Best Start

Best Start Vision “All children in Ontario will be ready and eager to learn and excel by the time they start Grade 1. An Ontario where all youth and children have the best opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential" (Source: Ministry of Children and Youth Services (2008), Realizing Potential – Our Children, Our Youth, Our Future: Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services Strategic Framework 2008-2012)  Simcoe County Best Start Network Vision “All children and families in Simcoe County will have access to the culturally sensitive services needed to reach their full potential within a community that recognizes and meets basic needs: income, housing, nutrition, education and healthy parent/child relationships.” (Source: Simcoe County 2008 Best Start Community Plan)

What is Best Start?
Best Start is a province-wide expansion of services and supports for children under 6 through:

• Increased access to subsidized child care
• Increased funding for wage grants for early childhood educators
• Recommendations from 3 expert panels:
        • 18-Month Well Baby Panel
        • Early Learning Program Panel
        • Quality and Human Resources Panel
• Best Start involves the expansion of quality and affordable licensed childcare and an investment in children’s healthy early development
• Capital funding to support child care expansion in and near schools and operational start up funding for the new child care spaces
• Legislation to create a College of Early Childhood Educators
• More support for early identification and intervention programs, Healthy Babies Healthy Children and Preschool Speech and Language and Infant Hearing Programs
• Special Needs Resourcing funding (one time) for pre-school aged services
        • Speech and Language Services
        • Occupational Therapy / Physiotherapy
        • Resource Teacher Programs supporting Child Care Centres and In-Home consultations

The County of Simcoe as the Service System Manager for Child Care received and managed funding for the Best Start initiative.

Funding was allocated for:	and to enhance:
• Capital Funding	• Wage Subsidies
• Operational Start Up Funding	• Fee Subsidies
• Planning	• Special Needs Resourcing

Best Start Network Meetings

Best Start Reports:

Best Start Information Bulletin (2MB)
Best Start Progress Report
Best Start Community Plan 2007_eng	Best Start Community Plan 2007_fre
Best Start Implementation Plan 2006_eng	Best Start Implementation Plan 2006_fre
Best Start Transition Plan 2005_eng	Best Start Transition Plan 2005_fre

 

Community Resources Supported through the Best Start Initiative:

 

Simcoe County Childcare Booklet	La garde d’enfants dans le comté de Simcoe
Children's Nutrition Brochure	La nutrition des jeunes enfants
Red Flags for Autism pamphlet	Drapeaux rouges liés à l’autisme brochure
Red Flags for Autism poster	Drapeaux rouges liés à l’autisme poster
Red Flags for Speech and Language poster	Drapeaux rouges pour la parole et le langage poster
Red Flags for Speech and Language Tray Liner	Drapeaux rouges pour la parole et le langage
Resource Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder	Guide de ressources des troubles du spectre autistique
FASD fit in different environments_eng	FASD fit in different environments_fre
FASCETS_eng	FASCETS_fre
Simcoe County Preschool Speech & Language Program brochure	Programme de services de rééducation de la parole et du langage pour les enfants d’âge préscolaire du comté de Simcoe
Early Intervention Services Brochure_eng	Early Intervention Services Brochure_fre
Simcoe County Infant Development Program	Programme de développement du jeune enfant du comté de Simcoe
English Literacy Resources	Francophone Literacy Resources
EDI Subdomains Handout_eng	EDI Subdomains Handouts_fre
RTB_Bronze Submissions Early Learning Checklist_eng	RTB_Bronze Submissions Early Learning Checklist_fre
RTB_Table8_Policies and Procedures Chart_eng	RTB_Table8_Policies and Procedures Chart_fre