Community Living North Bay (CLNB) EarlyON Child and Family Centre

Carol Boissonneault, RECE, has been a dedicated member of Community Living North Bay for 21 years.  As the EarlyON Program Manager. Carol brings a deep passion for early learning and family resource centres to her work and shares the following program spotlight. Carol’s journey with EarlyON began as a parent attending drop-in programs, before becoming an Early Years Practitioner and eventually stepping into her leadership role. She is committed to meeting families where they are and creating equitable opportunities for every child and caregiver. 

Community Living North Bay (CLNB) began as a grassroots movement in the early 1950s, when a group of determined local parents came together to create opportunities for their children with intellectual disabilities. With no local services or education available, they opened a small school in a church basement in 1954 and founded what would become Community Living North Bay. 

With its origins as a Family Resource Program and Toy Lending Library, the current program evolved and became one of the original Ontario Early Years Centres.  Today, the CLNB EarlyON Child and Family Centre has 13 EarlyON locations across North Bay and continues to build on their legacy, offering families a welcoming space to learn, connect, and grow together.  Their programs are guided by the How Does Learning Happen? pedagogy ensuring programs are developmentally appropriate and responsive to the child and family’s unique needs.

Along with a Mobile Program serving communities throughout the Nipissing District, CLNB provides a variety of free workshops and services for parents and caregivers that support early childhood development, including Infant Massage, Baby Sign Language, and Baby’s First Foods. Their Practitioner-led programs focus on supporting infant development and promoting strong, secure attachments between children and their caregivers. The Chippewa Street location also houses a large and comfortable Literacy Library where children can find a variety of books and adults can access resources. 

EARLYON – Home

To address past challenges in supporting newcomers to North Bay, Community Living North Bay (CLNB) reaffirmed its commitment to the values of inclusion, respect, dignity, and participation.  CLNB also invested in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training to help its team better understand and support a wide range of parenting practices rooted in diverse cultural backgrounds.  This commitment to person-centered, inclusive service is reflected in the team’s daily community-building practices. Everyday, their diverse team of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) foster rich, meaningful connections in multiple languages that honour each family’s identity and voice. CLNB remains committed to creating a person-centred, inclusive service that meets the child and family’s unique needs.

CLNB and the EarlyON team have actively incorporated three priorities into their program development and service delivery:  

• Building and Scaling Person-Centered and Directed Service Models – developing responsive programming tailored to parent and caregiver needs and interests
• Optimizing Internal Processes • EarlyON’s process manuals were updated to clarify and define staff roles and responsibilities. 
• Creating a Learning and Development Culture • A comprehensive, standardized new staff orientation and onboarding process was established to support new staff in understanding their role and ensure competency. 

Strong and valued community partnerships with local agencies provide vital resources and support to families in the North Bay and surrounding area and assist in connecting families with valuable supports and services tailored to their individual needs. Partnerships include the Health Unit, Children’s Aid Society, One Kids Place, and the local school boards. The ongoing relationship with the local college provides student placement opportunities that often lead to future employment opportunities for students within the early years sector. 

“…My mentor was really encouraging…she encouraged me to be more confident in my thoughts. Whenever I was on the floor with any staff, they would talk to me and give me advice and feedback on what I was doing and how I could do it in a better way.” 

CLNB EarlyON also regularly welcomes local authors, musicians, and artisans who generously share their talents with the families who attend. The storytelling, music, dance, and art reflect the rich, diverse culture that makes the community special. 

Volunteers within our local community also play a key role in making CLNB a special place for everyone.  

“I really enjoy volunteering at EarlyON. The staff members are friendly and fun. They make me feel welcome and valued. I am impressed by their knowledge, skills, professionalism, and ability to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for families…” 

Helping families make important connections within the community is integral to their work. For example, every newborn at the local hospital receives a children’s book from the EarlyON program, along with information on how families can access EarlyON Child and Family Centres.  At Christmas, families who access the local Food Bank also receive children’s books. 

What are families saying about CLNB? 

“The staff are incredible!” 

“We are so thankful for these programs! We have so much fun! The activities and their energy are amazing…and they are always up to play and learn with us! Merci!” 

“EarlyON is a great site for children and parents.” 

“Bravo! Continuez le beau travail! Merci!” 

“I’m glad that we have an EarlyON in Thorne that my son can go and have fun and socialize with other kids.” 

“The On y va program at École Lorraine has been fantastic. I get to spend time with my daughter while she socializes with other kids and begins to learn French… The Practitioner is incredible—kind, fun, and amazing with the kids. I would recommend the program to any parent and wish we had started attending sooner!”