The Our Kids Network in Halton is comprised of a multidisciplinary coalition representing various professions, organizations and the community who are working together for the well being of children in Halton. The organizations that comprise the Our Kids Network include:
The Our Kids Network represents Halton's commitment to the healthy development and well being of all children in our community from prenatal to adolescence (0 - 18 years of age). Several themes, grounded in research, steer our work towards ensuring “all children thrive”.
Early child development affects health, well being and competence throughout life. A child’s earliest experiences shape the physical development of the brain and the child’s capacity for further development. When children are developmentally ready to enter Grade 1 the results are staggering: they do better throughout their school life, have better self esteem and have fewer behaviour problems.
When children and youth feel positively connected to their community environment (whether school, home or neighbourhood) and have a strong sense of belonging, they are more likely to achieve academically, have better self esteem and are less likely to become involved in risky behaviour.
For more information, please visit the Our Kids Network website.
For more information about community services available in Halton, please refer to the Community Services Inventory.
Halton Youth Survey
The Halton Youth Survey (HYS) is conducted in partnership with the Our Kids Network (OKN) as part of a 3-year cycle of data collection that monitors children at birth, age 5, age 12 and age 15. All elementary and secondary schools in both HCDSB and HDSB are invited to have their grade 7 and grade 10 students participate in the survey. The first cycle of the HYS was completed in 2006-2007 and the second cycle in 2009-2010. The survey is intended to measure key factors related to positive youth development and to better understand how well Halton youth are doing, with a particular emphasis on developmental assets. Information from the HYS is used by all Our Kids partners and the broader community to identify key issues related to healthy youth development.
You can see a copy of the results here.