Best Start is an initiative of the Ministry of Children & Youth Services (MCYS) and the Ministry of Commuity and Social Services (MCSS) in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

It is a plan to strengthen healthy development, early learning and child care services during a child's first years so that children in Ontario will be ready and eager to learn by the time they start Grade 1.

Across Ontario, community partners, school boards, public health units, child care and children's services providers and municipalities are working with the Province of Ontario to develop plans to bring Best Start to their local communities.

Since August 2005, staff from the City of Windsor Social Services Department have been working with local school boards and agencies that support children aged 0-6 years to develop a Windsor-Essex County Best Start plan which will provide:

• New licensed child care spaces
• Access to fee subsidies
• Wage subsidies for licensed child care centre staff;
• Additional resource support for children with special needs
• Enhanced quality child care opportunities and training

The original plan for Best Start involved a long-term strategy to be implemented over a 10-year period.  Regrettably, the new federal government has cancelled its child care agreements effective April 1, 2007 and, since Best Start was funded directly from these federal dollars, this means that the province cannot enhance and expand the child care system as originally planned.

The provincial government has announced that it will spread the 2006-2007 child care funding from the federal government over the next four years.   This means that there will be no additional capital dollars to build new child care spaces, and Phase 2 projects will be cancelled.  Approved Phase 1 projects will continue to proceed as planned.

In Windsor-Essex County, we continue to uphold the original vision of Best Start and should additional funding become available, are prepared to move ahead toward growing and strengthening our early learning and child care system in order to give our children the best chance at future success.

For more information visit the MCYS website or contact:
Social Services Children's Services
P.O. Box 426, Station A
Windsor, Ontario
Canada
N9A 6L7

Phone:  For general information, call 311.  For detailed inquiries call 519 255-5200 ext. 5354
Fax:  519 255-7619
Email:  socserv@city.windsor.on.ca