates to impacted municpal programs and services will be made at the following page: www.muskoka.on.ca/coronavirus. You can also follow us on Facebook.

Ontario Early Years programs welcome children under six years of age and their parents or caregivers to take part in a wide range of activities geared towards early child development in a fun and friendly environment. These programs also provide parents with an opportunity to gather resources and information regarding child development and other programs and services available to young children and their families.

Schedule of Ontario Early Years Programs in Muskoka

Access an up-to-date schedule of EarlyON programs in Muskoka.

EarlyON Ready for JK

Ready for JK is a social preparation program designed to give children entering Junior Kindergarten the following school year an opportunity to interact independently and enjoy group learning activities in a supportive and caring environment. Sessions run for 8 weeks and registration is required. Parents must remain on site in a designated area during the program. Please note: children must be fully potty trained in order to participate in this program.

If you have questions please contact Danielle Wadia via email or phone: 705-645-2412 ext. 4638

Dinner Programs

EarlyON Child and Family Centres offer weekly free dinners for families with at least one child under 6 years of age. Our dinner programs provide an environment for families to connect at the end of the day. We provide the dinner and play space so you can have that additional time to interact with your little one.

You must register one day prior as space is limited. Please understand that we cannot accept non-registered families for dinner as food is purchased in advance and based on registered numbers.

For more information please contact Adele Gant via email or phone: 705-645-2412 ext. 4291

Transportation

EarlyON Child and Family Centres offer many opportunities for parents, children and caregivers to meet new friends, learn skills and have fun. But sometimes getting to a program can be a challenge. If you have difficulty getting to any EarlyON program, please contact Pam Rennie, Manager of Early Years Programs at 705-645-2412, ext. 4420. We may be able to provide a ride for you and your family.

Volunteering

EarlyON Child and Family Centres are where communities and friendships are built and we are always looking for volunteers for the EarlyON programs to help build our communities. Volunteers help with soup days, driving families to programs, repairing toys, and more. If you have some time to share, please contact Pam Rennie, Manager of Early Years Programs at 705-645-2412 ext. 4420.

EarlyON Program Principles

As part of this transformation, service system managers are expected to incorporate the following principles into the development, delivery and evaluation of EarlyON programs. As such, EarlyON Child and Family Centres must:

meet the needs of parents, caregivers and young children by supporting their developmental health and general well-being;
provide a warm and welcoming environment based on the foundational conditions for supporting growth and long-term success (belonging, well-being, engagement and expression);
foster positive outcomes and support nurturing relationships for children, parents and caregivers based on the latest evidence and research;
embrace inclusivity and be accessible and responsive to children, parents and caregivers with varying abilities and cultural, language, socio-economic, sexual orientation and religious backgrounds;
be developed and delivered cohesively, in collaboration with community partners, parents and caregivers; and
as part of their design, incorporate guidance received in consultation with communities, educators, parents and caregivers that further develop strengths and fill any identified gaps.