Please note the Chelmsford Best Start Hub will be closed for professional development on Friday, July 16. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you soon.

We look forward to seeing you and your family very soon! .

SEPTEMBER 2009 (UPDATE)

This month a new Hub opens in New Sudbury – welcome to all partners at the New Sudbury Hub located at Churchill Public School. This brings our total number of Hubs to 13 for the Greater Sudbury area. For more information about the New Sudbury Hub please call the Early Years Centre North main site at 692-5565.

The Hanmer Hub also has some changes to announce. Our Children, Our Future is now running the Hanmer Hub out of their centre located at 4477 Notre Dame Street, Unit 3 in Hanmer. They will still offer services at Redwood Acres Public School and also at St. Anne Catholic School and C.R. Judd Public School. For more information about these changes please call 969-4040.

The Aboriginal Hub has been part of an exciting initiative to raise awareness of Aboriginal culture to local families. They have created “Aboriginal Kits” that are now located at each of the hubs (and child care centres) in Greater Sudbury.  These kits include music, books, materials and other resources that help teach children & adults about their Aboriginal language and culture. If you are interested in learning more about these kits or would like to see one for yourself, please speak to a staff person at your local hub.

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MAY 2009 (UPDATE)

In April we asked you (our families) to fill out Parent Feedback surveys to see how satisfied you are, what programs you are enjoying and where there is room for improvement with our local system of Best Start Hubs. We had approximately 250 respondents and the results will be used to guide the discussions at our Hub Advisory Commitee meetings. The Hub Advisory Committees are groups that may include parents, Hub staff and school staff. Here is a quick recap of some of the interesting findings of our parent survey:

• Word of mouth is Best Start's most effective type of advertising, with 61% of our families having heard about us from a friend or family member;
• Most families feel that Hub staff are helpful (80%) and 62% noted that the program is a support;
• The vast majority of parents are satisfied with the early learning activities, resources and parent workshops provided at the Hubs;
• Most parents feel that the Hub is a comfortable place for their family (79%) and feel comfortable discussing their needs with Hub staff (68%);
• 98% of families would recommend the Hub to a friend or family member;
• According to our families, the most important things about the Hub are spending time with family (79%), socializing with other families/children (72%) and preparing children for school (69%);
• In general families do not face major challenges attending the Hubs, however those who do, find that parking (18%) and the hours of operation (14%) pose the most difficulties for them;
• 86% of parents have provided help to another family or to the staff at a Hub. Parents have shared their knowledge/experiences with each other, and they have watched over each others' children. They have also exchanged clothing, toys, etc. with other families and have helped prepare the snack during programming.

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APRIL 2009 (UPDATE)

There are twelve hubs operating throughout Greater Sudbury. Great things are happening at each hub - families are meeting, learning and growing together!

Hubs are working with many community groups and agencies throughout our city. One of our hubs was recently highlighted in the Sudbury Star with a large article regarding family visits to the Alzheimer's Society. Please read the article and view the online video: click here. If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact the West End Hub.

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OCTOBER 2008 (QUICK FACT)

The Garson Best Start Hub opening made news with the Sudbury Star. Please click here to read the article and view the online video: click here.

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OCTOBER 28, 2008 (NEWS RELEASE)

More Families Can Benefit From Best Start Hubs

Starting Tuesday, October 28, Best Start is expanding in Greater Sudbury. Three new Best Start Hubs are celebrating their grand openings, just in time for Halloween.

Best Start Hubs are family centres in schools, including one Aboriginal hub in a community centre. They offer children and their families a place to meet, to learn and to grow together. Hubs connect families to a wide range of services and they offer free support, parent programming, classes and workshops for young children/infants and their parents/caregivers. These services are free for all families.

Each new hub will host its own celebration with various free family activities and children’s games. Details for these grand openings are as follows:

Carrefour Nouveau-Sudbury - École catholique Félix-Ricard
691 Lasalle Boulevard, Sudbury (Services in French)
Tuesday, October 28, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Ribbon Cutting at 9:30 a.m., with fun activities during the morning including clowns, and an appearance by Ami Alain. Refreshments will be served.

Garson Hub - Northeastern Elementary School
45 Spruce Street, Garson (Services in English)
Tuesday, October 28, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Ribbon Cutting ceremony is at 10:45 a.m., with the opportunity to tour the learning centre.  Entertainment and refreshments will be provided.

South End Hub - Algonquin Road Public School
2650 Algonquin Road, Sudbury (Services in English)
Thursday, October 30, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Face painting and crafts start at 9:30 a.m., with the opening ceremony at 10:00 a.m. Activities include Up with Science and Musical Fun. Lunch will be served.

Families are welcome to attend the opening celebrations. There will be many fun and free activities for children of all ages. Free gift bags will be given to the first 50 families at each location. There will be an opportunity for parents to enter a free draw for prizes!

For more information about all 12 hubs, including locations and schedules, communities are invited to call 3-1-1 or visit www.sudburybeststart.ca.

For more information:
Carrefour Nouveau-Sudbury – Sue Shelswell – 566-4135
Garson Hub – Margaret Ignacy – 692-5565
South End Hub – Carole Brunet – 523-0586

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APRIL 2008 (UPDATE)

Nine hubs are currently open around Greater Sudbury offering programs, workshops and events on a regular basis. Each hub has its own hours of operation, but they all work together to serve the community as a whole. For more information about the address and hours for a particular hub, please choose the hub name from the list on the left and you will be directed to that hub's basic information page. From that page you can choose the "click here" link to go to the hub's MyCommunity page that is updated regularly by hub staff. This page includes information on all programs offered and also has an up-to-date events calendar.

Three more hubs are opening in September 2008. Two of them will offer English services (located in Garson and the South End) and one will offer French services (located in New Sudbury). Recently these three hubs hosted events for parents to see what is to come when the hubs open. Check back soon for updates on these hubs as we work to support Home, Child Care and School!

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FEBRUARY 15, 2008 (NEWS RELEASE)

Four More Best Start Hubs Opening For Families

This year’s Family Day is a celebration for more than having a day off to spend time with our families. It will help kick off the openings of four more Best Start Hubs across Greater Sudbury. These hubs are one-stop centres that connect families to a wide range of services. In September the first five Best Start Hubs opened and now these additional sites will complement the services offered to our community.

Best Start Hubs are family centres in schools - offering children and their families a place to meet, to learn and to grow together. Hubs offer free support, parent programming, drop-in centres, classes and workshops for young children/infants (prenatal to 6 years old and beyond) and their parents/caregivers. These services are free for all families. Services are offered in French or English, depending on the site.  

The four locations opening this month are:

• West End Hub, St. Francis School, 691 Lilac Street, Sudbury (English)
• Carrefour Hanmer, École Notre-Dame, 4503 Dennie Street, Hanmer (French)
• Chelmsford Hub, St. Charles School, 26 Charlotte Street, Chelmsford (English)
• Hanmer Hub, Redwood Acres School, 4625 Carl Street, Hanmer (English)

Grand Opening celebrations will take place at each site. Each hub will host its own celebration with various free family activities and children’s games. Details for these grand openings are as follows:

1. West End Hub - St. Francis School  
   Wednesday, February 20 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
   A day of celebrations around the theme “We Belong”, including parent-child activities with PlayLearnThink, yoga and circle time. Ribbon-cutting to take place at 11:00 a.m.
   *Services at this hub are offered in English.
2. Carrefour Hanmer - École Notre-Dame
   Thursday, February 21 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  
   A “Winter Wonderland” day, including sleigh rides, pancake breakfast, arts & crafts and entertainment by Ami Alain. Ribbon-cutting to take place at 11:30 a.m.
   *Services at this hub are offered in French.
3. Chelmsford Hub - St. Charles School  
   Tuesday, February 26 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
   “Red is Best” theme to a day of fun activities including Mad Science. Ribbon-cutting to take place at 10:00 a.m.
   *Services at this hub are offered in English.
4. Hanmer Hub - Redwood Acres School
   Wednesday, February 27, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 
   A full day of fun with the theme “Reach for the Stars”. Join in for a visit to the star lab and other special activities. Ribbon-cutting to take place at 10:00 a.m.
   *Services at this hub are offered in English.

Families are welcome to drop in at any time. Activities are free and there will be many fun things for children of all ages. Give-aways and refreshments are also included.

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 (NEWS RELEASE)

Five Best Start Hubs Opening for Families

Starting Tuesday, September 25, 2007, grand opening celebrations will take place at five Best Start Hubs across Greater Sudbury. These Hubs are one-stop centres that connect families to a wide range of services.

These new centres will be familiar to families as they will resemble Ontario Early Years Centres (OEYCs). Staff from OEYC and Family Resource Centres will be leading the hubs, which will offer parent programming, drop-in centres, classes, workshops and much more. These services are free for all families.

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2007  (FACT SHEET)

• Best Start is a provincial strategy designed to help give Ontario's children the best possible start in life and help them achieve success in school.
• A Best Start Hub - a place for all families, bringing together kindergarten, child care, parent-child programs, parenting supports and access to a wide range of specialized services.