EarlyON Child and Family Centres are free Ontario programs for children from birth to 6 and the parents and caregivers who come with them. You play and learn alongside your child, meet other families and can get advice from staff trained in early childhood development. EarlyON isn’t a child care program: for its regular programs, you stay with your child.
What happens at an EarlyON centre?
Each centre sets its own calendar, but the Government of Ontario describes the same core activities everywhere:
- Play and early learning: reading, storytelling, sing-alongs and games, in drop-in play sessions and other programs.
- Advice from early childhood professionals: you can talk to staff about your child’s interests and development, parenting and nutrition. If you have a concern about your child’s development, staff can suggest you see your doctor or another health professional, or connect you with specialized services.
- Connections to other services: staff can tell you about child care, public health, early identification and other family services in your community.
- Time with other families: a chance to meet other parents and caregivers of young children.
Programs aren’t only held in centres. Many areas also run EarlyON programs in libraries, schools, parks and community centres, as well as outdoor, mobile and virtual programs. As of March 2026, Ontario counts more than 750 EarlyON Child and Family Centres plus another 450 locations in libraries, schools, parks and community centres.
Who can go, and does it cost anything?
EarlyON is open to all families in Ontario with children from birth to 6. Your child comes with a parent, guardian or other caregiver. The core programs are free: Ontario’s guideline for the municipalities and district boards that oversee EarlyON says core services must be offered at no fee to participants.
Who runs EarlyON?
The Ontario Ministry of Education funds EarlyON and sets the rules. Locally, it’s planned by your consolidated municipal service manager or district social services administration board. They run centres themselves or fund school boards and non-profit agencies to run them. That’s why each area’s programs, schedules and websites look a little different.
Every EarlyON centre must employ at least one registered early childhood educator (RECE) to oversee its early learning programs. Where a centre has tried and can’t hire one, the local service manager can approve another qualified staff member instead.
Is EarlyON the same as child care?
No. EarlyON is designed for you and your child together. It’s a free place to play, learn and get advice, including while you’re waiting for a child care space. A few details are worth knowing:
- Some centres offer child minding while you attend a parent program or another service in the same building, but you stay on site.
- Some service managers also offer respite child care at an EarlyON centre, for emergency or occasional short-term needs. It may have a fee, and it’s unlicensed care: the centre must tell you so and keep a record that it did. Ask your local centre whether it’s available.
If you need someone to look after your child while you work or study, you’re looking for licensed child care instead. We list about 5,450 licensed Ontario child care centres, from the province’s licensing data: start from Ontario child care or a city page such as Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener or Waterloo. Our guide on how to get a daycare spot covers waitlists, and Ontario’s $10-a-day child care explains what licensed care costs.
Do I need to register or book?
It depends on the program. Ontario’s guideline describes EarlyON as offering both drop-in and pre-registered programs. Every centre must offer drop-in programs, but some programs, including many virtual ones, ask you to register ahead, and schedules vary from one centre to the next. Mobile and outdoor programs can change times and locations, and outdoor sessions can be cancelled for bad weather.
Check your local centre’s calendar, or call the centre, before you go.
When are EarlyON centres open?
Hours depend on the centre. In each service area, centre-based programs must run year-round, at least five days a week including a Saturday or a Sunday, though not necessarily all at the same centre. The Government of Ontario says many centres are open on weekdays, evenings and weekends, with both in-person and virtual programs.
How do I find an EarlyON centre?
- Province-wide: use the map on the Government of Ontario’s Find an EarlyON child and family centre page.
- Toronto: the City of Toronto’s EarlyON Child and Family Centres page has a map and list where you can enter your address, and lists Indigenous-led, Francophone, 2SLGBTQ+, Deaf and hard of hearing, and Black-focused EarlyON programs. You contact each centre directly for its program details.
- Waterloo Region: the Region of Waterloo’s EarlyON Child and Family Centres page links to local centres. The YMCA of Three Rivers leads EarlyON delivery there, and Anishnabeg Outreach runs the Indigenous-led Child and Family Centre.
- Elsewhere: your municipality or district services board’s website usually lists local centres and their calendars, and many centres post their schedules on their own websites and social media. In some areas, the 211 or 311 information line can also tell you about EarlyON programs.
When you first visit, staff can show you around and tell you which programs suit your child’s age.
How can I get the most out of EarlyON?
- Try a few programs. Different sessions, times of day and even different centres can suit different children.
- Bring questions. Staff can talk through concerns about development, behaviour or routines, and tell you where to go for more help.
- Ask about other services. Centres can help you find local child care, early intervention and community programs.
- Go back regularly. Coming back helps children settle in and gives you a steady source of support.
What else should families with young children check?
The early years are also a good time to check that your family is getting the benefits it’s entitled to. See our explainers on the Canada Child Benefit and the Ontario Child Benefit, which the Canada Revenue Agency pays together each month, and, if your family’s income is modest, the Canada Learning Bond, which puts up to $2,000 into a Registered Education Savings Plan for your child.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, Find an EarlyON child and family centre (updated March 5, 2026): free programs for families and children from birth to 6, open to all families in Ontario, the activities (reading, storytelling, sing-alongs, games), advice from professionals trained in early childhood development, connections to other services and families, many centres open weekdays, evenings and weekends with in-person and virtual programs, more than 750 centres and 450 additional locations, and the provincial map.
- Government of Ontario, Ministry of Education, EarlyON Guideline, Child Care and Early Years Funding Guidelines, Chapter 6 (updated July 2026), listed on Child care and early years funding guidelines: free drop-in and pre-registered programs for children 0 to 6, core services at no fee, the role of service managers (CMSMs and DSSABs) and the providers they fund, the mandatory core services, mobile, outdoor, virtual and phone services, the year-round five-days-a-week requirement, the RECE requirement, information through phone lines such as 211 or 311, child minding with parents on site, and respite child care rules.
- City of Toronto, EarlyON Child and Family Centres: free programs for children from birth to 6 and their caregivers, the map and address search, contacting centres directly, and Toronto’s specialized EarlyON programs.
- Region of Waterloo, EarlyON Child and Family Centres: free drop-in programs for children from birth to 6, the YMCA of Three Rivers and Anishnabeg Outreach.
- Canada Revenue Agency, Province of Ontario: the Ontario Child Benefit and the Canada Child Benefit are paid together in one monthly payment.
- Government of Canada, How much money can be added to Registered Education Savings Plans: the Canada Learning Bond’s $2,000 lifetime maximum.
Last checked: November 11, 2026.