Item - 2009.CD25.4

The Community Development and Recreation Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council adopt this Middle Childhood Strategy Framework report, and the principles and directions contained in it and request the General Manager of Children’s Services and the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in partnership with other City program areas, to continue the development of a Middle Childhood Strategy based on this framework.

2.         Further research be conducted, in collaboration with the Best Start Network and other partners, on the needs of families for high quality after school programs for children ages 6 to 12.  The research should include the current distribution of such programs and any service gaps which may exist, including after school situations and the needs of Toronto's 6 to12 year olds, who, based on data, are not in a full-week after-school program in order to answer the questions: Where are they? Who are they with? What are they doing?

3.         The General Manager of Children's Services and the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation use this framework to align future Divisional service plans with an emphasis on ensuring common elements of program quality in out-of-school-time programs and equitable access to those programs and ensure  solid policies, procedures and funding are in place to fully realize the potential of schools as community hubs working with local agencies to deliver after-school programs for middle years children in addition to other vital community programs.

4.         City Council request the General Managers, Children's Services, and Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to build on the current research outlined in "Appendix 1- An Inventory of After-School Programs" to develop and include a comprehensive and detailed database of Toronto's after school programs for middle years children aged 6-12 including information on program cost, accessibility for children with special needs, program quality, cultural-appropriateness of programs and identification of school-based programs.

5.         These principles and directions be used to guide the development of a City response to the anticipated introduction of full-day learning for four and five year olds by the Government of Ontario.

6.         The General Manager, Children's Services, and the General Manager, Parks and Forestry and Recreation, report to the September 22, 2009, meeting of the Community Development and Recreation Committee on an implementation plan for the Middle Childhood Strategy.

7.         City Council write to the Province of Ontario to request clarification on the criteria for determining priority communities for the new After School Program.

Building on the Toronto Vision for Children, this report focuses on out-of-school-time programs for children in their middle childhood years of 6-2.  This report outlines a set of guiding principles and directions from which to begin action on developing a system of high quality out-of-school-time programs for children aged 6-2 years. It also identifies elements of high quality programs. The report recognizes that further research needs to be conducted, and anticipates that the as yet released report from the Premier’s Early Learning Advisor on Full Day Learning will impact many existing programs for this age group. It also recommends that the City’s response to Full Day Learning be informed by these principles and directions.

There will be no financial impact beyond what has already been approved in the current year’s budgets.

The Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.