What is Ontario's Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit?
All parents are encouraged to bring their children to regularly scheduled check-ups with their healthcare professional. These check-ups are known as Well-Baby Visits. Their purpose is to ensure every child reaches their full developmental potential. Well-Baby Visits are interactive, allowing you to voice any concerns you may have, and also allowing your healthcare provider to offer advice and link you to other resources to help nurture your child's development.
The Enhanced 18-Month Visit
Eighteen months of age marks an important time in a child’s development. Typically, the 18-month visit is the last regularly scheduled check-up before a child enters the school system, making it an important time for you to raise any concerns.
For residents of Ontario, this check-up is an enhanced one providing you with an opportunity for a more comprehensive assessment of your child's development. During this extended check-up, your health care professional will ask you to complete a Looksee Checklist. Together, you will review your answers and discuss tips to support your child's development. The visit allows for early identification of any concerns and a referral to specialized community services, if necessary, for your child.
Preparing for your visit
To help you to prepare for your child's Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit, we've developed the Visit Planner. Based on the CAHMI Well Visit Planner©, the Visit Planner is a free, online tool that guides you through five key areas of healthy child development: physical health, safety, parenting and healthy habits, motor and language skills, and social and emotional development. It only takes 5-10 minutes to complete and can be accessed at any time on any mobile, tablet, or desktop device.
The Planner helps you identify and prioritize topics for discussion with your healthcare provider. Once completed, you can email, print, or save your personalized plan to bring with you to your child's visit.
Prepare for your visit
Enhance the early years through play
If you are looking for more free, online resources to help support your child’s on-going development, we encourage you to check out Play&Learn.
Play&Learn offers 70 expert-reviewed games and activities that parents can use to encourage development in four areas: thinking and learning, social and emotional health, movement, and language.
We understand you’re busy, so go to Play&Learn for fun, engaging, and easy-to-play games and activities for children from 18-months to 6 years of age.
Visit Play & LearnLooksee Checklist
Download or print a free copy of the Looksee and complete it before your child's visit.
Learn MoreLooksee Video Examples
Watch video examples of the activities that encompass the Looksee Checklist.
Learn MoreFind an EarlyON Centre
Free, high-quality drop-in programs for families and children from birth to 6 years old.
Learn More