About Camosun Child Care Services

History

Child Care Services has been funded by Camosun College since 1990. Initially, there was one centre at the Lansdowne Campus and one centre at the Carey Road Campus. The college recognized that affordable, campus-based child care enhanced student access to education, so assumed responsibility for child care, which previously had been governed by a non-profit society. In 1995, the college constructed a purpose-built facility at the Interurban Campus and the Carey Road centre was closed.

The 2010-2011 child care year marked the 20th anniversary of the services under the umbrella of Camosun College. Now grown and having children of their own, alumni are utilizing the services for their child care needs.

Philosophy

Camosun College Child Care Services embraces a learn-through-play philosophy which is influenced by the BC Early Learning Framework.  We believe that children, in their early years, learn best through their play experiences, are competent learners, and are full of unlimited potential. In play, children are able to interact with, explore, and make sense of the world around them.  Each Centre’s programming approach considers the individual’s and group’s needs.

The four key areas of the BC Early Learning Framework guide our learn-through-play philosophy and support the development of the whole child:

• Well-Being and Belonging
• Exploration and Creativity
• Languages and Literacies
• Social Responsibility and Diversity

Children who have rich experiences in the four areas of learning are more likely to succeed, having built a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

Values

One of the most important goals in early childhood education is to foster each child’s optimal physical, intellectual, emotional, language and social development.  In a safe and nurturing environment, the whole child can develop.  To this end, we create programs that:

• truly reflect the lives and interests of the children, their families and our diverse community
• recognize, appreciate and respect the uniqueness of each child, their families and their developmental level
• provide opportunities for the children to explore, manipulate, and discover the world around them with developmentally appropriate learning experiences
• empower the children to create and challenge themselves in their environment
• establish and maintain partnerships with families
• embrace the principles outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Guidance

Our goal is to guide children so they can develop their capacity to have mutually respectful relationships that are essential for them to live responsibly in our diverse world. This goal is accomplished by cultivating the child’s sense of well-being and belonging and encouraging the child’s sense of social responsibility, all within the group context. The Educators employ guidance strategies which reflect the development of the whole child in the play environment, the BC Early Learning Framework PDF, government licensing regulations, and the limitations of a licensed group child care setting.