Annual Report 2023 – 2024
Message from our CEO and Board Chair
To Our Community,
If any image captures the past year at Five Counties Children’s Centre, it’s one in which our beaming client Alexa holds up a ‘thank you’ sign.
Alexa is right. Five Counties has so much to be grateful for in 2023/24, and it wouldn’t be possible without the determination, dedication, and support of many people and partners. Indeed, this total team effort was evident in many places.
It starts with the Ontario government’s historic investment in pediatric services, including a $2.025 million annual funding increase to Five Counties. These funds mean we can retain and recruit more staff and invest in our services to reduce wait times for kids.
Our staff continue to support thousands of children/youth and their families in our region. This past year, we served the second-highest number of clients ever (6,163 kids in total). We did so, even while adjusting to a new Client Information System (Five Counties was the first Children’s Treatment Centre in Ontario to switch).
How we serve families is also changing for the better. Our new SmartStart Hub allows families to make online referrals for a child’s development needs. In schools, we moved to tiered intervention in our occupational therapy support for students. This will provide better outcomes for more kids, especially as we shift more services to this model.
On the fundraising side, we raised a record $1.2 million – the most in our history. This boosts high-demand services like occupational therapy and speech therapy, meaning more kids get the care they need when they need it. Our fundraising efforts were punctuated by a generous $250,000 donation from Dr. James and Sheila Ryan.
We also completed fundraising for our Northumberland Backyard Project in Cobourg – a safe, fully-accessible outdoor area for treatment, recreation and other programs. The effort was capped off by nearly $400,000 from the provincial government and the Ontario Trillium Foundation to help us get shovels into the ground.
We are boosting ways families can give input to improve their overall experience at Five Counties. This included a parents’ input survey and creating a new staff position – our Client and Family Experience Lead – to enhance our engagement with families to better serve and support them.
We focused on a comprehensive plan to recruit and retain our valued staff. This included leadership development and competitive compensation. Staff also had their say in an Employee Survey that took the pulse on how we’re doing to support them. Many had good things to say.
We also launched a new Justice Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiative to help us be more respectful and representative of our changing communities.
American author, disability rights advocate and lecturer Hellen Keller once said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” The past year at Five Counties is a true testament to that.
Scott Pepin, CEO, Five Counties Children’s Centre
Julie Davis, Chair, Board of Directors, Five Counties Children’s Centre
Delivering Services. Delivering Results

1Total Visits
Our annual visits by clients/families in 2023-24 was nearly on par with the previous year.
2Wait Times
Wait times for services in 2023-24 dropped by 11 per cent from the year before.
3Kids/Clients Served
Five Counties served the second highest number of kids/clients in 2023-24 in its nearly 50-year history.
4Complexity of Kids' Needs
The kids/youth served by Five Counties continued to have varied and different levels of care needs.
5Kids/Clients by Age
Age range of the children/youth served by Five Counties in 2023/24
6Kids/Clients Served by Community
Location of kids/clients served by Five Counties in 2023/24
7Kids Receiving Rehab Services in Schools
Providing care to students continued to be the focus of our school-based rehabilitation services in 2023/24.
SmartStart Hub is Here
SmartStart Hub
The launch of our SmartStart Hub in 2023/24 makes it much easier for families concerned with their child’s development to connect to care that’s close to home.
Northumberland Backyard Project
Northumberland Backyard Project
Fundraising was completed in 2023-24 on the Northumberland Backyard Project, with the aim of transforming our field of dreams into a safe, fully-accessible outdoor space for treatment, recreation and cultural awarenes.
Our Stories. Our Successes
Ellie's Story
Ellie's Story
Ellie is a very kind child with a sweet sense of humour. But when her parents noticed developmental issues, they knew who to turn for help.
Hayley's Story
Hayley's Story
Hayley has come full circle at Five Counties. A former child client, Hayley is now the Centre’s Client and Family Experience Lead.
Learn why Hayley is well-positioned to engage with clients and families.
Gordon's Story
Gordon's Story
A rare genetic condition isn’t stopping Gordon from participating in daily activities without any concerns. Five Counties has played a ‘significant’ role in helping him and his family succeed.
Your Support Matters
“Five Counties really gave us hope in a time that we felt was really dark”
– Alia, Oliver’s Mom
Thank you to all our generous supporters and donors!
Record-Setting Support Helps More Kids
To Our Supporters, Volunteers and Donors Who Assist Us in So Many Ways:
We have a million-plus reasons to smile this year, and it’s all because of you!
In 2023/24, your generosity helped us raise $1,216,157 to support kids’ treatment services in our region. This is the highest fundraising total in our history, and support came in many different ways.
One of the most evident was in the many individuals who assisted at fundraising events – resulting in a combined total of 1,582 volunteer hours last year!
We experienced a special moment when little Maggie dropped by with a $200 donation — the proceeds of sales from her lemonade stand.
Then there was the incredible generosity of Dr. James and Sheila Ryan, who donated $250,000 to assist the children seen at Five Counties.
The Ryans’ donation was based on their belief in the importance of providing detection, early assessment, and treatment to help children get the care they need. We were pleased to rename our waiting area at our Peterborough site to recognize the Ryans’ generosity.
At a time when demand for our services and programs is on the rise, your record-setting support helps us to fill the gaps that can’t always be covered by government funding. These contributions speak to the generosity of our community and the value you see in what Five Counties does to provide life-changing treatment for children, youth and families in our region!
Thank you for your support!
Maddie, Lyn, Lisa and Linsey
Fund Development Team