LITTLE CURRENT—Last month, in partnership with the Rainbow District School Board, the Little Current Daycare Centre (formerly the Magic Rainbow Daycare) expanded its early learning space. This means the Little Current facility can now increase its Ministry of Education licenced spaces.
The daycare’s toddler room has doubled its capacity from five children to 10 and can now welcome 16 pre-school-aged children, 10 Junior and Senior Kindergarteners and 30 school-aged children.
And thanks to funding from the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB), the daycare has been outfitted with new furniture and equipment too.
Now all the Little Current Daycare Centre needs is the children to fill those added spaces and will be inviting parents and guardians to come check out the daycare.
“It’s an exciting time in early childhood education because there is a lot more focus on early learning,” explained Diana St. Pierre, children’s services program director with Manitoulin Family Resources (MFR). The Little Current Daycare has registered and approved early childhood educators (ECE), licenced and regulated through the College of Early Childhood Educators, working with enrolled children in order to “provide developmentally appropriate activities based on the children’s interests and needs,” Ms. St. Pierre explained.
“And being at the school (Little Current Public School), the daycare gets the children ready for school and familiarized with their surroundings,” she said.
Ms. St. Pierre spoke of the emergent curriculum of play-based learning being phased in across registered daycare facilities. In a statement from the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, they write: “The benefits of play are recognized by the scientific community. There is now evidence that neural pathways in children’s brains are influenced and advanced in their development through exploration, thinking skills, problem solving, and language expression that occur during play.”
“Research also demonstrates that play-based learning leads to greater social, emotional, and academic success. Based on such evidence, ministers of education endorse a sustainable pedagogy for the future that does not separate play from learning but brings them together to promote creativity in future generations. In fact, play is considered to be so essential to healthy development that the United Nations has recognized it as a specific right for all children.”
“Learning through play is supported by children,” the statement continues. “It is their natural response to the environment around them. When children are manipulating objects, acting out roles, or experimenting with different materials, they are engaged in learning through play. Play allows them to actively construct, challenge and expand their own understandings through making connections to prior experiences, thereby opening the door to new learning. Intentional play-based learning enables children to investigate, ask questions, solve problems, and engage in critical thinking. Play is responsive to each child’s unique learning style and capitalizes on his or her innate curiosity and creativity. Play-based learning supports growth in the language and culture of children and their families.”
Putting it simply, the early learning activities are based on the children’s interests. If, for example, Johnny took a trip to a farm and came back to the daycare, excited to share all that he saw and learned, the ECE would pick up on this and use Johnny’s farm adventure for lessons. This could range from farm animals, the food we eat, farm implements and so on. The lessons could last for days or even weeks, as long as the children are interested.
The MFR Best Start Hub and Home Child Care Office in Little Current has also moved into a new room in the Little Current Public School since the addition to increase daycare spaces.
The Manitoulin Best Start Hub offers early learning, school readiness, parent supports, community events and referral services.
“Come out to see what your Best Start Hub has to offer,” Ms. St. Pierre urges. “We have well trained early childhood workers who provide early learning experiences for your family, programs to ensure your child is ready for school, fun events in the community, parenting supports such as Triple P Parenting Program and a connection to other specialized services through referrals. If you want a place to come meet other parents, to socialize your child, or just don’t know where to go to get parenting support, Manitoulin Best Start Hubs are a great place to go. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 705-368-3400 ext 1.”
Manitoulin Family Resources invites all families to its Open House at the Little Current Daycare, Best Start Hub and Home Child Care office on Saturday, November 29 from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm to view the site and learn about their programs and programming.
For parents looking for more information, or wanting a tour of the facility, call Cathy Kaitting at 705-368-3400 ext. 4.
If you are parent looking for quality child care and want an alternative to Centre Based Child Care or an individual who is currently watching children in your home or would like to consider earning an income with providing care in your home, you are encouraged to call 705-368-3400 ext. 2 or by emailing aroy@mfresources.net.
