Health
Help is available for parents and children through Healthy Babies Healthy Children.
Hearing
Can your baby hear? If you have concerns, the Infant Hearing Program will help.
Blindness and low vision
Learn about our Early Intervention Program.
You are here > Home > Topics > Early childhood
We want the best for Ontario's babies and children. That means making sure they get the best possible start in life.
That's the goal of Best Start - to make sure that children in Ontario develop the skills they need to achieve success in school.
Best Start focuses on:
We are working with our community partners - school boards, public health units, municipalities and child care and children's services providers - to make sure that more children and parents can access a seamless network of early learning and development services and supports right in their own communities.
Help is available for parents and children through Healthy Babies Healthy Children.
Can your baby hear? If you have concerns, the Infant Hearing Program will help.
Learn about our Early Intervention Program.
Ontario Early Years Centres are places for children up to the age of six and their parents and caregivers to take part in programs and activities together.
Find out about your child's speech and language development, and the help that's available.
To help you understand how your child is growing and developing, try the Nipissing District Developmental Screen. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services has acquired the rights to make this checklist available to Ontario parents at no charge. If you live outside Ontario, there is a fee.