Affiliated Services for Children and Youth >> The Development of ASCY

The Development of ASCY

At the request of the Ministry of Community and Social Services, a community working group, through the Hamilton-Wentworth Child Care Advisory Committee, prepared a report recommending the development of a Professional Development Resource Centre in Hamilton-Wentworth.
Under the auspices of the local branch of the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECE,O), the Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre was developed incorporating the existing library of the Hamilton & District Council of Co-operative Preschools Corp. (H.D.C.C.P.C.)

The Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre became incorporated as an independent, non-profit agency under the name of Affiliated Services for Children and Youth (ASCY).
Action for Caregivers, a support service for informal home child care providers in the Hamilton-Wentworth and Brant areas, became part of the Early Childhood Professional Resource Centre.
A partnership was developed with Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals to facilitate the provision of the Hanen Language Program for Early Childhood Educators.

Community project facilitation to develop a Co-ordinated Access Model for Child Care Services in Hamilton-Wentworth, as well as the development of a Home Child Care Registry Model was implemented.
Expansion of Home Child Care Support Services (formerly named Action for Caregivers) to the Niagara area.

Collaboration with Queenston Parent-Child Drop-In Centre to become a program component of Affiliated Services for Children and Youth. The Centre relocated in the spring to Quigley Rd and was renamed Queenston on Quigley.

ASCY became the co-lead agency with Hamilton Health Sciences for facilitating the Hamilton-Wentworth Preschool Speech and Language Service.

The Hamilton-Wentworth Preschool Speech and Language Initiative offically adopted the name "Early Words" and continues to grow.

ASCY took on the training function of providing training, resources and supports to caregivers and educators of children with special needs.

ASCY facilitates the Healthy Child Care Environment Project - a project of "The Community Collaboration and Capacity Building Committee” (CCCBC).
ASCY facilitates the Service Co-ordination in Family Resource Centre Project.
ASCY takes on the role of lead agency for the delivery of the Ontario Early Literacy Program, locally.

The Healthy Child Care Environment Project received funding from The Hamilton Community Foundation to further support the goals of the project.
ASCY relocates its programs and services to its new home with partner agency, Lynwood Hall Child & Family Centre. Early Words Preschool Speech and Language Service moves to its new location at Upper Paradise Rd. and Stonechurch Rd.
ASCY's Home Child Care Support Services piloted the NEW Beginnings Training Initiative for home child care practitioners in the city of Hamilton.
ASCY takes on the lead role for the Infant Hearing Program as part of the Early Words Speech and Language Service. As a regional program it provides services to Brant, Niagara, Haldimand-Norfolk and Hamilton.

The “Positive and Preventative Behaviour Project” was successful in securing funding for two years from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Hamilton Community Foundation.
Funding through the Early Years Challenge Fund Initiative provided the opportunity for two new Family Resource Centre sites to be developed. ASCY was the lead agency for this three-year collaborative initiative which received funding from the Ministry of Community, Family and Children’s Services and City of Hamilton – Public Health and Community Services Division.
Funding was received from the National Crime Prevention Centre for the Hamilton Community Strategy for Bullying Prevention and Intervention Initiative.
The Hamilton Early Learning Partners for Best Practice (HELP-BP), under ASCY as the lead agency, implemented “Raising the Bar”.
ASCY took on the sole role of lead agency for Early Words – Preschool Speech and Language Service and Infant Hearing Program.
ASCY, in collaboration with Voices for Children, Hamilton Branch, planned a two-day Conference entitled, “Family, Work and Community … the Partnership that Pays” which was held in October.

ASCY celebrates 10 years of service to the Hamilton community.
Through the Early Years Challenge Fund Project the parent education outreach component at Ontario Early Years Centre – Hamilton West was enhanced and offered to new immigrant families.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation continues its financial support of the Hamilton Community Strategy for Bullying Prevention and Intervention Initiative through a one-year grant.

The Hamilton Community Strategy for Bullying Prevention and Intervention Initiative received an additional one-year grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to continue its work to prevent bullying in the city of Hamilton.

forgoodness sake, an applied approach to behavioural intervention for young children and a training resource for early childhood educators, community health nurses and teachers was distributed to licensed child care centres and Ontario Early Years Centres in Hamilton.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation, one of the funders which provided financial support to the development and local dissemination of forgoodness sake announced they were nominating this project for a “Great Grants Award”.
The Bullying Prevention and Intervention Youth Advisory is the recipient of the 2006 YMCA Canada Peace Medal. This Committee is under the auspices of the Hamilton Coalition for Bullying Prevention and Intervention which is administered by ASCY.
ASCY participates as a collaborative member of the Roots of Empathy Community Steering Committee and provided in-kind support to the project.
As part of the Hamilton Best Start Initiative, ASCY participated in the planning and delivery of joint training between the early learning and child care and education sectors.
“Raising the Bar” is piloted with Licensed Home Child Care Agencies in Hamilton and Waterloo.
Due to the continued growth of programs and services at Early Words Preschool Speech and Language Service and Infant Hearing Program, the office location is moved to a larger site at Upper Paradise Rd. and Rymal Rd.

ASCY takes on the role of lead agency for the Blind-Low Vision Program through the Early Words Preschool Speech and Language Service and Infant Hearing Program.