Children and families, child care agencies along with community and school staff joined Sudbury Catholic District School Board Trustees and Senior Administration and Board staff in celebrating the grand opening of the City of Greater Sudbury’s Best Start Hubs at an Open House held at Pius XII Catholic School recently.

The Best Start Program referred to as “Hubs” is a one-stop centre for families, bringing together kindergarten, childcare, parent-child programs, parenting supports and a wide range of specialized services. The Hubs are located in schools or other locations that are closely linked to schools. Best Start is an initiative of the Provincial Government but is directed at the local level by a Best Start Network which is made up of representatives from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the City of Greater Sudbury, all four school boards, and the child care, family support, health and specialized children’s services sectors.
The Best Start Hubs incorporate services for families such as kindergarten, childcare and family supports, tot playgrounds, workshops for parents, dad and baby night as well as access to other services. Over time, more services such as selected Preschool Speech and Language and Health Services will be offered in the hubs. The goal of the Best Start Hub is to integrate all of these services so that they are all working together and providing families with seamless services.

The Pius XII Catholic School, Best Start Hub is one of twelve hubs located in the City of Greater Sudbury and surrounding area dedicated to serving the needs of children and families in the Minnow Lake and New Sudbury community.

Parents will also have the opportunity to become involved with Best Start Hubs as they develop and expand their programs. Advisory groups, made up of a minimum of 40 percent parents will decide how the Hubs will run, hours of operation, and the types of programs the Hub will be offering. Parents who wish to involved in the planning for Best Start at a broader level may put their name forward to sit on a Best Start Network as a parent representative or join a group of parents who meet occasionally to provide advice and input to the Best Start network on specific issues related to overall planning of Best Start.

For more information on Best Start Hubs, please call 311 to find a Best Start near you!