Who we are
The Best Start Resource Centre: Ontario's Maternal Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre is a key program of Health Nexus, a bilingual health promotion organization that works with diverse partners to build healthy, equitable and thriving communities. The Best Start Resource Centre supports service providers who work in preconception health, prenatal health and early child development.
What we do
Supply you with evidence-based resources
The Best Start Resource Centre produces multi-media resources in multiple languages on a broad range of topics related to preconception health, prenatal health, and early child development. Most of our resources can be downloaded free of charge. Many of them can be adapted for local use. Some displays are available for short-term loan. Contact us for more information.
Keep you connected
Our electronic bulletins help you to stay up to date on current trends in preconception, prenatal and child health promotion.
Our online networks (listservs) help you to exchange ideas, strategies and best practices with other service providers and experts.
Provide consultations
We can help you develop strategies, brainstorm ideas, plan your programs, and learn about the latest research, tools and trends. We tailor information to your individual needs or issues. You can access our consultation services remotely through a variety of platforms and tools or in person in your Ontario community, at little or no cost.
Deliver training and professional development
Workshops across Ontario – We host learning events throughout the year and across the province.
Online learning opportunities for self-directed learning:
- It Takes a Village - Taking Action for Healthy Children
- Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Breastfeeding Web Course
- Our online reference guide for professionals in Ontario On Track – Supporting Healthy Child Development and Early Identification in the Early Years
Annual conference – Every February, we welcome hundreds of service providers to our Annual Best Start Conference featuring leaders in the fields of preconception, prenatal health and early child development and education. Access slides, video and more from the 2018 BSRC Conference.
Our history
For more than 25 years, the Best Start Resource Centre has been a leader in preconception, prenatal and child health promotion programs in Ontario.
- 1992—began as ‘Best Start’, housed within the Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse (now Health Nexus), as a unique demonstration project in the District of Algoma and the City of Barrie.
- 1992-98—supported demonstration sites to develop hundreds of innovative programs to promote the health of women and families, before, during and after pregnancy.
- 1998—Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funded the Best Start Resource Centre to build on lessons learned from the demonstration phase and support communities across the province.
- 2000—our mandate expanded to include early child development and we officially became known as the Best Start Resource Centre: Ontario's Maternal, Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre.
Today we are an integral part and major program of Health Nexus, guided by the organization’s mission and values and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. See the Health Nexus annual report for more information.