Over the years, my commitment to providing a safe, loving, and enriching environment has remained unwavering. Join me as we take a trip down memory lane and celebrate the remarkable journey that has shaped our beloved family day home into what it is today!
Humble Beginnings
The more I cared for these two children the more I felt it was my calling. I wanted to do more, learn more, and make a positive difference not only for my own child but for other children too.
This day home has transformed from an educator-led, academically oriented traditional themed curriculum to one based on a philosophy of a child-led, circle teaching (democracy values of equity, diversity & inclusivity, and social responsibility of sustainability, biodiversity, stewardship & decolonization), play-based approach. Allow ample time for outdoor exploration and have an understanding that children are capable and can be engaged in risky play. Also applying emergent curriculum and applying the Flight: Alberta Early Learning and Care framework.
I am deeply honored by the trust placed in this day home - by parents like you. Together we have co-created a positive day home community that supports my evolving new philosophy and nurture the day home's continued growth and transformation. I think the crucial key is the reciprocal and bi-directional relationships between children, parents, myself, and my agency as well as being open and understanding of the diversity within the day home community.
Together we have all worked on our prejudices and biases and it is an ongoing positive process as things come up. Through this process I have learned so much about other cultures' ways of knowing, being, and doing. I can honestly say this has been a humbling process. It has given my day home families and me the respect we deserve whilst understanding that, although our background informs who we are, we can be flexible, and accepting, and create a third culture where we have mutual respect for one another. We can create a sense of belonging for everyone within this day home community.
In 2014, I gained my Level 1 Early Childhood Educator status. Due to a unique opportunity given by the government Professional Development Fund, which provided some financial support, I was finally able to gain my Level 2 Early Childhood Educator status from January 2022 to September 2022 and secured my Level 3 Early Childhood Educator status from October 2022 to April 2023 whilst simultaneously getting my two-year Early Childhood Education and Development Diploma.
Building Strong Foundations
It is vital to ensure that children’s holistic play-based goals and dispositions to learning are met through scaffolding and age-appropriate challenges. This will help them build skills like leadership, organization, problem-solving, compromise, collaboration, and negotiation as well as meet their milestones through play. I've worked hard to build a day home that stands out in our community, and I've always been committed to providing the highest quality care possible to the children in my care.