Beginning Years
Beginning Years focuses on the healthy development of very young children, prenatal to five years of age. The program's goal is to ensure children's positive social, emotional and intellectual development during their "miracle years."
The program has two guiding principles:
- Promoting healthy child development and preventing problems from developing in the first place and
- Transferring evidence-based knowledge to community by linking researchers, practitioners, very young children and their caregivers together in a partnership.
GRANTS AWARDED
Ashoka Canada
$14,500 2011
Ashoka Changemakers Initiative: Inspiring Approaches to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Learning. To support the Early Childhood Education awards and 2012 Summit.
Atkinson Charitable Foundation
$8,000 2011
Focus group and survey research on socio-economic factors and attitudes towards early learning in Canada. To support a comparative analysis to better understand the impact of changing social and economic trends on public support for the early learning and care agenda across Canada. This initiative will help to inform the development of the Early Years Study 3.
BC Association of Family Resource Programs (FRP-BC)
$12,000 2011
BC Parenting Centres and dissemination of The Parenting Partnership (TPP). FRP-BC is a provincial charity dedicated to supporting families and strengthening communities by providing advocacy and leadership to community-based family resource programs. FRP-BC has the largest early child development family support network in British Columbia, comprised of 268 FRP’s operating in 88 communities. To provide seed funding towards developing the BC Parenting Centre framework into a four-year province-wide implementation plan and marketing it to the BC government. The plan includes the dissemination of The Parenting Partnership (TPP) and other high quality materials such as Comfort, Play, Teach created by Invest in Kids.
Beatrice House (YWCA Beatrice House)
$25,000 2006
Early Childhood Development Program. Beatrice House is a Family-Centred Education Training Centre for homeless mother-led families that supports these families on their journey to economic self-sufficiency and stability. To support five components of the Early Childhood Development Program: development of a safe playground area; professional training for all staff; evaluation of the early childhood program using the Educational Development Index; training and sharing best practices in the children’s services field; and the broad dissemination of the results of the project.
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
$1,000,000 2006-2010
Experience-based Brain and Biological Development Program (EBBD). The EBBD Program brings together world-leading researchers and engages them in the highest levels of discussion and debate to advance our understanding of how, when and under what circumstances children’s early social experiences change neural, endocrine and immunological systems. To support Dr. Chaviva Hošek, Lawson Foundation Fellow, in her leadership role to share the knowledge that is generated by the Early Experience Program.
$1,000,000 2011-2015
Experience-based Brain and Biological Development Program (EBBD). To continue support for Dr. Chaviva Hošek, Lawson Foundation Fellow, in her leadership role to share the knowledge that is generated by the EBBD Program.
Childcare - Family Access Network Inc
$510,000 2007-2009
Improving Access to Early Child Development and Parenting Opportunities for Rural Remote and Northern Families Across Canada. To support two rural remote and northern communities in each province and territory to develop responsive early child development services for community parents and young children using a process called CARS (Communities Achieving Responsive Services). The project will focus on building sustainable partnerships among parents, communities and governments focused on the local program design of community early learning and care supports and related policy issues.
Council for Early Child Development Inc
$30,000 2005
National Network for Early Child Development Evaluation. To support the establishment of the National Network for Early Child Development (ECD) Evaluation. The aims of the Network are to: promote community-based ECD measurement and data collection; to link a consistent ECD outcome measurement system to other measurements of health, education and behaviour outcomes over the life course; and to measure the developmental, social and economic impact of different types of early child development programs on children and families.
$850,000 2006-2009
Putting Science into Action for Young Children and their Parents. The Council, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization of community and scientific networks, envisions community-based integrated early child development and parenting centres linked to the school system and available to all families and young children. To support the Council to put research into action through three core projects - the Community Fellows Program, the Early Years Study 2 and the National Network on Early Child Development.
The Founders' Network
$80,000 2011
Experience-based brain and biological pathway development and effects on health, learning, and behaviour throughout the life course. The Founders’ Network promotes strategies to enhance the first stage of human development (conception to age six) which sets neurobiological pathways that affect learning, behaviour, and physical and mental health throughout the stages of human development. As the Early Years reports have emphasized, the challenge for societies is to ensure equity in early human development. To support the Network’s critical activity to share knowledge to inform and influence policy changes regarding early human development.
FRP CANADA - Canadian Association of Family Resource Centres
$27,000 2005
Putting Science into Action Resource Kit. A series of resource sheets will present the key facts and ideas contained in the Early Years Study 2 in a flexible, user-friendly format for parents and family resource programs to support the development of young children in their care. To support the development and dissemination of the Putting Science into Action Resource kit.
Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation for the Offord Centre for Child Studies
$80,000 2012-2013
The David R. (Dan) Offord Chair in Child Studies. The Chair honours the transformative work of Dr. Dan Offord and supports research and education in child mental health disorders. The Chair addresses the root issues of child and youth mental health and seeks to discover what helps children grow into healthy, productive adults.
To support the work of the current Chair holder in improving the life opportunities of children who, through no fault of their own, are marginalized and disadvantaged.
Invest in Kids
$5,000,000 2003-2008
Parenting Initiative. To complete Phase I - a feasibility and planning study to test the concept and operating parameters with an array of potential funding partners, practitioner partners, and experts in research, curriculum design and delivery, content and program implementation. For Phase II - to develop, test and plan the dissemination of a fully comprehensive, community-based multimedia parent education program designed to educate first-time parents to acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence about child development and parenting to effectively fulfill their parenting role.
$570,000 2008-2009
Parenting Initiative. Phase II - to develop, test and plan the dissemination of a fully comprehensive, community-based multimedia parent education program designed to educate first-time parents to acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence about child development and parenting to effectively fulfill their parenting role. For the completion of Pretest 3.
Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC) - Child Care Education Ontario
$10,000 2010
To support a collaboration among three foundations, The Lawson Foundation, Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation and the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, to promote the public awareness and sector understanding about "With Our Best Future in Mind, Implementing Early Learning in Ontario" by Charles Pascal, early learning advisor to the Premier of Ontario. Promotion opportunities include four seminars and a joint newsletter.
$10,000 2010
Early Child Development (ECD) Funders’ Working Group. To support the work of the Early Child Development Funders' Working Group to advance its mandate to promote a Canada-wide early child development system.
$150,000 2010-2011
Early Years Study 3 – Breaking the Policy Barriers. To support the development and broad dissemination of the Early Years Study 3 sponsored by eight foundations. Read the report.
The Phoenix Centre
$481,000 2010-2011
Transition and sustainability of The Parenting Partnership (TPP). The Phoenix Centre is the new host of The Parenting Partnership. Created by Invest in Kids during 2003-09, TPP is a comprehensive, community-based multimedia parent education program designed to educate first-time parents to acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence about child development and parenting to effectively fulfill their parenting role. Phase 1 - To help support the ongoing work to deliver TPP to communities during October 2010–April 2011 and to ensure TPP’s future and dissemination. Phase 2 - To support the conversion of TPP’s three curriculum modules (prenatal, postnatal and 6-14 months) from a blended face-to-face and online version to an all online version. Phase 3 - To enhance and optimize funding for TPP received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, further support the online conversion project, and take TPP to sustainability.
The Psychology Foundation of Canada
$97,000 2007
Kids Have Stress Too! Preschool Program. To support the development of program materials for the Kids Have Stress Too! Preschool Program, designed to help early childhood practitioners and others working in childcare settings understand the signs of stress and teach children aged 2 1/2 to 5 years age-appropriate effective stress management strategies.
$400,000 2009-2012
Kids Have Stress Too! (KHST!) Preschool Program. KHST! Preschool Program is designed to help early childhood practitioners and others working in childcare settings understand the signs of stress and teach children aged 2 1/2 to 5 years age-appropriate effective stress management strategies. For Phase 2 – to roll out the KHST! Preschool Program nationally, using varying delivery systems within each region depending on the local systems in place.
Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology
$153,100 2006
Phase 3 – Dissemination of The Science of Early Child Development, a national multimedia early childhood development core curriculum resource. The Science of Early Child Development is an on-line multimedia curriculum resource that presents current research related to early development in an accessible, user-friendly, interactive format. This project works to narrow the gap between research and practice by providing a 'live' curriculum for front line workers, college students and others to access new knowledge and relate it to the care and education of young children. Managed by the Early Childhood Education program at Red River College in Winnipeg, project partners include the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at the University of Toronto, The Founders’ Network, and the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. For Phase 3, the dissemination of The Science of Early Child Development. Preview the SECD resource.
$15,310 2009
The Science of Early Child Development (SECD) – Development of third edition. The Science of Early Child Development is an on-line multimedia curriculum resource that presents current research related to early development in an accessible, user-friendly, interactive format. This project works to narrow the gap between research and practice by providing a 'live' curriculum for front line workers, college students and others to access new knowledge and relate it to the care and education of young children. Managed by the Early Childhood Education program at Red River College in Winnipeg, project partners include the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at the University of Toronto, The Founders’ Network, and the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. To support a meeting of the national SECD advisory committee to plan the scope and content of the planned third edition of the curriculum. Preview the SECD resource.
$355,000 2010-2012
The Science of Early Child Development (SECD) - Development of the 3rd Edition. The Science of Early Child Development is an online multimedia national core curriculum resource that synthesizes and presents current research and knowledge regarding brain development and lifelong social and biological implications in a flexible, practical and learner-friendly mode. For the evaluation of the 2nd edition of the SECD and the development of the 3rd by building on current material and creating new learning tools, guides, “road maps” and online presentations, including a new Bachelor of Nursing online course component. Preview the SECD resource.
Sainte-Justine UHC Foundation in partnership with The Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development
$240,000 2011-2014
Development and dissemination of the online Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. The Centre of Excellence for Early Child Development (CEECD) produces the web-based Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, a unique, accessible and free online resource which compiles the world’s best scientific knowledge on early childhood development (ECD) and interventions Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development Through a rigorous review and selection process, international experts are invited to synthesize current evidence-based knowledge on ECD topics for inclusion in the Encyclopedia. Forty-three topics, encompassing 300 texts written by experts from 13 countries are currently covered. To support the CEECD to produce and enhance the dissemination of the Encyclopedia, to help increase its use and to plan an international conference in June 2012.
$10,000 2012
Tribute video of Dr. Fraser Mustard. To celebrate and share the late Dr. Fraser Mustard’s foundational work to understand and highlight the importance of early child development on the full realization of human potential. This fitting tribute to an outstanding champion is supported collaboratively by three foundations: Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation, Atkinson Charitable Foundation and The Lawson Foundation.
University of British Columbia
$500,000 2005 - 2009
Sunny Hill Health Centre BC Leadership Chair in Early Child Development. Toward the creation of an endowed Chair that will direct a unique program of research focusing on the developmental biology of social inequities – how different social experiences “get under the skin” to affect early child development and influence health, learning and behaviour. The Chair will build on the work of the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at UBC to create a leading program in human early life course development, exploring issues from cell to society.
$195,000 2008-2010
Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) - Global Knowledge Hub for Early Child Development. From 2005-2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health designated HELP as the WHO Knowledge Hub for Early Child Development, the broad mission of which was to raise the profile of early child development globally. To further the work of the WHO Knowledge Hub and its recommendations, HELP created the Global Knowledge Hub for Early Child Development to work in partnership with WHO and other international child and health agencies. To advance the work of the HELP - Global Knowledge Hub for Early Child Development, a specialized group of experts dedicated to leading-edge research and knowledge translation actions that create positive change for children in a range of country contexts. Global Knowledge Hub for Early Child Development.
$1,202,000 2011-2015
Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) – Realizing the World's Best System of Child Development Monitoring: a comprehensive monitoring system for population-level, developmental outcomes to detect differences over place and time, and to identify factors in enhancing outcomes for children. A pan-Canadian consortium of experts has developed a high-quality early child development (ECD) monitoring system that can (1) assess the state of ECD across Canadian neighbourhoods; (2) track the developmental trajectories of children; (3) detect positive or negative differences in trajectories over place and time; and (4) point Canadian society towards those investments that are most effective in enhancing developmental outcomes. HELP, through the Forum for ECD Monitoring, will build on this system and its existing collaborative structures to achieve a comprehensive ECD monitoring system that will improve outcomes for children. To support a National Research Lead under the mentorship of Dr. Clyde Hertzman at HELP and infrastructure support to extend the capacity of the Forum to advance ECD monitoring.
University of Toronto
$100,000 2011
To support the establishment of the Institute for Human Development located at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. An academic priority of the University of Toronto, the Institute celebrates the foundational work of Dr. Fraser Mustard and will be a fitting career legacy to advance his commitment to the importance of life’s first years on the full realization of human potential across disciplines.
