Our actions
Our organization is committed to carrying out actions that benefit young children and families in the
Saint-Henri, Little Burgundy, and Griffintown neighborhoods.
See the list of our actions.
Moving on to school approach
Moving on to School is a great example of collaboration and partnership between families, daycare services, community organizations, and schools. Through this approach, we wish to ensure continuity in the support provided to children and families during the transition to school process.
This approach comprises several actions:
- Moving on to School tool: This is a communication and observation tool for children in their daycare centre. It provides a global picture of the children and highlights their strengths and challenges. The booklet is filled out by the educator and given to the parent. The parent is the bearer of the information concerning his or her child and must hand in the booklet to the school.
- Parent’s Booklet: The Parent Booklet is similar to the Moving on to School tool. However, it is intended for parents of children who have not attended early childhood education.
- “Je visite l’école de mon quartier” annual week: This is an event where children aged 4-5 years are invited to visit a school in their neighborhood.
- Distribution of the card game “Je me prépare à la maternelle” (a tool developed by the Table enfance famille Hochelaga-Maisonneuve): This card game is a playful tool putting forward advices and activities to help children grow physically, emotionally, socially, linguistically, and intellectually.
- Moving on to School annual meeting: A meeting to share the challenges and successes experienced through partnerships between early childhood services, schools and community organizations.
Parks and streets improvements
The quality of facilities for children influences their development and well-being.
In 2005, noting the dilapidated state of playgrounds for toddlers in public parks, the Table members initiated an annual review of the situation regarding the improvements needed to ensure the safety and the development of children aged 0-5 years in the borough’s various municipal parks.
Wishing to increase the quality of life and family use of parks, the Table encouraged the borough to adopt a master plan for the development of parks, which led to the renovation of several playgrounds for toddlers. Traffic calming measures have also been implemented near the parks and daycare centres as requested by the Table.
These actions have a direct impact on the quality of life and safety of families and young children in the Little Burgundy and Saint-Henri neighbourhoods.
Exposure of Early Childhood and Family Services
The Table’s activities to increase its exposure are intended to reach more families, especially those who are less familiar with the services and activities offered in our neighborhoods.
These actions include:
- A playful marking operation on the ground near all the CPEs and family community organizations that made it possible to make the different services for families and toddlers more visible in our neighborhoods.
- Updating the google pages of CPEs and community organizations for a faster search on the web
- Update and development of websites for some CPEs and organizations
- Training on social networks for CPEs and organizations wishing to improve their knowledge and use these spaces for communication with families.
Indoor Parks
The indoor parks project, led by Famijeunes, Amitié Soleil, and the Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre, offers families with toddlers a free alternative to outdoor parks when the cold weather arrives.
Parents and children 0-5 years old can meet there on Saturday mornings according to a pre-determined schedule to play freely and socialize with other families.
Play equipment is available to families for a variety of activities.
“Éveil à la lecture et à l’écriture” program and “Livre-moi” week
Enjoying strong ties with neighbourhood libraries, the “Éveil à la lecture et à l’écriture” (ÉLÉ) program promotes the importance of developing reading and writing skills starting from birth. Its mission is also to equip educators, parents and professionals through its actions. Here are a few of the program’s accomplishments:
-Joint training for school professionals, daycare centres and family community organizations (FCO),
including training on interactive book reading
-“Livre-moi” week (a week during which preschoolers have the chance to meet an author and a book illustrator, and attend activities built around the book)
-ELÉ promotional tools for organizations distributed in the neighborhood (Book Me backpacks, brochures, bookmarks, stickers)
-Book kits for professionals and parents accessible through libraries
-Book-sharing boxes in neighbourhood shops and services
And more…
Ressources
Montreal’s early childhood concertation bodies are entities that have been supported by Avenir d’enfants for 10 years. Following the end of Avenir d’enfants’ funding, we hope to be able to continue to offer local actions favorable to the development of toddlers, to support families and to perpetuate Montreal’s early childhood net.
Awakening to reading and writing in the Saint-Henri / Little Burgundy neighborhood
Toolbox
Transition to school
These tools were designed by CASIOPE, an organization offering professional support to early childhood educators through, among other things, the creation of educational tools.
Card game : Getting ready for kindergarten
This tool was designed by the Table Enfance Famille de Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.