The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre's Learning Through Play project has received funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to begin working with partners in Africa.  This three year project will allow Hincks-Dellcrest Centre staff to provide partner agencies in Ghana and Ethiopia with culturally appropriate training and resources, enabling them to implement the Learning Through Play program with local parents.

Learning Through Play* is a parent education program that promotes the healthy growth and development of young children up to six years old.  By helping parents understand how children develop, the program provides tools to enhance children's ability to learn while promoting a positive parent-child relationship.  Based on the principle that a parent is a child's best teacher, and that children learn best through play, Learning Through Play is low cost, sustainable, multicultural, and designed for use regardless of language or literacy skills.

Beyond its use across Canada, Learning Through Play is also in use in more than 20 countries worldwide, helping to improve children's lives in cities, villages, and even refugee camps.

In addition to expanding the Learning Through Play program nationally and internationally, The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre is further enhancing children's mental health by increasing the momentum of several other unique projects, including Handle with Care, the Ethics Game, and the ABCs of Mental Health.


* Learning Through Play was developed in collaboration with Toronto Public Health and other partner agencies, including Babies Best Start Program Toronto, Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre, and Judith L. Evans and Ellen Ilfeld, authors of Good Beginnings:  Parenting in the Early Years.