LAMP Community Health Centre

LAMP Community Health Centre has been serving the South Etobicoke community for over 50 years, offering a range of health and social services. They pride themselves on serving everyone, with special attention to lowering or eliminating barriers to accessing care for vulnerable community members in need of care.

The idea for LAMP began in 1971 and grew over the years with support from residents and local agencies. In 1976, with funding from the Ontario Ministries of Health and Community and Social Services, LAMP officially opened its doors at 185 Fifth Street in Etobicoke.

LAMP designs programs and services to meet the diverse needs of families, effectively address challenges, and promote health equity. Their Children’s Programs encompass an EarlyON, the Brighter Futures Parent Relief, and Home Visiting Programs, the Family Centre Program, and Pre- & Post-Natal Services.

As the demand for their services grew, and to meet ongoing community needs, LAMP expanded in 1986 and again in 1996-1999, adding space for their Family Centre, Street Level Youth Drop-In, and Occupational Health programs. LAMP also actively collaborates with local schools, community centres, libraries, and businesses, which allows them to offer programming in familiar, welcoming locations that remove barriers to participation and foster a sense of connection and belonging.

LAMP offers free EarlyON Child and Family Centre programs for parents/caregivers and their children from birth to six years of age. Their programs and services are hosted across 7 sites and 2 unique satellite locations in South Etobicoke to be as accessible as possible. They offer drop-ins, registered programs, and specialized programs for families who have concerns about their child’s development, language-specific programs (French, Spanish, Polish, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi), prenatal and post-natal programs, parenting programs, a specialized program for Black families, and their Home Visiting and Parent Relief program.

72.8% of those who attend LAMP’s EarlyON programs said they are better able to handle day-to-day family challenges after attending. LAMP staff often hear testimonials like this one: “We are new immigrants here. We are a couple with a 3-year-old. EarlyON is like a ray of sunshine for my baby, he just loves to be in the
program. Our settling period was very difficult for us; it’s a huge transition from one country to another, but this program helped us to make things quite feasible.”

Camisha Johnson is the Children’s Program Manager, where she is dedicated to supporting and empowering families with young children. In her role, she leads a team of 22 staff who are passionate about nurturing healthy child development and
building strong, inclusive communities.

This passion is evident in how LAMP’s programs are intentionally designed to be responsive to the evolving needs of the community. LAMP conducts annual program evaluations and uses assessment tools to regularly gather feedback from participants and community partners to inform program planning and delivery, fostering continuous improvement. For example, when the EarlyON team plans and delivers their park programs, they prioritize accessibility by choosing areas within stroller distance for families and do extra work to remove barriers that may hinder families’ participation. The ongoing engagement of the LAMP staff ensures their services remain relevant, inclusive, and impactful.

The effectiveness of this focus on accessibility and responding to community needs is reflected by LAMP being the Recipient of the Reimagining Early Years Programming for Black Children and Families through the City of Toronto, and in 94.6% of their respondents feeling that their programs are welcoming to diverse groups within the community.

Like all EarlyONs and child programs, LAMP also faces some challenges. They hope to secure additional core funding to increase staff salaries, so they can better attract and retain qualified professionals and stay competitive. They are always looking to identify affordable community spaces to expand their reach and better serve families living in newly developed areas. And they are looking to enhance engagement with families of school-age children aged 4–6 years old to encourage their participation.

With its commitment to accessibility and continuous improvement, LAMP will surely make great strides towards its strategic priorities of demonstrating service excellence by providing clients with high-quality, accessible, equity-informed care and advancing health equity for all within LAMP communities and the broader health system.