We believe in:
- Treating each child as a unique individual.
- Programming that provides children with the opportunities needed to grow to their full potential.
- Play based approach to learning to enable children to develop a foundation in early literacy, math and science, as well as an experience in the fine arts.
- Helping children develop a strong sense of self, group social skills and a sense of wonder at discovering the world around them.
Early childhood educators at our centre are well prepared academically and professionally. All permanent staff is certified as Child Development Supervisors, the highest level of certification granted by Alberta Child and Youth Services.
Staff education levels range from two year diplomas in early learning and child care to Master’s degrees in Education in Early Childhood. The early childhood educators in our centre engage in professional development and work closely with faculty in the Early Learning and Child Care program to ensure that they are up-to-date on emerging theories and best practice standards.
The Role of the University in the Centre
The centre is run by MacEwan University and has a strong working partnership with the Early Learning and Child Care program and the Faculty of Health and Community Studies. There is an advisory committee for the centre, which is a subcommittee of the Early Learning and Child Care program Advisory Committee. Members include:
- Director, Child Care Centre
- Program Chair, Early Learning and Child Care
- One early childhood educator from the Centre
- One Early Learning and Child Care faculty member
- Two parents
- Two representatives of the Early Learning and Child Care Program Advisory Committee
- One student representative from the Early Learning and Child Care student program advisory committee
The centre works in partnership with a number of educational programs at MacEwan University. The focus of our work is alongside the Early Learning and Child Care program where faculty provides mentorship and guidance to our team of early childhood educators. We also work with other MacEwan University programs, including the therapist assistant, nursing and library technology programs.
MacEwan University students are an integral part of the life of the centre. Children at the centre have regular opportunities to participate in exciting play experiences that are set up by the Early Learning and Child Care students as part of their course work. An early childhood educator in the room supervises all students. An exciting component of MacEwan University’s student involvement is the student led play workshops held by students in the Early Learning and Child Care and Therapist Assistant: Speech Language Pathologist Assistant programs. Throughout the academic year we will be invited to participate in exciting play experiences that are set up by the students.
Faculty from the Early Learning and Child Care program provide mentorship and guidance to the child care team. In addition research projects are conducted in the centre. Early childhood educators and faculty often give presentations to other professionals, as well as community members. Photos and/or videos of the children are used in these presentations. Families will be asked for permission and informed when these presentations or research projects are taking place.
In addition to the meeting the licensing requirements for child care in the Province of Alberta, the MacEwan University Child Care Centre is an accredited centre and adheres to the Quality Standards for Early Learning and Care Services of the Alberta Association for the Accreditation of Early Learning and Care Services.
The ten standards for excellence in child care focus on outcomes for children, family, staff and community, and emphasize the importance of strong relationships with children and families and meaningful play as a way of supporting children’s early learning and development. Our centre has successfully met the requirements for accreditation and re-accreditation since 2006.
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Documentation of the children’s daily experiences is an essential component of the program. Early childhood educators and university students participate in documenting the children’s experiences on a regular basis through traditional observational recordings, as well as digital photography and video audio recording. Children’s thoughts, ideas and expressions and development are captured by the documentation.
Documentation assists early childhood educators in planning for the children and helps them develop goals for each child. Documentation is also a way to communicate with parents and the community about the work of the children and the centre.
