Program Statement

Givins/Shaw School Community Daycare is a warm, neighborhood daycare that was established in November of 1987 in response to the needs of the parents in the community. We are a non-profit organization for children between the ages of two and a half and nine years old. We are licensed and inspected by the Ministry of Education, Toronto Public Health and have a purchase agreement with Toronto Children’s Services to parents with subsidy. We welcome all families to our program.

‘Children are competent, capable of complex thinking, curious and rich in potential’ ¹

We believe that children learn best through play and by pursuing their interests, goals and by making their own choices. We recognize each child as a unique individual who brings his her own abilities to the program and deserves the encouragement and space to try new things, explore new ideas and develop their own unique creativity. We believe that every child deserves a safe and caring environment a place where children want to be and where they feel ‘at home’. We also believe that children thrive in all areas of development when they are a in a caring and supportive environment with responsive adults.

We offer a learning program that is consistent with the Ministry of Education’s policies, pedagogy and curriculum including the following documents:

Our goals for children include the following four foundations consistent with the Ministry of Education pedagogy:

Every child has a sense of belonging when he or she is connected to others and contributes to their world.
Every child is developing a sense of self, health, and well-being.
Every child is an active and engaged learner who explores the world with body, mind, and senses.
Every child is a capable communicator who expresses himself or herself in many ways’ ²

Our Center’s Goals	Our Center’s Approach
To promote children’s overall health, safety and well-being on a daily basis	Follow all regulations, Frequently scan the learning environment both inside and out Provide healthy meal choices that follow the Canada’s Food Guide Nutritious snacks offered for all groups and full day Preschool program includes catered lunch provided by Halpert Catering Ltd who collaborates with a registered dietician. Respect for children’s individual needs by creating an allergy aware environment Accommodations made for dietary or religious food requirements for children Staff will interact with children in ways to foster positive self-esteem, independence, and a sense of security and happiness.
To support positive and meaningful relationships among children, families, staff and all those involved in the childcare	Interactions with children, families and all those involved in the childcare will be made in a respectful way, taking into consideration each individuals family culture, values, language, composition and abilities Staff encouraged to have daily open positive conversations with families about the child’s day Communication extended through communication books, newsletters, emails, phone calls Parents can request a parent/teacher meeting arents are welcome and encouraged to participate in special events ie..yearly fundraisers and Annual General Meeting
To support children in developing positive ways to interact and communicate with each other as well develop strategies for self-control	Staff will model positive interactions Help children recognize, label and express their emotions as well as recognizing others’ feelings Help children learn to respect basic rights of others, help each other and build on their social skills and empathy
To foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry throughout the program day	Staff will create an environment that encourages exploration and inquiry based on their observations of children’s needs, interests and goals Children will be encouraged to explore, play and ask questions
To ensure children are provided with experiences that reflect both the children and adults’ interests	Staff will document purposeful observations of the children and plan for opportunities based on the children’s’ interests, capacity and skills Have flexible routines to work around children’s interests ie..in-depth exploration over several days, or the need to relax Engage with children as co-learners as they explore their environments
To provide an enjoyable learning experience for the children while being aware of their needs, learning styles, interests and individual pace for development	Staff will pre-plan and create a learning environment that is age appropriate for the children based on their needs and interests, goals and learning styles Daily activities offered; drama, music, dance, visual arts, language & literacy science, construction Opportunities for school age children to work on their homework Know when to stand back and observe and when to enter children’s play to stimulate thinking
To provide an enjoyable learning experience throughout the program day both indoors and out as well as active play, rest and quiet time while also ensuring that the individual needs of the child is being met	Staff will plan for learning opportunities that meet the children’s needs and encourages them to explore different developmental domains Learning is extended to the outdoors and staff will set up opportunities to access nature Rest time set up for children who require it
To promote ongoing engagement and communication between staff and families on a daily basis	Staff will greet families on a daily basis Documentation may be shared with parents about their child’s day Parent involvement/ volunteering is encouraged
To promote involvement of the local community to help support the children, families and staff	Reach out to local community partners who can enhance our program with experiences in art, drama, music, dance, etc.. Workshops will be made available to staff and parents to support development Support agency information will made to families in need Develop positive relationships with the school principal, faculty and teachers Provide learning opportunities and practical work experience through placements and training for volunteers and students
The center will provide for and encourage professional development opportunities to the staff	Staff, volunteers and students will review the program statement and policies prior to working in program with the children and annually thereafter or upon any changes or modifications. Ongoing professional development workshops/ training are offered to staff in keeping with standards and the College of ECE Staff encouraged to share workshop information, input for improvement to policies and procedures
Documentation will be used and reviewed to support our program and learning process for children and their families as well as staff	A variety of ongoing documentation such as observations, surveys, etc. will be used for feedback to ensure the goals of the center are being met for children, parents, and staff Use documentation to learn how children think and learn Use documentation as a self-reflecting opportunity for program staff, as they participate in continuous professional learning

Program Statement Implementation Policy

All staff, students and volunteers will read the Program Statement and sign off along with our Policy and Procedures review, prior to working with the children, when the statement has been updated and on an annual basis
Each program room will maintain a copy of the Program Statement along with children’s observations, plans and documentation to support their understanding of the statement.
The Supervisor will meet on a regular basis with each program to establish a clear understand of the program statement, support staff and aid the staff in self-reflection. The Supervisor will use all observation, interactions and conversations to monitor staff.
Staff will reflect on How Does Learning Happen, by reviewing their observations and engaging children in meaningful activities, maintaining communication with parents and building trusting relationships with the families, by working with their co-workers to create a safe and healthy environment and by taking the time to engage in self-reflection on a regular basis

GSSCDC hires staff that have a positive and sensitive attitude towards children. Our non-discriminatory hiring practices provide individuals of all backgrounds the opportunity for employment. We believe that everyone has worth and value, and all staff are entitled to be respected, supported and treated fairly.

Working Together 

Overall, our goal is to ensure the health, safety and well-being of each child while in our care. We look forward to working together with the family in the best interest of the child(ren) to provide them with an individual and positive journey for a seamless entry into their community and school. We are always available for feedback to ensure we are providing the best possible care.

Note: References and information in this document are extracted from:
2. “How Does Learning Happen?” Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years

Glossary of Terms

CURRICULUM ( the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc.)
DEVELOPMENTAL DOMAINS (The five areas of child development: language, motor, cognitive, social-emotional, and self-help skills.)
PEDAGOGY (the method and practice of teaching)
REGULATIONS (a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority.)
SELF REFLECT (careful thought about your own behaviour and beliefs)