children's indoor play space with a climbing structure to the left and toddler slides and rocking horses to the right with cliparts of Chinese lanterns and cupids and a zodiac snake

January Updates

  • January and February Calendars
  • Important Updates for Saturday Participants
  • Updates About the Upcoming Renovation / Relocation of Kimbourne Programs
  • Seasonal Events, Things to Do
  • Toronto Public Library programs for children
  • Understanding Night Terrors in Children
  • RSV and Norovirus: What You Need to Know
  • Links: CampTO, Kindergarten Registration and more
  • Year End Giving
  • Thank you, TMU Women's Volleyball Team!
  • List of Local EarlyON programs
  • Procedure and Protocol Reminders
  • Land Acknowledgment
  • Stroller Parking at Kimbourne

Are you new to East End Children's Centre? Welcome. We're so glad you found us! Learn more about our locations and staff team here.

👀 Watch for our updated February schedule on February 3rd 👀

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Important Updates

Saturday Participants:

  • Please don't bring extra adults. We get it - grandparents or special aunties are in town and you want to show them our program, which is understandable. But it has to stop, especially when there are CHILDREN waiting outside and we're at capacity inside. We will be applying a limit of TWO adults per family, maximum. Thank you for understanding.
  • Remain outside when we're at capacity. We don't like making you wait, especially on cold days, but when the door is locked, it's because we are at capacity. When the door opens as a few people leave, it's NOT a cue for everyone waiting to enter. Wait for staff to let you know when it's your turn.
  • Every adult needs a KEyON QR code. No, you can not share a code with your partner. These codes track our attendance numbers. When parents (full disclosure....main culprits are the Dads!) slip in and bypass our program registration, our attendance numbers are under reported. Attendance drives program planning AND funding! So step up and take 5 minutes to complete your registration. It's not a lot to ask of parents attending a FREE program.
  • There is an age limit for children. Up to SR Kindergarten, children can attend programs. Our programs are not designed for school agers and it compounds crowding issues on Saturdays when older sibs attend.
  • Sorry...our staff can not babysit for you. It's sweet of you to ask - it means you recognize that our staff are safe, solid people, trustworthy and fun. All true!! But there are professional boundaries, so please don't put them on the spot.

The above applies to everyone and all programs, but Saturday is primarily when these concerns arise. Thanks for reading!


Renovation/Relocation Updates:

  • Kimbourne Park United Church is gutting their kitchen and building a fabulous new commercial kitchen that will feed vulnerable people in our community and support Cater Toronto projects.
  • After six months of delays, construction finally starts on February 10th.
  • There will be impacts to our programs! We will have a firmer update for you, including schedules, on February 3rd so watch for a specific email about it.
  • Baby Time programs will operate upstairs at Kimbourne - hours TBA.
  • Saturday programs are likely to operate as usual in our regular space since construction is Mon - Fri. The space will be a little smaller as there will be hoarding to fully contain the kitchen area.
  • Tentatively...Kimbourne we may move some morning programs to Terry Fox EarlyON
  • At this time, we don't know if we can offer snacks since there will be no kitchen. Please be prepared to bring nut free snacks for your child and labelled water bottles.
  • As we move into the spring, we may add field trips and outdoor play to our schedule. Stay tuned!
  • Do you have physical access needs? Contact us so we can make an access plan with you.

Seasonal Events, Links & Resources for Children, Parents and Caregivers

childrens crafts made from paper plates including a snake painted blue yell and green and hearts cut into red and pink paper plates and sewn across with yarn

Celebrate!


Toronto Public Library Activities

spacious library space for children with colourful seating and planets displayed on the walls

Danforth Branch:


S. Walter Stewart Branch:


Ready For Reading: City Wide Programs for 0 - 5

Understanding Night Terrors in Childhood

black father cradles a toddler on their shoulder

From Healthline: "Nightmares are intense dreams while night terrors are episodes where you only partially wake from sleep and may thrash or scream. Nightmares are more common.


While nightmares and night terrors may sound like synonyms, these are actually two different experiences.

Nightmares are intense dreams that may provoke terror, anger, or disgust. You can usually remember them easily. They’re very common, but they only qualify as a mental health condition if they disrupt your daytime life.

Night terrors, also called sleep terrors, are episodes where you partially awake from slow-wave sleep. They generally involve signs of extreme stress, like screaming or waving your limbs.


Read on for a crash course in how to tell nightmares and night terrors apart."

RSV and Norovirus are on the Rise

RSV symptoms happen within two to eight days after getting infected, and usually include: Runny nose, Decrease in appetite and energy, Coughing, Sneezing, Fever, Wheezing.


Like the flu and COVID-19, RSV is typically spread through respiratory droplets when people sick with the virus cough, sneeze, or talk near people who are within 2 meters. Less commonly, a person may also get RSV when they touch a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touch their own mouth, nose, or eyes.

More from Toronto Public Health

More from Health Canada

Norovirus is a highly contagious infection also known as Norwalk virus. It is a common cause of vomiting and diarrhea each winter and is often referred to as ‘winter vomiting disease’ or ‘stomach flu’ (although it is not caused by the influenza virus).


Norovirus infections have been linked to outbreaks of vomiting and/or diarrhea in child-care centres, long-term care homes as well as on cruise ships, camps, schools, restaurants, households and other places where people gather. 

fact sheet

Please:

  • Stay Home If You or Your Child are Unwell
  • Wash Your Hands and the Hands of all Children Attending our Program.

More links!!

Year End Giving Extended: EECC is a Registered Charity

The federal government extended the year end giving date to February 28th, 2025. This is a win-win because donations made during this period are 2025 revenue for EECC but 2024 tax deductions for YOU! Our CanadaHelps platform auto-generates charitable receipts so please DONATE there or contact us about a manual donation as we can manually generated charitable receipts as well!

Click Here to Make a Tax Receiptable Donation or Become a Monthly Donor
A group photo of a women's volleyball team seated and standing outdoors in front of a giant spider

We thank the TMU Women's Volleyball Team for gifting EECC with two massive bags filled with new toys! They did something amazing to celebrate the holidays - they decided to use their Annual Secret Santa giving to help others! They were so generous and thoughtful in their selections that EECC was able to provide Christmas help for a local family, with lots to spare for our programs at Kimbourne and Terry Fox EarlyON. TMU Women's Volleyball Team, you're Rockstars!!

Here is a list of other local EarlyON programs:

Applegrove EarlyON

Cosburn EarlyON (including outdoor programs)

Danforth EarlyON (including Saturday programs and Baby Programs)

Family Resource Connection (including Baby Programs)


Bookmark our Linktree on your phone for quick access to our schedules!

linktree page with a magenta background

East End Children’s Centre is located in Tkaronto, now known as Toronto, which in Mohawk means ‘where there are trees standing in the water”.


East End Children's Centre is located on the traditional territories of many First Peoples, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. These nations continue to experience ongoing colonization and displacement– where land acknowledgements are offered in place of land itself.


This territory is part of ‘the Dish with One Spoon’ wampum, a Treaty made between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas, and Haudenosaunee, where nations entered into an agreement to protect the land and responsibly care for its resources in harmony together.

As settlers, newcomers, refugees, and Indigenous peoples, we have all been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect. We are also mindful of broken treaties that persist across Turtle Island today and recognize our responsibilities as Treaty people to engage in a meaningful, continuous process of truth and reconciliation with all our relations.


We remember those who came here involuntarily, particularly those brought to these lands as a result of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery. This city was built on stolen land and stolen labour of Black, Indigenous, and racialized people. What we now refer to as Canada was also built on the labour of many immigrant and migrant communities. From the transcontinental railroad to farming and food production, the country heavily relied (and continues to) on the talent, skill, and hard work of racialized people. In exchange, many of them are denied residence, and they continue to go through punishing immigration experiences and perpetuating racial disparities.


By being on this land, we are all responsible for upholding its treaties. Treaty agreements were made to last as long as “the sun shines, the grass grows, and rivers flow.”



We invite you to learn about the Indigenous Nations that care for the land you are on, and where you might come from, visit native-land.ca to learn more.

Procedure and Protocol Reminders for Everyone
  • Please self-screen and STAY HOME if you or the children are not well. COVID, RSV and Norovirusare circulating, and flu season is approaching! Our organization has always required self-screening for cold, flu, gastro-intestinal symptoms, conjunctivitis (pink eye) and any suspected or confirmed communicable illnesses. We ask for the same vigilance you've shown all through the pandemic.
  • Please be sure to scan your KEyON tag when to arrive at program. Be sure to let us know if you have lost it, so we can give you a new one. Hack: take a photo of the QR code on your tag!
  • Please place toys that have been in a child's mouth into the labelled container for toys that need immediate washing.
  • Please clean your hands and your children's hands on arrival at our programs, after blowing or wiping your/your child's nose, before and after playing in the sandbox, before and after snack and after using the washroom.
  • Please take home your used diapers (we have bags!) and please never flush wipes down our toilets.
  • EECC is known for our sense of community. Thank you in advance for being welcoming and supportive of everyone, including parents and caregivers whose choices differ from yours and children who may be neurodivergent and need accommodation.


Stroller Parking Tips


  • Lock your stroller to a railing or bench at the Terry Fox site.
  • At Kimbourne, please be prepared to park your stroller on the lawn on days when the stroller room fills up and bring a lock so you can lock it to the railing way up on the hill. Sadly, stroller theft is always a risk.
  • If you're able to secure a spot in our stroller parking room, please park with BRAKES OFF, to make it easier for us to manoeuver strollers as needed.
  • Please... NEVER leave your stroller on our ramp at Kimbourne, as this disrupts accessibility and evacuation procedures.
How Did I Get on This Mailing List?
If you're receiving this weekly newsletter by email, it's because you either subscribed OR attended/registered for a program.. Two things we want you to know:
1) We ALWAYS keep your contact information private. We will never sell, trade or share your email address or any other information about you/your family, with anyone.
2) This newsletter is our primary way of communicating updates to you. We ask that families actively or occasionally attending our programs remain subscribed so we can keep you informed of our schedules and participation guidelines.
East End Child Parent Development Centre of Metro Toronto |416-469-0495
200 Wolverleigh Blvd. Toronto, ON M4C1S2 | charitable no 101544351RR0001 eastendchildrenscentre.org
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