AllSteps Child Care offers early learning programs that are consistent with the Minister of Education’s policy statement on programming and pedagogy issued under subsection 55 (3) of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014.

Our program statement reflects a view of children as being competent, capable, curious and rich in potential. AllSteps Child Care recognizes each child as a unique individual, building on their inquiry of the world and happenings around them; incorporating fun, creative and engaging activities for further investigation. By following their lead, we become partners in play.

Our program statement describes the goals that guide AllStep Child Care programs for children at The Kids’ Place, Woodbine Early Learning Centre, Kingston Home Child Care, and Holy Name Before & After School Care.

Early learning and family support documents that we have reviewed, researched and implemented into our program include the following;

• How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy of the Early Years
• Early Learning for Every Child Today, Excerpts from ELECT
• Think, Feel, Act: Lessons from Research about Young Children
• Ontario Early Years Policy Framework
• With Our Best Future In Mind, Implementing Early Learning in Ontario
• Modernizing Child Care in Ontario
• Building Our Best Future

Our approach is organized around H.D.L.H. four foundational conditions that are important for children to grow and flourish;

The four foundations ensure optimal learning and development. These foundations inform the goals for children and expectations for our programs.

Approaches

Educators and Home Child Care Providers will promote the health, safety, nutrition and well-being of the children by providing access to drinking water throughout the day, providing nutrition based on Canada’s Food Guide, providing a clean and safe environment, limit transitions, reducing hazards that may cause undue stress to a child and unnecessary disruptions to play.  All Educators and Home Child Care Providers will read and comprehend all information regarding any medical conditions, exceptionalities, allergies, food restrictions, medication requirements and parental preferences in respect to diet, exercise and rest.

Educators and Home Child Care Providers will support positive and responsive interactions among the children, the parents and educators.  Management will ensure this through the hiring of qualified, competent and professional staff.

Educators and Home Child Care Providers will encourage children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their ability to self-regulate by developing their self-regulation capacities. We will design our environments so they are attuned to children’s varied sensitivities, arousal states, a need for maintaining a calm, focused, and alert state.  We will support self-soothing behaviours and help older children to recognize stressors.

Educators and Home Child Care Providers will foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry by providing a variety of activities; science, music, outdoor play, nature, recycling, composting and technology.

Educators and Home Child Care Providers will provide child-initiated and adult supported experiences.  Educators will learn about children using various strategies.  They listen to the child’s interests and listen to feedback from parents.  Educators observe children in play to support their learning, development, health and well-being. Educators will bring an awareness of our community to the program.  Educators create opportunities to engage with people, places, and events that call our community, home.

Educators and Home Child Care Providers will plan for and create positive learning environments for each child, which is inclusive of all children, including children with individualized plans, to experiment, explore and be supported in their learning and development. Educators view the environment as the third teacher, welcoming children’s natural curiosity about Mother Nature with a variety of things such as; seeds, rocks, pinecones and live creatures.

Children participating in programs over six hours per day will experience indoor as well as two hours of outdoor play, weather permitting, as well as active play, rest and quiet time, being mindful of a child’s needs and parental direction.

Educators and Home Child Care Providers welcome parent engagement; open communication and discussions, strengthening partnerships and valuing contributions.  Communication may be by phone, email, social media, posted information and connecting in person (verbal and or written) with parents.

Health and well-being professionals will play an important part of the programs to support all children, their families and educators by providing a variety of community resources and connections; KidsInclusive – Centre for Child and Youth Development, KFL&A Public Health, Maltby Centre and Community Living Kingston and District.

AllSteps Child Care will encourage a continuum of learning and development for Educators and Home Child Care Providers to engage in critical reflection, discussion and information sharing about pedagogy and practices.  We will provide opportunities for Educators and Home Child Care Providers to job shadow, to meet professional and agency needs, participate in workshops, internal working groups, local and provincial conferences as well as online training.

All Educators, Home Child Care Providers, students and volunteers will read the Program Statement and sign off, as part of AllSteps Child Care Policies and Procedures, prior to employment or prior to interacting with children, and when the statement has been modified, and on an annual basis.  The Supervisor of each program will ensure that the educators, home child care providers, students or volunteers are fully aware, and understands the Program Statement and its implementation.

AllSteps Child Care through pedagogical documentation will illustrate how the approaches are being implemented into the program. This will ensure our approaches in the program statement are being implemented when they cannot be observed.  We will document and review the impact of our approaches on the lives of the children and their families by applying the following strategies:

• Complete Infant and Toddler Environmental Rating Scale, Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale, School-Aged Environmental Rating Scale and Home Child Care Providers Environmental Rating Scale.
• Staff and management meetings to discuss the implementation of the program statement
• Family surveys
• Staff Performance Reviews

Available as a PDF