SmartStart Hub

Your access point for child developmental services and supports

How to register:

Inquire online

Need Further Assistance?

Call: 18) Call

Who we support

SmartStart Hub is for families and caregivers with children and youth who:

  • Are aged 0–19, or up to age 21 if the youth is still in school
  • Have concerns about developmental milestones

What to expect

Inquire

Connect with the SmartStart Hub by phone, online form or drop-in. Once you inquire, we’ll be in touch to learn more about your child’s needs and guide you through the next steps.

Assessment

Our team will listen to your concerns and ask about your child’s development, strengths and support needs. This helps us understand your family’s situation and recommend the next steps that may be most helpful.

Service guidance

Based on your child’s needs, we may recommend Surrey Place services, connect you with another agency or share helpful community resources. Follow-up will depend on the type of support recommended.

The first step in understanding your child’s developmental needs

When your child is struggling to meet developmental milestones, it can be hard to know where to start to get the assessment and support they need. The SmartStart Hub is the primary intake point for children’s developmental services. Families can connect with us when they have concerns about their child’s development, whether or not their child has a diagnosis.

Our team guides you to the right services and provides streamlined connections between them—so you don’t have to re-tell your story to each new service provider.

Navigate and access supports such as:

  • Speech-language pathology
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Respite services and parent coaching

The SmartStart Hub will connect you to assessments and services including speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy, as well as mental health services, specialty clinics, and family-based supports like respite services and caregiver coaching. 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 without having to tell your story again.

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.

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.