About Us

Mission Statement

Omemee Children’s Centre was created by the community for the community in order to provide a nurturing and challenging environment.  In partnership, we encourage love of learning, co-operation and positive self-esteem, enabling children to achieve their maximum individual potential.

Program Statement

Omemee Children’s Centre and Children Centre Downeyville shall reflect a view of the child as being competent, capable, curious and rich in potential.  A key feature of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, is the focus on strengthening child care programs and ensuring high quality experiences for children.  The Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) authorizes the Minister of Education to issue policy statement regarding programming and pedagogy for the purpose of guiding operators of child care and early year’s programs.

Our focus is on “How does Learning Happen?”  There are four components that are outlined in the chart below that are the goals and expectations to help our educators to strive to provide the experiences and outcomes for the children and their families.

Belonging – Every child has a sense of belonging when he or she is connected to others and contributes to their world.

Well-Being – Every child is developing a sense of self, health, and well-being.

Engagement – Every child is an active and engaged learner who explores the world with body, mind, and senses.

Expression – Every child is a capable communicator who expresses himself or herself in many ways.

The quality program that we offer through these four components ensures that we accept all children as individuals within the group.  We provide opportunities to: stimulate their eagerness, explore, learn flexibility, and give life to their learning.  We strive to show respect and concern for their individuality.

Philosophy

The Omemee Children’s Centre, both Omemee and Downeyville sites advocate the availability of high quality child care as necessary to good child development and a healthy community environment.  We feel that parent/guardian and staff communication is important for quality child care.

The Centre provides a positive learning environment that enhances the child’s total development.  Through play experiences guided by trained staff, children are exposed to situations that will stimulate:

  • curiosity, initiative, and independence;
  • self-esteem and decision making capabilities;
  • physical activity that develops gross motor skills;
  • fine motor development;
  • positive attitudes and tolerance of each other.

The Centre values diversity and strives to enhance awareness of many races and cultures as well as promote non-sexist attitudes.

The Centre believes that all children belong in all programs.  Integration of children with various physical, behavioural and intellectual needs is seen as an enrichment to the daily experience for all children.

Goals

  • promote the health, safety, nutrition and well-being of the children
  • support positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents, child care providers and staff
  • encourage the children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their ability to self-regulate
  • foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry
  • provide child-initiated and adult-supported experiences
  • plan for and create positive learning environments and experiences in which each child’s learning and development will be supported
  • incorporate indoor and outdoor play, as well as active play, rest and quiet time, into the day, and give consideration to the individual needs of the children receiving child care
  • foster the engagement of and ongoing communication with parents about the program and their children
  • involve local community partners and allow those partners to support the children, their families and staff
  • support staff, home child care providers or others who interact with the children at a child care centre or home child care premises in relation to continuous professional learning
  • document and review the impact of the strategies set out in clauses above on the children and their families.

Approach

  • We will provide nutritious lunches, snacks in accordance with the Canada’s Food Guide
  • We will make sure drinking water is accessible all day
  • We will limit transitions, eliminating any environmental issues that may cause undue stress to the child.
  • We will make sure we are aware of any allergies, medical conditions, exceptionalities, food restrictions, medication requirements, and parental preferences in respect to diet, and rest time.
  • We will ensure that the equipment is safe, and the environment is clean and safe for the children.
  • We will consider the parents to be an important link to their children’s success.
  • We will as educators connect with the children by being sensitive, responsive and build self-esteem.
  • We will encourage children to problem solve and show empathy towards others.
  • We will design indoor and outdoor environments that spark curiosity, invite investigation and provide safe challenges that are responsive to individual capabilities to help children extend the boundaries of their learning.
  • We will as Early Childhood Educators observe the children, plan and create a positive environment that is based on the children’s interest’s.
  • We will provide child-directed and adult supported activities.
  • We will with the children become co-investigator, co-learner, co-planner rather than simply “director”.
  • We will encourage and participate and model active play.
  • We will provide a communication system that ensures parent-staff contact throughout the program year.
  • We will employ staff who are experienced and well trained to provide the care and enrichment for your child.