You might not know about it unless you’re a local parent, but those who are absolutely call it a hidden gem.
EarlyON started life in the mid-2000’s as Kids Corp, an Ontario early year resource satellite before becoming part of the family of EarlyON Centres in the Ottawa Valley.
Barb Beimers, the program director with Renfrew’s EarlyON, says their bread-and-butter service is a free drop-in play group for children aged 0 to 6, which uses their open-concept space at Renfrew’s Armouries building on Veterans Memorial Boulevard for fun and engaging activities. The goal is to be a warm. fun space for the children where they can learn and grow.
Beimers also calls the EarlyON center a good soundboard for new parents or any parents with questions about raising a young child. Both she and the other person who make up Renfrew’s EarlyON team have experience as parents and educators and have many connections and access to resources that can help guide parents through everything from their child’s first dentist appointment, to when certain activities become safe for their little one to try.
LISTEN TO THE FULL HIDDEN GEMS INTERVIEW HERE:
