Student Name _________________________________________________________

Instructions

1. Review section 46 of the Child Care and Early Years Act to find out what must be included in a child care centre’s Program Statement. Read Section 46 (copied and pasted below on p. 2). Pay particular attention to subsections (2) and (3).

2. Read the sample Program Statement (beginning below on p. 3). Identify at leastthree things that are missing and need to be included.

3. Write the missing sections into the Program Statement belowas if it were for your child care centre.Use a font colour other than black. Use our course readings and resources for guidance as needed.

4. Submit your answer to the Task 3 SLATE Assignment Dropbox by Sunday, Nov. 29atmidnight.

WRITE YOUR ANSWER HERE-

Excerpted from O. Reg. 137/15: GENERAL

under Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014, S.O. 2014, c. 11, Sched. 1

Program statement

46. (1) Every licensee shall have a program statement that is consistent with the Minister’s policy statement on programming and pedagogy issued under subsection 55 (3) of the Act and shall review the program statement at least annually for this purpose.

(2) The program statement shall reflect a view of children as being competent, capable, curious and rich in potential. O. Reg. 126/16, s. 32 (1).

(3) The program statement shall describe the goals that guide the licensee’s program for children at a child care centre it operates or at a home child care premises it oversees, and the approaches that will be implemented in the program to,

            (a) promote the health, safety, nutrition and well-being of the children;

            (b) support positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents, child care

                  providers and staff;

            (c) encourage the children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their

                  ability to self-regulate;

            (d) foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry;

            (e) provide child-initiated and adult-supported experiences;

            (f) plan for and create positive learning environments and experiences in which each

                 child’s learning and development will be supported;

            (g) 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;

            (h) foster the engagement of and ongoing communication with parents about the program

                  and their children;

            (i) involve local community partners and allow those partners to support the children,

                 their families and staff;

            (j) 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; and

            (k) document and review the impact of the strategies set out in clauses (a) to (j) on the

                  children and their families. O. Reg. 126/16, s. 32 (2-4).

(4) Every licensee shall ensure that all new staff, home child care providers, students and volunteers review the program statement prior to interacting with children and at any time when the program statement is modified.

(5) Every licensee shall ensure that the approaches set out in its program statement are implemented in the operation of its program at each child care centre it operates and each premises where it oversees the provision of home child care.

Read the program statement below. Some statements are needed in order to comply with the CCEYA. What’s missing? Write at least 3 missing statements into the Program Statement below as if it were for your child care centre. Use a font colour other than black. Use our course readings and resources for guidance as needed. For full marks, use correct grammar and spelling.

Sample Program Statement – ABC Childcare

We are a licensed, not-for-profit child care centre which strives to provide the best possible childcare, meeting all licensing regulations. We provide a safe and caring environment for children 12 months to 6 years of age.

We provide educational opportunities that will challenge and support each child’s development and well-being in a caring, supportive early learning environment. Child initiated and adult supported activities are offered daily to enhance the children’s curiosity while they actively explore the world around them. Inclusion, equality and diversity are important to us as keys for optimal development and learning.

Our teachers are trained members of the College of Early Childhood Educators.All employees and volunteers undergo a Police Clearance Check with Vulnerable Sector Scan prior to interacting with the children in our care. At ABC, the child is seen as competent, capable, curious and rich in potential. We engage in child initiated, teacher supported play-based learning and use the guidelines of the How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years Document (2014).  The four foundations of this document are practiced in our program: Belonging, Well-Being, Engagement and Expression.

Our children have many opportunities to reach their full developmental potential. Through the exploration of children’s interests, our educators provide active and quiet activities and a positive environment to stimulate all areas of the children’s development while meeting the needs of each individual.

Our program goals reflect Ontario Ministry of Education’s view of children as competent, capable, curious and rich in potential.  Our view of the child is as follows:

• 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/herself in many ways.

The approaches to our goals are reviewed monthly and changes are made when deemed.

Prohibited Practices:

• Corporal punishment of the child.
• Physical restraint of a child, such as confining the child to a highchair, car seat, stroller or other device for the purposes of discipline or in lieu of supervision. (unless the physical restraint is for the purposes of preventing a child from hurting himself, or someone else and is only used as a last resort and only until risk of injury is no longer imminent).
• Locking the exits of the childcare centre for the purpose of confining the child, or confining a child in an area or room without adult supervision, unless such confinement occurs during an emergency and is required as part of the licensee’s emergency management policies and procedures.
• Use of harsh or degrading measures or threats or use of derogatory language directed at or used in the presence of a child that would humiliate a child, shame or frighten a child, or undermine a child’s self-respect, dignity or self-worth.
• Inflicting any bodily harm on children including making children eat or drink against their will.

The Centre observes and follows the Ministry of Health and Safety guidelines and implements fire drills on a monthly basis. Our ECEs are trained in Standard First Aid, including Infant and Child CPR. The health of each child is documented on a daily and monthly basis including documentation of immunization. Any child who is sick must be 24 hours vomit and diarrhea free before returning to daycare. Our medication policy requires that medication be kept in a locked medicine box, out of reach of children.  Only an RECE administers medication and medication must be pharmacy labeled and have the child’s name on it.  A medication log is kept for each child and parents must sign it and specify the medication and the dose (as well as the time to be administered) and it must match the pharmacy label. The RECE will sign the log when the dose has been administered. 

Good hygiene habits are strongly encouraged. Educators and children are required to wash their hands upon entering the classroom, after toileting, before and after eating, before sensory play and after sneezing or coughing. We provide a clean and safe environment.  Washrooms are cleaned and disinfected often. Toys are cleaned and disinfected weekly as well as before being stored and any time they have been mouthed.  Beds and linen are washed and disinfected weekly as well as when illness or bed wetting incidents occur. All furniture is kept clean and in good order (broken furniture is fixed or removed immediately upon discovery).

Staff practice and encourage inclusive and positive interactions. Toys and play areas are never gender defined; all children are encouraged to experience all areas of the classroom.  Our ECEs foster an atmosphere of inclusion, cooperation, sharing and friendliness. We encourage self-help skills, encouraging children to do as much for themselves as possible, without becoming discouraged or frustrated.  However, we are always available to assist as needed. 

We follow the CCEYA guidelines for Behaviour Guidance. Educators guide behaviour with positive language when talking with children and adults. Educators work to help children to develop communication skills and problems solving skills to help them become competent in using multiple forms of communication (words, sign language, and body language) to communicate.

Our educators observe, listen and talk with the children and document their interactions. Using the Four Foundations of How Does Learning Happen (Belonging, Well-Being, Engagement and Expression) we create an environment that allows the children to explore the topic of interest, and the world around them, with their natural curiosity. Through play-based learning, children will develop the skills needed to expand their abilities as well as their knowledge and understanding of their world.

Regular observations of the children’s activities and interactions will initiate planning a program that will stimulate the interests and development of the children.  We will provide a variety of activities, both active and quiet, which will meet the needs of the developing child regardless of the level of need and development.  We will make changes in our environment and program as the children’s interests and developmental needs change.

This Program Statement is reviewed by all staff prior to working with the children and then annually or when any revisions occur.