E-book version
Annual Report
2024 – 2025
Our Mission
We connect expectant families and those with young children to tools, resources, the knowledge of our multi-disciplinary staff team, and each other, supporting the growth and development of children aged 0 to 6.
A Message from the Chair
Dear Friends and Supporters,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am excited to share a few reflections on the past year at Peterborough Child & Family Centres.
It has been a year full of meaningful progress, thoughtful leadership, and above all, a deep commitment to supporting the children and families in our community. As Board Chair, I have had the privilege of seeing firsthand the incredible work of our staff, the difference our programs make, and the powerful partnerships that help bring our mission to life.
In a time when many families continue to face uncertainty and complex challenges, PCFC has been a steady, compassionate, and innovative presence. From prenatal support for new parents, to nature-based outdoor play programs that give kids the chance to learn and grow in fresh ways, PCFC continues to adapt and evolve to meet the diverse needs of our community.
This year, the Board has also worked closely with our CEO, Nicola Lyle, whose leadership has been both inspiring and forward-thinking. Together, we have focused on strengthening the foundation of the organization, making sure PCFC is positioned not just to meet today’s needs, but to continue serving families well into the future.
Some of the highlights from this past year include:
- Achieving full compliance with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA), a big milestone in ensuring our governance is strong and up to date.
- Reviewing and modernizing our Charitable Purposes, making sure they truly reflect the work we do and the impact we want to have.
- Refreshing our Committee Structure and creating clear Terms of Reference to support clarity and effectiveness.
- Developing an orientation process to help new board members get off to a strong start.
- Implementing an Annual Board Evaluation process so we can continually learn and improve.
- Completing a comprehensive risk assessment to better prepare us for the future.
As a Board, we are so grateful to our staff, volunteers, funders, community partners, and most importantly the families who trust us to be part of their journey. Your support and collaboration inspire us every day.
Looking ahead, we are filled with optimism. We remain committed to building strong, resilient communities where expectant families, parents, and young children have the tools, resources, and connections they need, not just to get by, but to truly thrive.
With sincere thanks,
Jane Pryde, Chair, Board of Directors
A Message from the Chief Executive Officer
Dear Friends, Partners, and Supporters,
As we look back on the past year, I am filled with deep appreciation for the many individuals, families, and partners who make our work possible. At Peterborough Child & Family Centres, our commitment to children and families has never been stronger.
In a year marked by both challenges and opportunities, we have continued to respond to the evolving needs of our community with compassion, innovation, and resilience. Whether it was through expanding access to prenatal supports, increasing opportunities for outdoor play, or supporting children to have nutritious food at school, our goal remained clear – connecting expectant families, and those with young children with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need for healthy growth and development.
Among our many accomplishments this year, we are proud to highlight:
- Implementation of the National School Food Program in Central East Ontario supporting 748 schools with additional funds to purchase food and equipment and supports to get those items more easily and efficiently.
- With the generous support of the Township of Asphodel-Norwood, we launched a new site for families in the eastern part of Peterborough County.
- Launching of several new digital tools to help families communicate and connect with us, including a modern cloud-based platform for our Toy and Lending Library and a secure, online learning tool to document learning and strengthen engagement with families.
Our work is made possible by the incredible dedication of our staff, the wisdom and guidance of our Board of Directors, and the generosity of our funders and donors. To every volunteer, partner, advocate, and family who uses our services – thank you for believing in the importance of nurturing the growth and development of young children and their families.
Looking ahead, we are excited to deepen our impact in the next year through opening our childcare services at The School for Young Moms to the wider community, continuing our coalition work in community resilience, and reinvigorating our programs for our community’s most vulnerable children and families.
Together, we are building a future where every child and parent can share, learn, and grow.
With gratitude,
Nicola Lyle, Chief Executive Officer
Our Donors
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Our Funders
- Breakfast Clubs of Canada
- City of Peterborough
- Grocery Foundation
- Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- United Way of Peterborough & District
Board of Directors
PCFC
- Anna McLean-Jamieson
- Courtney Ross
- Danielle Hoogkamer
- Heather Holland
- Jane Pryde
- Janet Dang
- Kristina Goodwin
- Pallavi Roy
- Will Coulby
Friends of PCFC
- Chrissy Bass-West
- Emily Whetung
- Graham Hart
- Jennifer Lewis
- Joseph Grant
- Peter Earle
- Sanjeev Sukumaran
Our Team
- Nicola Lyle CEO
- Amy Holmes
- Angie Maxine-Little
- Ashley McNevin
- Candace Passey
- Debbie Byrne
- Emily Jones
- Geri-Lynn Cajindos
- Gillian Gabourie
- Heather Thoma
- Jason Brock
- Joanne Dickson
- Kathy Warner
- Kellie Walden
- Krista Bianco
- Leanne Caskanette
- Lori Garcia- Maravilla
- Marina Crough
- Megan Curran
- Paula Marques
- Rick Sloukji
- Sarah Theobald
- Sharon Fitzgerald
- Susan Lee
- Tracey Boyd
- Valerie Wagner
- Virginia Cailes
What We do
Peterborough Child & Family Centres serves the Peterborough County community at three urban sites in the City of Peterborough, three rural sites in Apsley, Lakefield and Norwood, and a number of local parks and outdoor spaces.
From April 1st, 2024 to March 31st, 2025, Peterborough Child & Family Centres offered 43 unique programs including prenatal programs, drop-in programs and workshops, indoor and outdoor programs, virtual programs, specialized
programs for vulnerable families, a Toy & Book Lending Library, and a Breastfeeding & Well Baby Clinic. As the Lead Agency for the Ontario Student Nutrition Program in Central East Ontario, we supported thousands of students from kindergarten to grade 12 to access nutritious food at school.
Over 6,500 library borrowing transactions processed!
Toy & Book Lending Library
Our Student Nutrition Program served over 35,132,903 meals to students in 748 schools across 11 school boards!
838 families with young children explored the outdoors in all kinds of weather by participating in our outdoor parks’ programs!
Babies First
Steps and Stages
Families Connect
Offered specialized parenting supports to 218 parents and young children living in challenging circumstances!
The School for Young Moms supported 15 young pregnant and parenting women, along with their infants, to continue their high school education – 6 of them graduated with a high school diploma and 1 PACE valedictorian!
Our community nurse provided support to 263 moms and babies in our Breastfeeding and Well Baby Clinic.
Why our work is important
This year saw the Canada National School Food program add funds into the existing Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services Student Nutrition Program framework.
This resulted in an additional $1.4 million in funding to our Region. This additional funding allowed our schools to ensure programs remained open through June 2025, helped them meet increasing demand and rising food costs.
Thanks to a generous grant from Breakfast Clubs of Canada many schools were able to purchase essential equipment.
Did You Know?
Every year PCFC participates in a sector-wide survey, along with all other Child Care and EarlyON providers in the County and City of Peterborough. In 2024, the survey focused on parent feedback.
The survey focuses on the four foundations of learning, as described in Ontario’s pedagogy document How Does Learning Happen: Belonging, Engagement, Expression, and Well-Being. PCFC performed well in all areas, surpassing the survey average in Belonging, Well-Being and Expression.
Parents told us PCFC is particularly strong in inclusion, with more than 97% of families saying the felt both they and their children are valued, respected and included by our educators.
Of course, there is always room for improvement – we heard requests for afternoon and evening programming, and we delivered with weekly versions of both!
Norwood new home!
After 2 years of weekly set ups and take downs, moves across halls and across town, sharing space and making space to create engaging play environments for our families, in June 2024, we finally settled into a new location in Norwood!
We’re grateful to the Township of Asphodel-Norwood for partnering with us to provide programs and services to families.
“This center and its staff had a huge impact on my life and my daughter’s life. It has been a hub for building social relationships, belonging, and community for me as a mom and because of this it has had a huge positive impact to our wellbeing as a whole family.”
“The educators at the Norwood site have created such a beautiful community where all children and families feel welcome and included.
My children and myself have made so many good friends at program and having such wonderful educators there to facilitate these friendships and experiences make all the difference.”
When I made the decision to attend the School for Young Moms, I was facing one of the most difficult times in my life and was at a very low point in my life. I remember the first day I attended SYM and the warm presence my child and I were greeted with. I was walked through what a typical day would look like for both of us. I loved that I was shown what our day-to-day routine would look like.
The more time I spend at SYM and the more time I am able to spend with my peers around me, I realize that this program has not only allowed me to take astonishing steps in terms of education but more importantly to me, I have created a sense of family and a sense of home through the School for Young Moms. The support that is provided by every single one of them is nothing less than incredible.
I have watched my child grow in so many aspects of child development since our first days of the program. I truly could not be more grateful to have the group of teachers that we were given to care for them.
The Families Connect Program changed everything for us. They helped me access services that support both my child’s health and my own well-being. The educators emphasize that a healthy parent raises a healthy child, and they help remove barriers that would otherwise seem insurmountable – whether it’s finding legal advice, easing financial hardships, or fighting the quiet, unseen battles with self-doubt.
For my child, it’s been life-changing to be surrounded by parents and staff who truly understand developmental and behavioral challenges. In other groups, I often felt embarrassed and judged, which created an unspoken pressure on my child to perform. Here, my baby is loved exactly as is. My child’s blossoming into a wonderful toddler and learning important social skills with people who are safe and accepting.
As a parent, the Families Connect staff have helped me become more patient, more confident, and better equipped to handle the challenges of parenting.
I am forever thankful to Have them walking along side us on this journey.
40 Years of dedicated work!
On June 11, 1984, I walked into this organization for the first time as the newest staff member, filled with a mix of emotions – excitement, nervousness, and a deep sense of anticipation. I was stepping into a role that aligned perfectly with my passion for working with young children and supporting parents, making this new career opportunity especially meaningful.
Despite the initial jitters that come with starting something new, it didn’t take long for me to realize that this was a truly special place. Almost immediately, I felt a strong sense of belonging. What makes this place so unique is the people – the families, the volunteers, and, of course, the dedicated staff who bring heart and purpose to everything they do.
Over the past forty years, there have been
many changes – names included – and both the Organization and I have experienced tremendous growth. Yet one thing has remained constant: the unwavering passion and commitment to making a difference. And after all these years, I still feel it in my heart – this is where I belong.
Kathy Warner
Financial Statements
Statement of Financial Position
Statement of Revenue & Expenses
