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Best Start

Best Start is a community initiative that brings local government, school boards and agencies servicing families with children 0 - 6 years of age together with parents to plan and deliver enhanced early learning and child care services.

Children’s Treatment Centre staff regularly visit the following Best Start hub and outreach locations:

  • Blenheim Best start Hub - W.J. Baird School
  • Chatham - Winston Churchill School
  • Paincourt Best Start Hub - La Ribambelle
  • Ridgetown Public School - OEYC Room
  • Thamesville - Good Shepherd School
  • Tilbury - St. Joseph School
  • Wallaceburg Best Start Hub - St. Elizabeth School

At these locations, assessment, treatment and consultation are available from:

  • occupational therapists
  • physiotherapists
  • speech language pathologists

Screenings are offered throughout the community by speech language pathology and occupational therapy.

Also, specialty programs are offered at Best Start locations including:

  • music therapy
  • Infant Hearing screenings/family support services
  • Family support services for Blind/Low vision needs
  • Triple P Positive Parenting Program
  • Childcare equipment loan cupboard

The Children’s Treatment Centre provides the following programs as part of the Best Start Program.

  • Early Words Preschool
  • Speech and Language Program 
  • Audiology
  • Occupational & Physical Therapy

Services provided by other local Best Start Programs include:

  • There are over 700 new licensed childcare spaces in Chatham-Kent for children birth to 6 years of age. This means more family and child support services in your community.
  • Childcare Centre: Full day or Part Time licensed childcare/home care for children 0-12 years. Depending on the centres this could include care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school aged children.
  • Before & After Care: Childcare for children 3.8-12 years offered in the hours before school starts and after school ends.
  • Wrap-around Care: Full day childcare for children on their ‘days off’ from Kindergarden/Junior Kindergarden.
  • ELP (Early Learning Program): For children to play and learn and be better prepared for school. Families with children 2.5-4 years enrolled in a participating Childcare Centre are eligible for 12.5 hours of free childcare every two weeks (space permitting)

For further information on Best Start, call 1-866-720-7975.

For more information on Best Start subsidies throughout Chatham-Kent,
please contact 519-351-1228 x 2131 or x 2132