The Wellness in Wallaceburg Educational Campaign spotlights services provided by local organizations in your community that are working to improve your health and wellbeing. This week’s spotlight is on the Chatham-Kent Best Start Community Partners.
What services do you provide?
Best Start is a team of local community agencies such as Ontario Early Years Centre’s, Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit, Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent, Chatham-Kent Children’s Services, Chatham-Kent Recreation, and Child Care that work together to provide connections to programs and services such as child care, early learning and literacy, speech and language, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, family supports, home visiting, nutrition programs, pre and post-natal support services, child protection, parenting supports and programing, and physical activities and recreation services.
Who can access the services?
Families with young children age 0-6 can access Best Start services.
How do people access your services?
Services can be accessed by going to the Best Start website www.beststart.com and initiating a referral for services from any Best Start Partner agency, or go to any Best Start Hub. Here in Wallaceburg, at the Best Start Hub site attached to St. Elizabeth School, any of the partners from Best Start can help by making a referral and connecting you to any Best Start agency for the services you might need. You can also self-refer or ask your physician for a referral.
Is there a cost?
No – all Best Start services are free.
What is new?
Most recently in Wallaceburg, Best Start partner, Family Centre has become the new child care provider to the University Ave. day care site which was formerly the Municipal Wallaceburg Child Care Learning Centre. They are seamlessly transitioning into the lives of the families and children of this site in a positive regard.
Best Start partners will also be in Wallaceburg at all of the elementary schools for Kinderstart on Feb 25, 2015 from 9-530 for registration of full day kindergarten.
The Best Start partners will be there to provide helpful information about getting ready for school, growth and development, good nutrition and dental, healthy living tips and immunizations. Referrals can be made for any required services at the schools by Best Start partners on this day.
You can also check the local Chatham-Kent Recreation guide for information on community programs and upcoming events in Wallaceburg.
What is the future direction for services in the Wallaceburg area?
All Best Start community partners are striving to provide families with the tools, education and community resources and support. We will continue to provide these services to support the families of Chatham Kent to meet their individual and family needs for the best start towards the best future.
What is the best advice you can give to people to help them stay well?
Live a healthy lifestyle, eat well, exercise, challenge yourself, be an advocate and support one another.
Remember, through Best Start, with a better start our children will have a better future.
