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How Did FAIR START Begin?
 | FAIR START is unique to Thunder Bay. It began in 1996 as an initiative of the Lakehead District School Board. They invited other partners to join - the Catholic School Board, Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Communities Together for Children, Lakehead Regional Family Centre, and the George Jeffrey Children's Treatment Centre. Over the next two or three years, FAIR START evolved as a community venture which included volunteers, educators, Thunder Bay Police Association, the City of Thunder Bay, local professionals from many agencies, community centres, and local industries such as Bowater who made financial contributions. In 1999, the FAIR START Committee was successful in obtaining funding through Healthy Babies/Healthy Children to hire two part-time staff through the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. FAIR START has evolved and grown tremendously since those early days. It is now a standard procedure when a child registers for JK in Thunder Bay that their parents complete a Prescreening Booklet to help with early identification. In the year 2000, FAIR START began to offer direct screening to children as young as 18 months - this is done through Day Care Centres and through drop-in screening sites located throughout the community. |
Does Early Identification Make a Difference?
Research shows that over 75% of a child's brain actually develops after his/her birth - most of that in the first five years. These years are critical in shaping a child's ability to think, to love, to trust, and to develop a strong and positive sense of themselves. The first five years have a profound impact on a child's emotional, social and intellectual development.
Early identification means that we can catch problems before they have a chance to create other problems, and, in many cases, we can actually prevent problems from developing.
If you would like more information, please contact us by filling out our online form on the Contact Us page.
