From the Past to the Present

Rotary International District 7070 established Healthy Beginnings in 2000 as a millennium project. Healthy Beginnings was created in response to The Early Years Study, Reversing the Real Brain Drain conducted by Margaret McCain and J. Fraser Mustard. In their landmark report Mustard and McCain compiled an overwhelming amount of research and scientific evidence which clearly indicates that preconception to age are years of tremendous brain growth. If this opportunity is not capitalized upon the cost of remediation and lost opportunity is staggering.

Healthy Beginnings, is an organization dedicated to the healthy development of children from prenatal to six years. We believe that the community must continually focus efforts and resources in early childhood development. Healthy Beginnings, through Rotary Clubs in district 7070 (Hwy 27 east to Picton and Lake Ontario north to Alliston) and other sources, help charitable organizations and service agencies with a focus on prenatal to age six. Our goal is to create awareness about the importance of early child development and facilitate community action through early childhood development programs. Much of the work is through partnerships with the Early Years Centres and other early years organizations. Healthy Beginnings strives to build community connections, awareness and engagement.

To date Healthy Beginnings, has participated in the creation of over 35 early childhood development projects in central and south-eastern Ontario. These projects are diverse in nature and wide ranging in their impact on the various communities where they exist. Our most recent project involved the distribution of Invest in Kid parenting resource materials. Funding was secured for the resource materials and Healthy Beginnings found social service agencies with client groups that could make good use of the material. Six social service agencies received the parenting resources. 439 families in the Toronto area benefited from this initiative.

Healthy Beginnings works to engage communities in addressing the early years issue. We work to ensure there are opportunities available for all children and their families for the healthy development of children specifically.