About Us

The Children’s Storefront has been welcoming and supporting Toronto families since 1975.  We are a not-for-profit with a full-time staff of two, a Kitchen Coordinator and a volunteer board of directors.

For over 40 years, parents, grandparents, caregivers and children have gathered at The Children’s Storefront, to find support, form friendships, develop a strong sense of community, learn, and grow together. 

Our Community Kitchen offers wholesome, low-cost lunches every day.  We host occasional potluck brunches, fundraising dinners, cooking bees, and cooking skills workshops.

Because our mission has always been to be accessible to all families with young children, so The Children’s Storefront has never charged for its programming. As the first child-parent centre in Ontario, we paved the way for many of the free programs now in existence.

We run on a shoe-string budget and get by with a little help from our friends.  Please consider donating $20, $35 or $50 today.  It’s easy to do! Just click on the Donate button to make a secure donation via PayPal or mail your donation to The Children’s Storefront, 826 Bloor St. W. Toronto, ON  M6G 1L9.

Volunteers are always welcome. Click on the Volunteer button to offer your help.

Thank you very much to the many kind friends and donors who have supported us over the years.

Sincerely,

Roona Maloney
Executive Director
The Children’s Storefront, charitable tax number: 10807 6829 RR0001

The Children’s Storefront is a free service that provides support for parents and young children. Since 1975, the Storefront has been the place where children could come and learn how to play together in a child-centered and family friendly environment.  Parents, grandparents and caregivers share personal experiences in a supportive environment. Adults and children are served together in the same program. The absence of structured programming at the Storefront means that everyone is welcome at any time. Programming of this nature fosters a strong sense of community and supports families adapting to the needs of their young children.

MANDATE
To support and foster the well being of individuals, families, and community groups by providing and encouraging opportunities for community participation and inclusive social interaction.

• Hours: Spring/Summer (begins Tuesday, March 1st 2016) – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:00am-3:00pm; Friday 9:00am – 2:00pm
  Fall/Winter (begins Tuesday, October 11th 2016) – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:00am – 6:00pm; Friday 9:00am – 2:00pm
• There are two full time staff –  Michele DeSouza and Roona Maloney.
• We are a free service (your tax dollars at work)
• We ask everyone to sign in at every visit and to fill in a family information form each year or whenever there is a new addition to your family. The sign in sheet and family information  forms are available online or at the Storefront entrance.
• We are a Registered Charity and a not-for-profit organization
• We provide tax receipts for donations of $20.00 or more
• We are a Nut Free environment and ask that everyone ensure that all food that comes into the Storefront is completely nut free.
• We are shoe free inside the Storefront to keep the floors nice and clean for all the crawling babies.  You are welcome to bring indoor shoes or slippers that have not been worn outside.
• Please do not bring strollers inside the Storefront. We provide safe, secure stroller parking at the end of the building through the blue door.
• We provide coffee and tea throughout the day – please help yourself. We also provide apple juice, crackers, and cookies.
• You are welcome to bring your own lunch for yourself and any children. There is a microwave for heating up food.
• We ask that all food be eaten in the main floor kitchen so that crawling babies only eat the food they have been given by their caregivers.
• We do not have program activity times. Paint and various craft materials are provided.. Please feel free to ask for something if you can’t find it.
• We ask that adults supervise their children in the downstairs play space.
• We do not offer birthday party rentals
• We do not provide a toy lending library
• We do not provide referrals for caregivers but are happy to pass on information (please see:Useful Links)
• We provide a community information bulletin board near the change table on the main floor
• We ask that you change all diapers on the change tables provided on the main floor and in the basement
• Please feel free to put sleeping children in the cribs provided on the main floor and in the basement
• There is a bathroom on the main floor for adults and children in addition to several potties. There is also a bathroom for children in the basement. We do ask that you empty and rinse the potties after use.

Staff

Roona Maloney, Executive Director

Michele De Souza, senior Child-Parent Worker

Rosa Parsons, Community Kitchen Coordinator

Board of Directors

Karen Hardinge-Brown, Chair

Liz Vliestra, Treasurer

Jessica Shepherd, Secretary

Angelica Alexander-Felix

Nigel Barriffe

Jennifer Baxendale 

Grace Bezaire

Suzanna Cermak

Amanda Chau

Heather Childs

Holly Evenden

Helene Hayes

Jason Ives

Julianne Kinglin

Sarah Kraftchuk

Melissa Krzyzanowski