Early Child Development Status
We measure progress towards long-term outcomes by tracking key indicators for the Peel community.
Why is this important?
- Research shows that what happens in early childhood plays a big role in lifelong health, well-being, and learning.
- Positive experiences during this time can help the brain develop in healthy ways.1
- As early childhood lays the foundation for the future, it is very important that we do everything we can to support healthy development.2
How is this measured?
- The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a short questionnaire completed by kindergarten teachers across Canada and internationally. It measures children's ability to meet age-appropriate developmental expectations.
- It assesses children's development across the domains of:
- physical health and well-being
- social competence
- emotional maturity
- language and cognitive development
- communication skills and general knowledge
- Results are analyzed in terms of what per cent of children are vulnerable on one or more of the domains.
What progress are we making?
- In 2015, 30% of Peel children were vulnerable in one or more EDI domains.
- The percentage of children who were vulnerable on one or more EDI domains was similar in Brampton (30.4%) and Mississauga (30.3%) but was lower in Caledon (22%).
- The percentage of Peel children vulnerable on one or more EDI domains was slightly lower in 2015 compared to 2010.
- The Region of Peel's Early Years Services (e.g. Literacy, Parenting and Child Health) and Child Care Services support parents, early learning and child care professionals to create supportive environments for our children to develop their potential.
- More detailed information about the EDI results for Peel can be found on the Peel Health Status Data website.
1 Reference: Offord Centre for Child Studies (2016). Importance of the Early Development Instrument. Available Online at: https://edi.offordcentre.com/parents/importance-of-the-edi/.
2 Reference: Ibid.