EarlyON onboarding
Resources for new EarlyON Child and Family Centre staff.
These resources provide information about EarlyON Child and Family Centres and the early years and child care system in Peel. They will also help you train and onboard new staff.
Onboarding checklist
This onboarding checklist will help you cover all the items that a new hire needs to be aware of. The checklist will also help you plan and monitor the onboarding process. You may want to add your own items.
The checklist is an MS Word document that you can download and print.
Peel's early years and child care sector
This presentation introduces the early years and child care sector in Peel, including Peel Region’s role as the Service System Manager.
Other information
The Early Years and Child Care Service System Plan 2019-2024 sets the path for how we will continue to build and grow an early years and child care system that is responsive to the current and future needs of children and families in Peel.
This system plan includes strategic priorities and outcomes that have established the framework for Peel Region.
To shape the new early years and child care plan for 2025 to 2030, we reached out to Peel's diverse families. Their feedback along with existing data is helping us learn what’s important to families in our community.
This resource introduces EarlyON centres, including their purpose and role, gives you an overview of the Peel EarlyON team, and introduces you to the foundations of family support.
This video includes interviews with Registered Early Childhood Educators working in EarlyON centres across Peel. The video introduces you to working in EarlyON and discusses how staff support early learning and development, engage parents and caregivers, and make connections for families.
The Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach highlights the importance of reflective practice in EarlyON programs. Program staff ask questions on how they deliver programs, promote, and celebrate successes, identify areas to focus on, and create goals and plans to meet outcomes for families.
Peel Region has been working with EarlyON providers, families, and staff to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices to make sure that all families can enjoy welcoming places that support their child's growth and development.
Our final DEI report, "Our Intentional Journey of Growth," shares the key steps that we have taken to better understand and enhance DEI in Peel's EarlyON system. As part of this work, each EarlyON provider must complete an annual DEI action plan with key actions and measurable outcomes. We encourage providers to share their current DEI goals with staff.
Final report: Our intentional journey of growth
Ontario's pedagogy for the early years
The "How does learning happen" resource is about learning and development through relationships, particularly the relationships between children, families, and educators.
We encourage staff working in EarlyON centres to review the content particularly when considering the importance of developing relationships with families and children through your family support programs.
Access Ontario.ca: How does learning happen
Professionalism practice guideline
What does it mean to be a professional? What does professionalism look like in early childhood education? How would you handle challenging situations? What are some problematic decision-making and behaviours of early childhood educators?
Although focused on Registered Early Childhood Educators, this online resource (which you can download to use with staff) applies to all early years professionals. We recommend that you use this resource interactively. Reflective questions are also included. The scenarios presented will be more meaningful when discussed with colleagues.
This practice guideline can be found on the College of Early Childhood Educators' resources webpage.
Communication and collaboration practice guideline
This resource recognizes how important it is to develop open, responsive, and respectful relationships with families, colleagues, and others in your community of practice. It also helps you reflect on and strengthen how you communicate and collaborate.
The practice guideline can be found on the College of Early Childhood Educators' resources webpage.
Child Development Supports (CDS) is offered in EarlyON where qualified staff can help families to learn more about their child’s development and recognize their strengths and abilities. CDS is a partnership with Peel Region, EarlyON service providers, and EveryMind Mental Health Services, who administer the CDS program.
The CDS model focuses on 3 streams of services:
Program support
Program support increases access to high-quality child development information and strategies and builds the ability for both EarlyON teams and families to support early identification of child developmental concerns. The program also connects families to community programs and services that may support their child’s development.
Program support includes coaching and modelling strategies, informal recommendations and resources, program development and consultations to support inclusive and diverse environments, information sessions, and workshops.
Brief consultations
This is a structured opportunity for families to consult with an EarlyON resource consultant one-on-one about concerns about their child's development. These are offered online or in-person to meet the family's needs. They may result in one or more referral recommendations and strategies to support families.
Peel Infant Parent Program (PIPP)
PIPP is an infant mental health treatment program in partnership with EveryMind and select EarlyON locations. This customized program is delivered by EveryMind child and family clinicians and resource consultants, and EarlyON Registered Early Childhood Educators.
PIPP helps parents and caregivers of children 3 years or younger to understand their child’s needs, behaviour, and development. It is meant to help families develop healthier relationships.
There are 2 parts to PIPP, where eligible families attend an in-centre program and are also supported by a child and family clinician who provides confidential online or in-home sessions.
To access child development support, families can find an EarlyON Centre near them, or call 905-795-3527, ext. 3550 to connect with an EarlyON resource consultant.
The Journey Together program is an Indigenous child and family outreach program for EarlyON and child care centres. The Indigenous Network delivers the Journey Together program.
Child Development Resource Connection Peel (CDRCP) offers high-quality, diverse, and responsive professional learning for Peel's early years and child care community.
CDRCP offers in-person, live online, and pre-recorded learning sessions that are engaging, relevant, and informative, to support professionals in the sector to engage in and provide the best care and practices for the children and families in Peel Region.
In-person sessions
These learning opportunities involve working together with others through idea sharing or hands-on learning. The sessions take place at a designated location in Peel region. You must pre-register and pay for the session before the start date. These sessions may include resource materials, giveaways, and refreshments.
Live online sessions
These live online learning opportunities take place at designated times. You must pre-register and pay for the session before the start date. We encourage you to use cameras and microphones to enhance the overall learning experience.
Pre-recorded webinars
New on-demand webinars are regularly developed based on community feedback and system needs and you can access them anytime from a laptop or smartphone device. Some webinars may be available for a limited time depending on the subject matter.
New pre-recorded webinars are released throughout the calendar year. There are various topics about supporting the early years and child care sector. Webinars support the following audiences:
- Licensed child care care
- School-age
- EarlyON
- Licensed home child care
- Francophone
Webinars are also divided into the following categories:
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
- Human resources
- Fostering engagement
- Health and wellness legislation
- Program and curriculum
- Special needs
CDRCP has an online, searchable professional learning calendar, as well as a professional learning resources and booklet. These resources list the professional learning opportunities for the upcoming season.
Subscribe to receive professional learning opportunity updates.
InfoPeel is operated by Child Development Resource Connection Peel (CDRCP). InfoPeel provides quality, timely, and accurate information through directories, resources, and interactive calendars for:
- Child care
- EarlyON programs
- Special needs services
- Community programs
InfoPeel offers the following information:
Community services directory - Information on community programs and services for people looking to access supports in Peel.
EarlyON - Search for local EarlyON centres and programming.
Early years and child care - Information and resources about accessing quality licensed child care, child care funding options, child care subsidy, Peel Inclusion Resource Services.
French language services directory - Provides access to French language information and resources on early learning, child care, health, special needs, community, and social services, as well as programming calendars for families looking to take part in activities for Francophones.
Kids Pathways Peel - This program offers service coordination to families. Service coordination is available to children diagnosed with developmental disabilities up to age 18. It's also available to children diagnosed with developmental delays or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder up to age 9. Families connected to Peel Inclusion Resource Services in full-time child care do not qualify for this service.
Peel early learning and child care directory – The licensed child care search tool supports families to access licensed child care or before and after school programs in Peel.
Respite services - A service that supports families of children, youth, and adults with special needs by connecting them with self-employed respite providers who meet their specific needs.
Special needs directory - A specialized service for children, youth, and adults looking for either special needs or mental health supports. Supports include a directory, information and resources, programming calendar, webinars, and workshops.
System navigation service
CDRCP also delivers the Early Years and Child Care System Navigation service to make it easier to access resources and programs by identifying and providing support to overcome barriers for families, vulnerable populations, and those needing more support due to varying needs.
Through the System Navigation service, CDRCP empowers individuals and families to identify their needs or concerns, establish connections with services and community agencies, and build community ability to effectively navigate Peel's early years and child care system independently.
Families can access InfoPeel by phone, online live chat, and email.
contact@infopeel.ca
905-890-9432
Live chat: www.InfoPeel.ca
The OCCMS-Operators user manual helps EarlyON service providers to manage EarlyON participants’ information, schedules, and calendars, and EarlyON attendance.
Peel Public Health offers support to parents and caregivers at each stage of parenting. All services are free of charge.
Refer to children and parenting for information about:
- Pregnancy
- Perinatal mood disorders
- Feeding your baby
- Caring for children 6 years or younger
- Dental health
- Eye health
- Vaccinations
- Getting active with your child
