Program Statement

Guide and Grow Daycare Centre is licensed by the Ministry of Education under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA). We are also registered with the City of Ottawa daycare programs. Our teachers are trained Registered Early Childhood Educators (R.E.C.E.) and are members of the College of Early Childhood Educators, who continue to engage in professional activities to upgrade their training and education. All employees and volunteers undergo a Police Clearance Check with Vulnerable Sector Scan prior to interacting with the children in our care.

At Guide and Grow Daycare Centre, we believe children are talented and competent.  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, which Guide and Grow Daycare Centre agrees with and practice in our program, are Belonging, Well-Being, Engagement and Expression. There are copies of this document available in the office or online at:  http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/pedagogy.html

We believe children learn through play; therefore, we use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to deliver an expertly designed curriculum which is age appropriate, spans a broad range of skills, and blends with the Ontario Ministry of Education’s curriculum.

Children learn through hands-on experiences, get the encouragement required to look for solutions to problems, and apply their knowledge accordingly.  At Guide and Grow Daycare Centre, the educational opportunities are provided with great support to challenge each child’s development and well-being in a supportive early learning environment. Our daily activities are all child initiated and adult supported, which enhance the level of curiosity of little minds while they actively explore the world around them. We provide a sense of belonging for children and families; to their classroom, their centre and their community. We respect inclusion, equality and diversity as it is key for optimal development and learning. A variety of teaching methods are used by educators to cater the needs of children individually.

Guide and Grow Daycare Centre has a set target for the children to be consistent with the Ministry of Education pedagogy that reflects the view of children as competent, capable, curious and rich in potential. Our stance states:

  • 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.

Under no circumstances are the following prohibited practices permitted in Guide and Grow Daycare Centre:

a) Corporal punishment of the child;

b) physical restraint of a child, such as confining the child to a high chair, car seat, stroller, or other device for the purposes of discipline or in lieu of supervision, unless the physical restraint is for the purpose of preventing a child from hurting himself, herself or someone else, and is used only as a last resort and only until the risk of injury is no longer imminent;

c) locking exits of the child care centre or home child care premises for the purpose of confining a child, or confining the 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;

(d) 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, shame or frighten the child or undermine his or her self-respect, dignity or self-worth;

(e) depriving the child of basic needs including food, drink, shelter, sleep, toilet use, clothing or bedding; or

(f) inflicting any bodily harm on children including making children eat or drink against their will.