EarlyON Child and Family Programs

EarlyON, where families come together to learn, play, and connect

EarlyON Child and Family programs are family support hubs offering free, inclusive and welcoming programs for parents, caregivers and young children from birth to six years old. These high-quality programs are designed to cater to the diverse needs of families and children.

EarlyON programs offer parents and caregivers opportunities to:

Join free play-based programs with their child(ren) either in-person, indoors, outdoors or virtually
Connect with qualified Early Learning professionals through informal conversations, or one-on-one
Receive resources tailored to family’s/child’s unique needs
Attend parenting and child development information sessions and workshops
Gain knowledge about community resources and services
Meet and build connections with other parents, caregivers and children in the community

EarlyON programs are aligned with "How Does Learning Happen? Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years". This pedagogical approach focuses on, four foundations of learning:

Belonging, well-being, expression and engagement
Providing learning experiences that encourage exploration, play, and inquiry
Nurturing healthy development and wellbeing
Establishing authentic relationships and connections

Families and caregivers are welcome to attend any EarlyON program offered across York Region.

Find an EarlyON Child and Family Centre near you

Register for EarlyON programs online

York Region offers an online registration platform for EarlyON Child and Family Programs. The benefits of the platform include:

A one-stop shop for all EarlyON programs across York Region
One-time process for entering family information
An easy way to manage your registrations in one place
Consistent process for all EarlyON programs across York Region
A simple check-in and check-out process from your own device
Access to all EarlyON program calendars in York Region

You can view the calendar of all available program offerings across York Region using the EarlyON calendar.

If you plan to attend a program, you will need to:

Create a Children's Services Portal account (there is a step-by-step guide or video that can help you set up your account)
Use the calendar to select the program offering you would like to attend
Check into the program, the day of the program

Many EarlyON program offerings across York Region are drop-in programs. Drop-in programs are offered on a first come first served basis.

Virtual and Parenting programs require pre-registration. Registration for these programs can be completed through your Children’s Services account.

The EarlyON calendar is updated every third Friday of the month with new drop-in, pre-registered and virtual programs

EarlyON Program Calendars and Locations

All nine cities and towns in York Region have EarlyON programs that you and your child can enjoy in person, indoor, outdoor and virtually. There are more than 70 EarlyON programs locations across York Region consisting of 10 centres and more than 60 mobile sites. Search for child care centres and family drop-in programs in York Region using our Early Years Program Finder tool.

To learn more about EarlyON programs in your area, please visit the website listed below your local municipality.

Town of Aurora

Aurora Centre (and mobile sites)
40 Engelhard Drive, Unit 1, Aurora ON L4G 6X6
Telephone: 1-866-404-2077 ext. 217
Email: @email
Calendar

Town of East Gwillimbury

For information about mobile sites in East Gwillimbury, contact the Newmarket Centre.

Town of Georgina

Keswick Centre (and mobile sites)
70 Biscayne Boulevard, Georgina ON L4P 3M8
Telephone: 905-476-3834
Email: @email
Calendar

Township of King

King Centre
15 Old King Road, King ON L0G 1N0
Telephone: 905-859-9941
Email: @email
Calendar

City of Markham

Markham Centre (and mobile sites)
3990 14th Avenue, Markham ON L3R 0B2
Telephone: 905-479-0002
Email: @email
Calendar

On y va Markham (in-person and virtual French language programming)
École catholique Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys
Lundi et mardi de 8h30 à 16h30
111 John Button Boulevard, Markham ON L3R 9C1
Email: @email
Calendar

Markham East Centre (and mobile sites)
40 Washington Street, Markham ON L3P 2R5
Telephone: 905-471-1620
Email: @email
Calendar

More mobile sites

Town of Newmarket

Newmarket Centre (and mobile sites)
17310 Yonge Street, Unit 6, Newmarket ON L3Y 7R8
Telephone: 905-853-0754
Email: @email
Calendar

City of Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill Centre (and mobile sites)
10610 Bayview Avenue, Unit 9, Richmond Hill ON L4C 3N8
Telephone: 905-948-9627
Email: @email
Calendar

City of Vaughan

Thornhill Centre (and mobile sites)
7755 Bayview Avenue, Vaughan ON L3T 4P1
Telephone: 905-709-6159
Email: @email
Calendar

On y va Kleinburg (in-person and virtual French language programming)
École élémentaire La Fontaine
Mercredi et jeudi de 8h30 à 16h30
10110 Islington Avenue, Woodbridge ON L4H 3N5
Email: @email
Calendar

Woodbridge Centre (and mobile sites)
140 Woodbridge Avenue, Unit E-400, Vaughan ON L4L 4K9
Telephone: 1-866-404-2077 ext. 215
Email: @email
Calendar

Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville

Stouffville Centre (and mobile sites)
5892 Main Street, Unit 304, Stouffville ON L4A 1T2
Telephone: (289) 612-1777
Email: @email
Calendar

Data Reports

EarlyON Service Delivery Review Parent and Caregiver Survey - Findings Report

York Region conducted an EarlyON Service Delivery Review Parent and Caregiver Survey to learn more about the diverse needs of families with young children and inform the planning of EarlyON programs in York Region. The findings in the 2023 report will ensure programs and services are responsive to the needs of local communities and promote the inclusion of all families.

A Profile of Children in York Region

A Profile of Children in York Region includes information on children from birth to age 12 and their families, and shows how our communities are changing by looking at population, languages spoken, income and program data.

Early Development Instrument

The Early Development Instrument (EDI) assesses early learning and developmental health of a community’s young children. It reflects developmental outcomes and milestones achieved during the first five years of life in the context of early childhood experiences. The results are analysed for 64 neighbourhoods in York Region, as well as at the regional level in this 2018 report.

Early Years Community Profiles

The Early Years Community Profiles tool is a resource designed to support program, service and policy planning for young children and their families at the neighbourhood level in York Region.

Continuous Quality Improvement Framework

A continuous quality improvement framework has been developed that will guide the day-to-day delivery of EarlyON programs and services to ensure they are responsive and reflective of the communities they serve. This framework provides the foundation for consistent program quality throughout the Region. It is being used to guide EarlyON Child and Family programs in demonstrating accountability and commitment to continually improve outcomes for children and families, while ensuring mandatory core services are met.

2024 to 2027 Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan

York Region’s 2024 to 2027 Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan sets out the vision, priorities and actions, over the next four years, to strengthen and integrate child care and early years services for children from birth to age 12 and their families.

Training and Supports for Early Learning and Child Care Professionals

Professionals working in EarlyON Child and Family programs can participate in various capacity building and training opportunities offered by York Region to support ongoing professional development and training. This includes specific training for professionals working in EarlyON Child and Family programs and training offered to all early learning and child care professionals across York Region.

To learn more about these opportunities and to register, please visit the Early Learning and Child Care Professional Development Registration System.

Resources and Supports for Families

EarlyON Resources

Related Resources

Early Years Program Finder

External Resources for EarlyON Program

College of Early Childhood Educators: Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
Early Years Check-In Tool
Early Referral Identification Kit
Ministry of Education: Information on Child Care and the Early Years
Ontario 211 - Community and Social Services Help Line
The transformation of child and family programs funded by the Ministry of Education to Ontario EarlyON Child and Family Centres

Contact us:

If you would like more information about EarlyON programs in York Region or have any questions or comments, please send an email to @email