ERIC Number: EJ759620
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1068-3844
EISSN: N/A
Toronto First Duty: Integrating Kindergarten, Childcare, and Parenting Support to Help Diverse Families Connect to Schools
Pelletier, Janette; Corter, Carl
Multicultural Education, v13 n2 p30-37 Win 2005
The focus of this article is a research and development project underway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The project is Toronto First Duty, reflecting that the "first duty of a state is to see that every child born therein shall be well-housed, clothed, fed, and educated, till it attain years of discretion," according to 19th century British social reformer John Rushkin. This quote provided the title for the city's strategy for supporting young children through six years of age. Toronto First Duty's innovation lies in its approach of integrating early childhood services in a school-as-hub model through local collaboration among professional groups and agencies. The primary services are Kindergarten, childcare, and parenting supports with child health, preschool readiness, family mental health, special needs services, recreation, family literacy, and other programs included at most sites. The project is also designed to inform higher-level policies at the municipal and provincial levels. It is currently operating in five pilot sites in the Toronto District School Board; the sites include the local school and a large group of community partner agencies. An infrastructure system to support the project came together through the City of Toronto's Municipal government, the school board, and the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, which supports social causes such as early learning and care. (Contains 6 figures.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Research and Development, Kindergarten, Child Rearing, Child Health, Young Children, Family Literacy, Child Care, Child Development, School Readiness, Mental Health, Family Environment, Special Needs Students, Recreational Activities, Public Policy, School Districts, Parent Participation, Early Intervention, Outreach Programs, Parent Education, Cultural Awareness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada; Canada (Toronto)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A