Last week, Child Care Centre Thompson hosted a family BBQ on the UCN campus to coincide with the kickoff of the Nickel Days Fest. The event, held between 3 and 5 pm on Thursday, aimed to bring families together and strengthen the connection between the family and the program.
The Family Engagement Facilitator, Jadien Hunt, sees these events as vital opportunities to support families in their roles as parents while promoting a sense of community within the center. The ELCC Thompson is committed to providing a language-rich, attachment-based program to support the healthy development of the children in the program. Jadien Hunt also expressed the center's focus on assisting families in building stronger, healthier attachments with their children.
Director of the Child Care Centre; Lynn Martin shed insight on the recent Provincial Abecedarian Funding with made all this possible and the benefits that are offered through it for the Daycare and the children’s personal connections “This was just a family event as part of funding that we got through the Province Abecedarian Funding”.
This funding has opened doors for ELCC Thompson, which has been operating for only six months due to the lengthy process of securing logistics and agreements before receiving approval.
ELCC Thompson's ambitious goals include hosting four family-wide events annually. The center has recently secured Daycare funding for the 2023-2024 year, a significant achievement in light of their relatively short time in operation.
A cornerstone of the center's philosophy is the implementation of the Abecedarian Approach, an evidence-based early childhood intervention aimed at improving developmental and learning outcomes for children in high-risk communities. Emphasizing language as a core pillar of early learning, the Approach highlights the crucial role of strong language skills in fostering cognitive, social, and emotional development in children. The curriculum of the Abecedarian Approach revolves around a set of teaching and learning strategies implemented through intentional adult-child interactions.
“The goal is that they build very strong attachments with the children in their care and they provide very individual, one-on-one programming rather then a big group. That gives the kids a better start at life” said Martin
ELCC Thompson's ultimate goal is to establish strong attachments with the children in their care and provide individualized, one-on-one programming. This tailored approach aims to give children a better start in life by catering to their unique needs and fostering their development in a nurturing environment.
As the center continues to expand its offerings and solidify its presence in the community, it remains steadfast in its mission to provide a nurturing and enriching environment where children can thrive and build a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.
