Understanding the Early Years (UEY) is a national research initiative. It provides communities with information to enable them to make informed decisions about the best policies and most appropriate programs for Canadian families with young children. This report is based on one of seven communities studied in 2001-2002. Children's outcomes were assessed in physical health and well-being, cognitive skills, and behavioural measures. The evaluation comprised measures for: (1) Family background (including information on parental income, level of education, and occupational status); (2) Family processes (such as positive parenting practices, engagement in learning activities, family functioning, and maternal mental health); and (3) Community factors (including social support and social capital, neighbourhood quality and safety, use of recreational, cultural, and educational resources, and residential stability.) Data for the report were derived from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) Community Study, the Early Development Instrument (EDI), and NLSCY and EDI data collected from across the UEY communities. Abbotsford findings include: (1) Low levels of parental education and high percentage of single-parent families compared to the Canadian average; (2) Children in Abbotsford fare well in social knowledge and competence, but there is room for improvement in physical health and well-being, emotional health and maturity, and language and cognitive development; (3) Prevalence of hyperactive children was high; (4) Strong community support; and (5) Low neighbourhood quality and safety. (Contains 15 figures, 4 tables, and 18 footnotes.)