Gerrard Resource Centre

About The Gerrard Resource Centre

The Gerrard Resource Centre (GRC) is an outreach program of the School of Early Childhood Studies at Ryerson University and affiliated with the Ryerson Centre for Children, Youth and Families. The GRC is the only Canadian family resource centre operated within a university with clearly articulated principles of family support. Established in 1982, the centre serves the Downtown East Toronto area bounded by Bloor Street and Lakeshore Blvd., Yonge Street to the Don Valley.

GRC is staffed by eight Early Childhood Educators and one Social Worker, the centre provides a variety of programs that serve and support families, caregivers early childhood professionals and family support practitioners in the care and healthy development of children. The programs include:

• A child care information and referral service
• A consultation service for children with special needs
• A drop in program for parents, caregivers, and children
• A toy lending library program
• An emergency care program
• Resource Library

The GRC offers publications including a newsletter entitled "Resources in Early Childhood Education" that is published three times per year. The newsletter includes a calendar of workshops in Ontario, book reviews, test reviews, teaching strategies, and articles focusing on topics of interest to professionals working in a variety of childcare and family support settings.

The GRC has their very own resource library that is avaliable to parents, informal caregivers, and early childhood professionals and family support practitioners that are members of the Gerrard Resource Centre.

The centre is governed by the Board of Governors at Ryerson University and managed by the School of Early Childhood Studies. Currently, the Gerrard Resource Centre receives funding from the City of Toronto, private foundations and donations.