10. Demonstrate current knowledge of:
-the community in which they practice
-the regulatory framework within which childcare services operate
-the organizational and regulatory framework of the childcare services in which they practice
Demonstrate current knowledge of:
-the community in which they practice
-the regulatory framework within which childcare services operate
-the organizational and regulatory framework of the childcare services in which they practice
Our CommunityÂ
Here at “Linda’s After School Care”, we passionately strive to respect, honour, value, create, validate and build our indoor and outdoor environments to embrace a welcoming, open, interactive, fun, responsive, warm, educational, cooperative, cultural, flexible, professional, diversity, ecological, connected, reflective, inviting, child lead and family focused centre to enhance our community for all of our programs. Our community supports and builds our classroom culture and provides us all educators, children, families and staff members with a safe and trusting environment to play, explore, be creative, experiment, learn, gain knowledge, inquire reflect and evolve in while in partnership and group relationships. Providing a space with inviting and comfortable textures for comfort and play – soft carpet, fluffy material animals, warm lighting, calm wall paint, natural lighting, feel good music, children’s learning visible, “sensory – micro symbolic – fluid – structured materials, loose parts, encourages sensorimotor – symbolic – construction play” (Dietze. B. & Kashin.D. 2019. p. 156) with a feeling of comfort, interest, and sense of curiosity. With the combination of our community, classroom cultural, appropriate space and learning materials I feel we have provided a supportive and engaging play to learn environment for all our children, families and staff members.  There have been times in my centre I have caught myself standing silently in the corner just observing, watching and listening to the beautiful productive humming of our play to learn environment. Two peers having a conversation about their long rainbow coloured play dough snakes and trying to decide what colour glitter to sprinkle on them, an educator scaffolding the next step of a board game, children giggling, an educator using a funny sounding voice when giving instructions, a parent commenting on how organized our space is, children dancing in another corner to the soft music, blocks toppling over followed with excited voices expressing “let’s build again!” then I hear another educator pleasantly announcing “Boys and girls 5 more minutes until clean up then it will be snack time.” Awww, a sweet and peaceful, and rewarding hum to listen to while in my work place community.
Regulatory Framework
Providing appropriated organizational and regulatory framework to operate and practice for our children, families, and staff and community members is a high priority in our centre. To have up to date and encouraging guidance, learning and teaching frameworks enhances our learning community practice. To have up to date licensing, facility, staff, health, safety, play, and child advocacy regulations, handbooks, and documentations supports our professional organization for the wellbeing of our children, families and staff members.
I truly believe in the “Golden Rule” –
                        Treat others as you would like others to treat you
Early learning frameworks we referrer from include:Â
B.C. Early Learning Framework
The B.C. Early Learning Framework has a focus on children from birth to eight years. It connects with B.C.’s curriculum and core competencies, honours colonization, marginalization and reconciliation with our Indigenous people, Promotes inclusion for all children and their backgrounds and inclusion for all children with diverse abilities and needs, has a holistic process in learning and forming connections and relationships with one another, and our local community. Through vision, principles of learning, living inquiries and pathways B.C. ELF inspires the educator together with the child to explore with their ideas, materials and ways to think, rethink, do, and learn (British Columbia Early Learning Framework).
I find the B.C. ELF is an amazing and inspiration tool to engage in with our staff individual or in collaborations. It provides guidance with pedagogy of listening, critical reflection, collaborative dialogue, and pedagogical narration. One of my favourite pathways for communication is “Sound and word play.” I like to use different tones, pitch, and speed, when reading a story and when the children and I sing together. I like to be silly and change words like “Twinkle twinkle little bunny instead of the star. I replace a character’s name with a child’s name in a story book so the children feel important and valued. I enjoy the fun and the children love the silliness and together we are playing and learning.
Excerpts from “ELECT”
Early Learning for Every Child Today
The Early Learning for Every Child Today: A framework   from Ontario –
ELECT provides a developmental continuum across all five domains, social, emotional, communication – language – literacy, cognitive and physical. These are the most commonly used domains in early childhood education curricula in Canada and internationally. ELECT clearly outlines root skills – skills that develop early and continue to develop from birth to eight years, indicators – markers of what a child knows and does, and interactions – are examples of educator and child communications and interactions activities to support and the development a root skills.
I have referred to this book so many times and will continue to do so. It helps me to spark new interactions for my children so I can support their growth and development. Understanding a child’s root skills growth, are they on track or in front or behind with their skills while looking through the lens of the continuum of development. ELECT helps me with observation and documentation. It is also a great resource for families to help them with their child’s growth and development understanding. When I am explaining development with a family member in regards with a cognitive skill for example – comparing quanitities and we are struggling to relate to one another, I am able to present this resource and together we can come to an understanding of the child’s development.
B.C. Play Today
The “Play Today Handbook is a great resource for play based learning focused on preschool to eight years. If offers strategies on how to offer play base learning opportunities, explains the meaning of play base learning and provides guidance for the role of the educator to become the provocateur in experimenting and knowledge of play together with the children. The Play Today Handbook is grounded in learning principles found in the B.C. Early Learning Frame, the Core Competencies that inform B.C.’s Curriculum for Kindergarten to Grade 12, and First Peoples Principles of Learning” (B.C. Play Today. 2019. p. 5).
Free play, pretend play, games with rules, active play, inquiry play, collaborative play, constructive play, functional play, outdoor play, playful learning, learning games, and inclusive learning practice are all the reasons why I love play based learning. Giving children opportunities to learn lifelong skills and abilities in communication, critical thinking, positive personal and cultural identify, personal awareness and responsibility and social responsibility is a powerful gift to give. My personal favourite play is inquiry play. Encouraging children to try something new, to share our learning, to reflect on our learning, and to question what we could do differently.
Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework
Indiegenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework
Taking it upon myself, I am excited to expand my knowledge as I engage in this framework for the first time. I look forward to sharing my knowledge with our children, families, and staff members at my centre.
The Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework vision states “This framework envisions First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and families as happy and safe, imbued with a strong cultural identity. It sees children and families supported be a comprehensive and coordinated system of ELCC policies, programs and services that are led by Indigenous peoples, rooted in Indigenous knowledges, cultures and languages, and supported by strong partnerships of holistic, accessible and flexible programming that is inclusive of the needs and aspirations of Indigenous children and families” (Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework. 2018. p.5).
Organizational Regulations and Standards we referrer from include:Â
ECEBC Code of Ethics
Early Childhood Educators of B.C.
We, “Early childhood educators work with one of society’s most vulnerable groups  – young children. The quality of the interactions between young children and their caregivers has a significant, enduring impact on the children’s lives. The intimacy of the relationships and the potential that exists to do harm call for a commitment on the part of early childhood educators to the highest standards of ethical practice” (ECEBC Code of Ethics, 2008. p. 1). We connect, care for, nurture, and support both the child and their family in our relationship through the lens of a professional and ethical practice. The Code of Ethics provides us with 8 principles, explanations and standard of practice to help guide us educators and at the same time protects our children and families we support in our centre. When we are faced with conflict or an ethical dilemma when caring for our children and families, we are able to refer to this handbook for guidance.
Child Care Licensing Regulation
Community Care and Assisted Living Act
https://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/332_2007
The Child Care Licensing Regulations are in place at our licensed facility/centre to make sure that rules are being followed and that the needs of the children in care are being met. This includes educator and child ratios, qualifications, policies, emergency exit plans, inspection, discussion and risk analysis of facility plans and programs. Each facility is monitored and assessed on an individual basis. We work closely with our licensing officer to make sure we understand what is expected, and to discuss issues, make site visits, provide education and to help Linda –  Licensees and I – Facility Manager to gain knowledge and understanding of what needs to be done and why. Guidance we can then share with our staff members which can then be shared with families when questions, inquires, and concerns become present.
Director of Licensing Standard of Practice – Active Play
Community Care and Assisted Living Act
The Active Play document guides us to ensure our toddlers and preschoolers are engaged in a minimum of 180 minutes of physical activity throughout their day. Active play may be accumulated through 15 minute portions of time throughout the day or continuously. Within the 180 minutes of active play there is to be a minimum of 60 minutes of outdoor active play. “Active play is physical activity which includes moderate to vigorous bursts of high energy, raises children’s heart rate and may make them “huff and puff” such as running, skipping, hopping jumping, reaching for a toy, and rolling over” (Director of Licensing Standard of Practice – Active Play). Here at our centre our children love active play and we educators love to add learning opportunities with our active play minutes. We stay clear of prolonged sitting activities. It’s a win win outcome for us all.
The Active Play document also guides us with limited screen time (TV, computer, electronic games) – maximum to 30 minutes or less a day guidelines. “Programs where children are in attendance for 3 hours or less should not include screen time activities in the daily routine. Along with screen time is not offered to children under two years of age” (Director of Licensing Standard of Practice – Active Play).
Director of Licensing Standards of Practice – Safe Play Space
Community Care and Assisted Living Act
The Safe Play Space document guides us with our play space design, educates us with education and injury prevention for our children, what expected supervision and staff ratios are for play spaces, appropriate material and equipment, safe ground surfacing for children to land on, how to maintain and inspect the play space equipment, how to operate with shared and mixed age play space, and guidelines for atypical equipment.
“A safe and well-planned play space creates an appropriate balance between safety and meeting children’s developmental needs. It should offer activities to encourage the development of perception and physical skills and include opportunities for social, physical, and cognitive forms of play” (Director of Licensing Standards of Practice – Safe Play Space. 2007).
Safety Bulletin – Water Safety 2013
Community Care and Assisted Living Act
BC Child Care Water Safety Bulletin 2013
The Water Safety document guides us and reminds us with the importance of supervision in regards to children and the risk of water play. For all children to never be left unattended, do we need additional staffing at the time of water play, maintain visual contact and close proximity, continuously scan the water play area for safety, to always be listening and observing with water play activities. As much fun as water play can be, it has a risk to become deadly instantly. A document we take very seriously.
COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Child Care Settings
B.C. Centre for Disease Control
Covid-19 Guidance Child Care Settings July 2020
The Covid-19 Public Health Guidance for Child Care Settings “document provides interim guidance for child care services to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and maintain safe and healthy environments for children and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies key infection prevention and control practices to implement in child care settings and actions to take if a child or staff member develops symptoms of COVID-19” (COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Child Care Settings. 2020). This document has helped us to understand the risk level with children and Covid-19 infection. Along with guidance’s and encouragement for our centre to adapt to implementing public health and infection prevention and control measures, understanding environment measures, administrative measures and personal measures. The Public Health provided a protocol for child or staff members with symptoms of Covid-19, when to stay home, appropriate steps to take when a child or staff member develops symptoms while in our centres setting, and guidance when to perform hand hygiene for both child and staff members. This documentation is resourceful information tool to help us navigate through challenging times. Guidelines we appreciate, follow and comply to the very best we can.
The B.C. Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect
The BC Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect
The B.C. Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect guides us on how to response to child abuse and neglect, how to identify and report concerns, responding to the child’s needs, how to recognize possible indicators, how to handle disclosures, and to learn and understand what happens after a report has been made. The handbook also explains the roles and responsibilities of the caregiver/service provider – we the educator, Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCSA), Minister of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Delegated Aboriginal Child and Family Services Agency, police, child welfare worker, and other service providers. “As a service provider, we/you have a key role to play in helping to keep children and youth safe, and this Handbook can help” (The B.C. Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect. 2017. p.3).
Truth & Reconciliation: Calls to Action
Truth and Reconciliation – Call to Action Booklet 2020
The Truth & Reconciliation: Calls to Action Handbook guides us through the “10 Principles of reconciliation, the 94 calls to action, and the 46 articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)” (Truth & Reconciliation: Calls to Action Handbook. p. 1) This handbook gives us knowledge and understanding that lays the groundwork for reconciliation. It also reminds us to have respect and honour our Indigenous People of Canada rights.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention)
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention) states “every child around the world from birth to 18 has rights. Rights a child has to be able to survive thrive and meet their full potential. All 54 articles of rights are equally important and are connected to each other. A child is born with these rights, and no one can take them away. As an educator in my centre along with my staff it is our responsibility to respect and honour these rights for ALL of our CHILDREN. To make sure every child feels included and respected. Allowing a child to have a voice and be given the opportunities to voice opinions. All children have these rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what their parents do, what language they speak, what their religion is, whether they are a boy or girl, what their culture is, whether they have a disability, or whether they are rich or poor. No child should be treated unfairly on any basis. As an educator when making a decision for a child we are to think about how their decision will affect a child and what is best for the child. The government of B.C. and Canada has a responsibility to make sure the child’s rights are protected. Educate families and educators on how to protect a child’s rights and create an environment where a child can grow and reach their full potential” (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention))
Examples of Documents: Direct
ECC 125 Outdoor Environment Partnership Assignment
ECC 124 -2019 Assignment – Understanding the Reggio Emilia Approach The Reggio Report
ECC 168 Health Promotion Assignment Brochure – Mindfulness Meditation
ECC 136 Personal Philosophy Assignment
Examples of Documents: Indirect
Facility Manager – Linda’s After School Care May 2018
Licensing Officer Stephen Morgan Letter August 2020
Building Bridges Through Understanding the Village Experiential Workshop
Care Care Emergency Preparedness Information Session Nov 2008
ECEBC Membership 2019 and Present
ECEBC AGM Meeting Attended Sept. 14th, 2020
References
B.C. Director of Licensing Standard of Practice – Active Play
B.C. Director of Licensing Standards of Practice – Safe Play Space. 2007.
B.C. Government. 2020. Rules for Operating a Licensed Child Care Facility. Retrieved from: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/running-daycare-preschool/rules-operating-licensed-day-care
B.C. Government. 2017. The B.C. Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect
Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework. 2018. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.
Ministry of Education. B.C. Early Learning Framework. 2019. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data.
Ministry of Education. B.C. Play Today. 2019.
Ministry of Health. B.C. Centre for Disease Control. July 8, 2020. COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Child Care Settings
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention). 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.ca/sites/default/files/imce_uploads/UTILITY%20NAV/TEACHERS/DOCS/GC/CRCPosterEN_FA.pdf
