Our History
We were officially incorporated in 1986 after years of dedicated work by parents who wanted to end the isolation of families with young children. They were determined to “make a difference”. Their efforts resulted in today’s multi-service agency that enriches the daily lives of parents, caregivers and the communities in which EYET services and programs are located. Here are some key milestones:
1983 East York Family Resources (EYFR) founded by parents as a co-operative to provide support to families with young children
1984 Family drop-in opened at Ina Grafton-Gage Home, staffed by volunteers (known as the O’Connor Program)
1986 EYFR is incorporated, funding secured and Family Resource Program is opened at Secord Public School in Crescent Town
1987 EYFR opens Family Resource Program at 444 Lumsden (Agnes MacPhail Drop-In program)
1988 EYFR gains charitable status, moves Family Resource Program from Secord School to 140 Dawes Road
1995 EYFR develops the Mobile Family Resource Program, operating from a van to deliver programs at various locations around the Greater Crescent Town community
1996 EYFR amalgamates with St. Paul’s Parent-Child Centre (located in Regent Park)
1997 EYFR legally changes its name to East York East Toronto Family Resources Organization (EYET) EYET plays a lead role in the “Participant Voices Research Project”, a joint initiative of Ryerson University and the Family Support sector
1998 Action for Children Today and Tomorrow (ACTT), a community coalition of agencies, community leaders, politicians and parents with a focus on the health and well-being of children aged 0 to 6, is formed; EYET acts as the trustee for the coalition EYET begins operating the East York Housing Help Centre, including delivery of the Rent Bank program for East York
1999 EYET actively participates in two projects (“Fresh Start” and “The Truth”) focused on harm reduction and women’s sexual health, led by the Metro Association of Family Resource Programs
2000 Assisting Women in AIDS Related Education (AWARE), a peer-led harm reduction and sexual health education program, is created East York Healthy Beginnings for Healthy Babies (EYHBHB), a pre-natal program for women at-risk women, is created to deliver programs in Crescent Town and Thorncliffe in partnership with ACTT; EYET acts as lead agency and trustee for the program
2001 Resources Exist for Networking and Training (RENT), a training, mentoring and networking program for housing workers, is created
2002 EYET, in partnership with ACTT and various community partners, leads the Toronto First Duty site for the Dawes-Secord community – an integrated service delivery model for families with kindergarten children O’Connor Family Resource Program relocated to Donlands & Cosburn and renamed Donlands Family Resource Program
2003 EYET is appointed as lead agency for the Ontario Early Years Centers in two ridings – Beaches-East York and Toronto Center Rosedale
2005 Crescent Town Kiddie Corner is amalgamated with EYET
EYET opens Annie’s Place, an Early Learning Centre for preschool and kindergarten aged children operating out of Secord Public School, as part of the Province’s Best Start initiative (one room, 16 children)
EYET opens The Parenting Room, a satellite OEYC program, in Secord School
EYET partners with Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre and Growing Up Healthy Downtown to support the delivery of Ready for School Connects (RfSC), a summer school readiness program for newcomer families with children entering kindergarten, at St. Paul’s school
2006 EYET launches Landlord Connect, a program to connect landlords and low-income tenants to reduce homelessness
EYET opens Tom’s Place, an Early Learning Centre for preschool and kindergarten aged children operating out of St. Paul’s School, as part of the Province’s Best Start initiative (two rooms, 26 children)
EYET begins to deliver Streets to Homes follow-up program as part of Housing Help Centre services
2007 EYET expands Streets to Homes follow-up program
2008 EYET pilots RfSC at Crescent Town Public School as a program of EYET in partnership with DPNC and the OEYC for Beaches East York TESHH (Training Essential Skills for Housing Help) is created to provide foundational skills training to new housing workers; pilot project becomes ongoing project of EYET Housing Help Association of Ontario (HHAO) is created; EYET acts as trustee and provides leadership and staffing to the new provincial body
Community Services Partnership grant secured for community capacity building activities in Crescent Town community
2009 RfSC program expanded to Secord Public School and George Webster Public School; Healthy Child Screening piloted at Crescent Town Public School
2010 RfSC becomes a program of the OEYC for Toronto Centre Rosedale at to St. Paul’s School
2010 Crescent Town childcare opens
2011 RfSC receives funding from CIC and expands to create a Parent Caregiver Network
2012 Before and After Care program was opened in Crescent Town and Tom’s Place.