Program Statement
Clinton Co-operative Childcare Centre provides quality child care for children from birth to twelve years, within an inviting environment. “How Does Learning Happen?” guides us in providing an optimal program for the children both as individuals and as a group. We view children as competent, capable, curious and rich in potential.
We foster the health, safety, nutrition and well-being of the children. The children are provided healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, following Canada’s Food Guide to ensure the children’s nutritional needs are met, and menus are planned accordingly. Educators ensure all equipment and materials are in good repair, with Health and Safety Inspections completed monthly. All staff are trained and current in First Aid and CPR, and take additional Health and Safety trainings when possible. As well, educators complete visual health and emotional checks of each child upon arrival, and communicate daily with the parents and caregivers to ensure the health of the children. Using fundraising dollars we purchase new toys and equipment regularly.
We support positive and responsive interactions among children, parents, educators and staff. This is done through encouraging meaningful interactions, and listening to what the children, parents, educators and staff have to say at all times. We are genuinely interested in their personal lives, interests, and in their day to day activities. Families are encouraged to share experiences and ideas.
At Clinton Co-operative Childcare Centre we encourage the children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their ability to self-regulate through leading by example and allowing them to problem solve. We assist children in identifying and acknowledging their feelings, and how to regulate them. We allow them to make mistakes, and to learn from those mistakes.
We foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry by providing a vast array of learning materials according to their interests, and add to them as their interests evolve. These items may include nature items, things from home or from the community. We offer many areas for children to engage in, which include but are not limited to creative, literacy, dramatic and cognitive. We will inquire, observe, and document the interests of the children and provide them with materials that challenge and inspire. Meeting the needs of the children in the program.
At Clinton Co-operative Childcare Centre we provide child-initiated and adult-supported experiences regularly. This is done through observing and documenting the children’s interests and encouraging them to explore that interest further by providing the necessary materials and supporting them throughout. The educators support the individual needs of the children and are flexible in their programming. We will provide choices, and expand on those choices.
Staff plan for and create positive learning environments and experiences in which each child’s learning and development will be supported and which is inclusive of all children, including those with individualized plans. Staff are knowledgeable in child development, and offer both planned and spontaneous developmentally appropriate activities dependent upon the children’s interests and needs. We will observe the children and create their learning environments in a way which will support them developmentally and cognitively, using the environment as a third teacher.
We value the importance of both indoor and outdoor play, as well as active play, rest, and quiet time. In a quiet, dark room, with soothing music, the infants will nap as required, as per the parent’s preference. Staff will provide visual and physical checks. The toddlers and preschoolers will have a rest and quiet time after lunch, dependent upon their individual needs. We take the inside outside, and vice versa, such as creative experiences outside, and ball play inside.
We at Clinton Co-operative Childcare Centre foster the engagement of and ongoing communication with parents about the program and their children, through creating partnerships with families. We value the importance of welcoming all families into the centre and having meaningful, daily verbal exchanges with them. Educators create monthly newsletters which are distributed to parents, use social media and send regular emails to parents as a way of communication. We also host our Annual General Meeting/Open House each spring, which includes a meal and entertainment, which parents are invited to attend.
The childcare centre will involve local community partners, and will allow those partners to support the children, their families, and staff, through being involved in community events. By involving community partners, we value that children are an integral part of the community. We build partnerships with community members for things such as local field trips, donations, fundraising, as well as volunteer opportunities. We encourage community partners to come to the centre in order to share their expertise with both the children and staff. We network to provide co-operative education and apprenticeship opportunities. We also have a volunteer Board of Directors which are actively involved within the centre. Clinton Co-operative Childcare Centre has a close partnership with the Ontario EarlyON Program, and regularly attend Child Care Provider, and School Age Network meetings. We strive to maintain close working relationships with community organizations to provide available services to families. Sharing space with local school boards, maintaining valuable partnerships and providing smooth transitions from Early Childhood to school.
All staff will participate in continuous professional learning. We will provide learning opportunities within the centre, and encourage and support staff in attending training both within and outside of the county. Staff engage daily in reflective practice. Clinton Co-operative Childcare Centre will bring in community partners such as the Health Unit and Resource Consultants to our monthly staff meetings as a way to provide staff the opportunity for ongoing professional development. Our Early Childhood Educators are registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators, and are in the process of becoming are part of the continuous professional learning program with the College.
Through both formal and informal observation, we will monitor the impact of our Program Statement on the children and their families. Regular documentation is completed and displayed in each program space.
At Clinton Co-operative Childcare Centre, we strive to create the optimal atmosphere for children and their families, through using the document, “How Does Learning Happen?” viewing the children as competent, capable, and rich in potential. We have strong partnerships with families, and members of the community. Through inquiry, communication, observation, and documentation, we discover the interests of the children, and guide them to learn life skills. Our program statement will be reviewed annually by all Educators at Clinton Co-operative Childcare Centre. It will also be reviewed annually to ensure it remains aligned with the Minister’s policy statement and is current and relevant.
