Ontario’s Children’s Treatment Centres and Surrey Place in Toronto are taking on a new service called SmartStart Hubs. As SmartStart Hubs, these agencies will be a clear point of entry to services for children and families. Each Hub will bring together local child development professionals, giving families that have a concern about their child’s development seamless connections to assessments and services.

Anyone with a concern about their child’s development—whether their child is meeting developmental milestones—can contact the SmartStart Hub to start the process of assessment. No diagnosis or referral is required. You might call it a one-stop shop for getting help.

Think of the SmartStart Hub as the front door to child development services. You’ll be warmly greeted, and you’ll have a conversation with a professional about your concerns, your child’s development and strengths, and any supports that might be needed. In some cases, the agency that is the SmartStart Hub will be able to offer services and programs for your family and your child. Depending on what is recommended, the SmartStart Hub might also connect you with another provider in your area that can provide services. You won’t need to tell your story again because the SmartStart Hubs works directly with partner agencies in your community.

If you have a referral, you might not need the SmartStart Hub. It is primarily a place where families can go when they have questions about their child’s development and need a place to connect for advice and potentially for services.

The SmartStart Hub in Toronto is Surrey Place. In other communities, the Children’s Treatment Centre in that community provides SmartStart Hub services. You can find your local Children’s Treatment Centre at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/childrens-rehabilitation-services#section-4

Twenty-two providers across the province serve as SmartStart Hubs. These providers offer service to every community in Ontario.

SmartStart Hubs will connect you to assessments and services including speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy as well as mental health services, specialty clinics, and family-based supports like respite services and parent coaching.

Between Ontario’s Children’s Treatment Centres and Surrey Place, every community in the province has a SmartStart Hub. These providers bring together local professionals to ensure the range of child development services are connected. That means families have one place to go to access the range of services and supports that will help their child reach development goals. Families no longer need to make connections on their own—the SmartStart Hub can do this for them.

No referral or diagnosis is necessary. If you have concerns about your child’s development for any reason, you can go directly to the SmartStart Hub that serves your community. You can also access the SmartStart Hub through another service provider in your community, your child’s doctor, your child care provider or your child’s school.

Your child does not need a diagnosis to access services through the SmartStart Hub.

Yes, agencies that are SmartStart Hubs offer child development services like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language therapy. Some offer other services like behavioral therapy, or specialty clinics. If your child needs clinical services that aren’t offered by the SmartStart Hub, or your family can benefit from programs offered by other agencies, the SmartStart Hub will connect you with partner agencies in your area for services.

The SmartStart Hub will connect you with a partner agency that can provide the services your child and family need. The SmartStart Hub is your door to a range of child development services.

There is no cost. In Ontario children and youth up to age 19 and up to age 21 for youth in school can access a SmartStart Hub as well as all publicly funded child development services, for example services for kids with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, or communication disorders.

There is a SmartStart Hub for every community in Ontario. In most communities, it’s the Children’s Treatment Centre; in Toronto it is Surrey Place. If you aren’t sure where your local Children’s Treatment Centre is, you can find it here; https://www.ontario.ca/page/childrens-rehabilitation-services#section-4.

All 22 SmartStart Hubs will be set up and delivering services to families by January 2023.

Many SmartStart Hubs services, including exploratory conversations, may be accessible by phone or video chat for families who cannot easily visit in person.

Not at all. SmartStart Hubs are intended for families who aren’t sure where to go to access services, or what services they should receive. If you know your child’s support needs and where to go to access a particular service, you can contact that service provider directly.

The SmartStart Hub gives you and your family a clear point of entry to a wide range of children’s services. You’ll receive a warm welcome, and you will only need to discuss your concerns about your child’s development one time. The Hub will connect you to local professionals for assessments and child development services—in some cases these may be provided by the SmartStart Hub organization itself. SmartStart Hubs are a clear point of entry to Ontario’s child development services.