Early Intervention
For children from birth to childcare or school entry.
A home-visiting service that supports families with children who have delays in two or more areas of development, or who may be at risk for delays due to premature birth or other complications.
How It Works
An Early Interventionist visits the home to observe the child’s development and discuss the needs of the family.
Together, the family and Early Interventionist create a plan to work on goals for the child.
The Early Interventionist coaches and demonstrates strategies and activities to be practiced between home visits.
Referrals are made to other services if needed (with family permission).
The Early Interventionist assists with the transition to Centennial Infant and Child Centre preschool, childcare or kindergarten.
The family is the leader in making decisions about the goals and implementation of service.
Who Coaches the Family and Child?
Early Interventionists, experts in child development.
At the request of the Early Interventionist, an Occupational Therapist will work with the Early Interventionist and the family to assess the child, provide recommendations and monitor the child’s positioning, motor skills, sensory needs and feeding skills.
Parent-Infant Group
Parent-Infant Groups are offered throughout the year. Please Contact your child’s Early Interventionist for more information.
Referral to EI Program
Parents, guardians, and health-care professionals can refer – no diagnosis is required.
Complete the Referral Form below and send to Lorraine Chiarotto – Manager, Community Programs via:
Email: lchiarotto@cicc.on.ca
Fax: 416.935.0300
Mail: Attn: Lorraine Chiarotto
Centennial Infant and Child Centre
1580 Yonge Street
Toronto M4T 1Z8
To refer by phone, call:
Lorraine Chiarotto: 416.935.0200 x 246
French Language Service
Si vous voulez des services du Programme de développement du nourrisson et de l’enfant (PDNE) en français, appelez le Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto au: 416-922-2672, poste 230. Vous pouvez aussi visitez leur site web au https://www.centrefranco.org, pour information à propos des services pour les enfants ayant des besoins spéciaux. Pour demander des services en français, cliquez sur ce lien: https://ac.centrefranco.org/en/.
Centennial Infant and Child Centre fait également partie d’un réseau de cinq organisations offrant le programme de développement du nourrisson et de l’enfant à Toronto. Pour plus d’informations, utilisez le lien ci-dessous :
Early Intervention Program Information
H2H Program
HOSPITAL-TO-HOME UPDATE: A GROUND-BREAKING PROJECT IN MOTION
The “Implementation Phase” of Centennial Infant and Child Centre’s innovative Hospital-to-Home (“H2H”) program is well underway. Right now, CICC’s team of Early Childhood Interventionists is hard at work providing critical infant development support to H2H participants and their families.
With thanks to our generous donors, the Aubrey and Marla Dan Foundation, CICC has implemented this pilot program with families who have been referred from Sunnybrook Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and the Neonatal Follow Up Clinic. A research team from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (“OISE”) at the University of Toronto has also been engaged to evaluate the program.
H2H is ground-breaking because it offers “earlier” early intervention support to families prior to hospital discharge. In this service model, the Early Childhood Interventionist (ECI) begins supporting a family in collaboration with hospital staff during the infant’s hospital stay. Support continues through the infant and family’s transition home, and thereafter, at the family home via CICC’s Early Intervention home-visit program.
As CICC’s Early Childhood Interventionists provide support to H2H participants and their families, the OISE team has also begun the “Outcome Evaluation Phase” of the project. OISE is currently gathering, analyzing, and documenting service data on a regular basis in order to assess the effectiveness and importance of early (and “earlier”) intervention supports. Preliminary indicators already point to positive outcomes for infants and their families.
The overall goal of the H2H program is to gather empirical evidence that speaks to the importance and effectiveness of earlier intervention for developmentally at-risk infants and their families. This evidence will then be used as a tool with which to advocate for increased financial support from the government and other benefactors so that more families in need of developmental support for their infants can access it as early as possible.
For further information, please contact Lorraine Chiarotto, Manager, ICD Community Programs at lchiarotto@cicc.on.ca.
Generously Supported by:
Parent Newsletters
Centennial Infant and Child Centre’s Early Intervention program is also part of a network of five other Infant and Child Development Agencies in Toronto.
For more information use links below:
