Services that can answer your questions and discuss your concerns about parenting and your child’s development.
For more parenting courses and workshops in Hamilton, see the Growing Together Guide at Family Resources - Hamilton Health Sciences.
To learn about EarlyON locations, Early Years services, and resources see Early Years Services | City of Hamilton
For young children who are blind or have low vision, and their families.
Contact to register. Referrals accepted by a physician, ophthalmologist, optometrist, parent or caregiver.
Provides education and support for parents to help encourage the healthy development of their children. Parents learn to help their children develop the skills they need for daily activities at home and in early learning and care settings. Program services include:
Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Government of Ontario.
French-speaking parents and their children.
Contact for information.
Offers a variety of classes for new parents and their babies.
Open to children, parents, and caregivers.
Contact to register or fill in the online registration form.
Provides educational courses and skills training workshops to the community on a variety of topics, including parenting, child development, and child and youth mental health issues. Programs are available for children, youth, and caregivers, and are held regularly at locations across the Greater Hamilton Area.
Workshops include:
For more information about the workshops visit the website to see the "Growing Together Program Guide". Part of the Hamilton Health Sciences Network.
Children in Hamilton who are experiencing fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD), autism (ASD), developmental, and/or complex needs.
Contact for information.
This program helps children, youth, and their caregivers in the following ways:
Early Words accepts speech and language referrals for children before they enter Junior Kindergarten. The deadline is June 15th.
Complete referral form online. Bring your child's health card to the first appointment.
Offers speech and language support and services for children from birth to school entry. Parents and caregivers can self-refer their child if they have any concerns related to their speech and language development. Also offers parent training programs, public and professional education. Program is administered by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
Open to all parents ages 24 and younger with children ages 6 weeks to 6 years
Call the office before Thursday of each week to schedule an time.
Offers a respite program for young parents age 24 and younger. Children ages 6 weeks to 6 years can be dropped off while the parents run errands, attend appointments etc.
Open to all with a valid library card.
Register for a library card online or in person through your local branch.
Hamilton Public Library offers many services to residents who live, work, or attend school in Hamilton.
Services include:
Expecting families who are willing to learn through Indigenous styles.
Contact for information.
Encourages and promotes healthy pregnancies for Aboriginal mothers and their babies, offering culturally appropriate support for babies up to 6 months of age and their families by improving maternal infant care, promoting healthy birth weights, and overall better health promotion for expecting mothers and their families. Services offered include:
Pregnant women and parents with children from birth up to school entry
Call Health Connections at 905-546-3550 for referral information or fax referral
Public health nurses and family home visitors provide prevention, early intervention, and prenatal support to at-risk families. Focus is on healthy child development and parenting skills. Services include:
Parents of newborns, infants, and toddlers.
To register for the workshops fill out the online application form.
Provides a variety of services to children 0-2.5 years old and their families. Team includes infant-parent specialists, a psychometrists, a psychologist, and a speech-language pathologist.
Services include:
Workshops are 8 sessions in length for parents and caregivers of children under 6 and are run several times each year. Snacks, prizes, transportation assistance, and limited free childcare are available.
Sessions include:
More information about each session available on the website.
Must be a parent between 16 and 25 years old and receiving support from Ontario Works and/or the Ontario Disability Support Program.
Phone or email for information. Ontario Works recipients can call directly or speak to their case manager.
Offers support to young parents navigating a return to secondary school, adult education or alternative education options to complete secondary school (Grade 12). The LEAP program also provides encouragement and enhancement of parenting skills through community involvement as well as promoting independence, self esteem, and job readiness as a part of the City of Hamilton’s Youth Team.
Women with substance use concerns who are pregnant or mothering children that are age 6 and younger.
Contact for information.
A community day treatment program for women who are pregnant or mothering young children and have substance addictions. Women attend once a week with their children. Provides the opportunity to access addiction and parenting services based on individual needs. Childcare is available for participants while they are at the program.
New or expecting parents.
Fill out the registration form online.
A free, online program for new or expectant parents, that can be done at their own pace using a computer or mobile device. Topics covered:
Programs available for parents with children ages 6 and younger. Visit website for specific age requirements of each program.
Call Health Connections at 905-546-3550 to register.
Offers drop-in and multiple week programs on a variety of topics to support and help improve parental skills. Contact or visit website for details on the programs offered, as well as dates, times and locations.
Open to all First Nations, Metis, and Inuit community members living in Hamilton.
Contact to book an appointment.
Provides primary and holistic medical care integrated with traditional Indigenous approaches to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit community members. Staff includes both family doctors and nurse practitioners. Care provided includes illness prevention and screening, assessment, treatment and monitoring, counselling, chronic disease management, breastfeeding support, pre and post-natal care and more.
Open to all individuals or families living in Hamilton who have a low income. Contact for details.
Complete application form (available online) and submit with proof of family net income and proof of home address.
Completed applications can be submitted:
Provides financial assistance to City of Hamilton residents living with low income to ensure the opportunity to participate in organized sports and recreation programs.
Young parents, 29 years and under.
Contact for information.
A one-stop model of access to services for young parents that strives to meet their children’s early developmental needs.
Programs include:
Open to all women, with or without children, who are in need of emergency shelter.
Contact for information.
A 15 bed emergency shelter, designed for women and their children, fleeing from domestic violence, dangerous situations, or experiencing homelessness. Assistance is provided for all women regardless of age, ancestry, culture, place of origin, sexual orientation, with or without children who are experiencing crisis in their lives.
Services offered include group programs, women’s abuse education program, referrals, assistance in finding safe and suitable housing, and traditional healing methods. Service is available for a time up to and including six weeks. All residents will receive meals, personal hygiene items, safety planning and assistance with plans of care.
Young and expecting parents, age 14-21 years.
Contact the guidance counsellor at the parent's school for registration information.
Students bring their infant to the classroom with them, where they work with a Secondary School teacher to earn credits and receive hands-on parenting support from an Early Childhood Educator. Students have the opportunity to learn alongside other young parents and connect with a variety of community resources such as the Ontario Early Years Centres.
Parents ages 25 and younger.
Contact for more information.
Provides individualized ongoing support to pregnant and parenting youth and their children using a collaborative approach to help remove barriers and engage parents to develop skills, foster resiliency, and increase self-efficacy through coordination of access to community-based services, and planning and coordination of multidisciplinary services such as:
Mothers with babies under 6 months of age, who are feeling overwhelmed or who are at risk of postpartum depression.
Anyone may make a referral for a parent with a newborn.
Provides free in-home support for mothers with babies under 6 months of age to cope with the challenges of having a newborn, and/or for women who are at risk of postpartum depression. Weekly visits from a trained volunteer provide practical support, social interaction, and time for self-care.