Parent Advisory Board

The Parent Advisory Board  for the High River DayCare: Shaun Mitchell, Tracey Culp, Kellie Beal, Kathryn Mattice, Nancy Harper, and Julie Peters.

Shaun Mitchell
Shaun Mitchell moved to High River in 2008, after living abroad in sunny Bermuda for 4 years, and currently works as an IT Professional at Western Financial Group. Shaun and his wife Andrea have been married for 6 years and have one son who attends High River Day Care.  Living internationally has taught Shaun the value of family and diversity in the community.  Shaun joined the Parent Advisory Board so that he can better understand and support the daycare in its continued goal of providing the best child care and learning opportunities for our children. He is extremely proud to be a member of the board and looks forward to being one of the parents voice at the daycare
Shaun Mitchell MCTS, CCNA,  Enterprise Data Architect, Western Financial Group  Phone: (403) 652-2663 / 1-866 THE WEST shaun.mitchell@westernfg.ca

Tracey Culp
When I was asked to join the parent board at the High River Daycare I was hesitant. What little free time I had is now dedicated to this new responsibility. What do I hope to achieve?   Hope is the key.We cherish our children and then the day comes to send them off to daycare, school or another group activity. When we as parents are not able to answer or to comfort every concern you pray that there will be someone there who is as dedicated to their feelings and overall well- being. In may time on the parent board I hope to play a part in the development of my children in a time where otherwise I wouldn’t have an input. When I drop them off in the morning I want to know that they are receiving the best possible care by the best possible people.  The stimulation they get from this outside influence is tremendous.  They are learning to become their own person and by giving them the tools to pursue different areas of curiosity, they are given the world to explore. Children are a wealth of information for us as well. We just need to ask questions and to make changes.
Tracey Culp

Kellie Beal
Kellie Beal has lived in High River for the past 3 years, but has been in the Foothills region for over 6 years; living in Calgary & Red Deer before that. Kellie & Trevor have been married for 5 years and have a son who attends the daycare.  Kellie works at Servus Credit Union, which is the 3rd largest credit union in the country and first province wide.She has been with the company for 6 years between the High River branch and her current role of Assistant Manager Member Service at the Okatoks branch.
“I am really excited to be a part of the parent advisory board, as I work full-time this is a great way to have an input on what our children do every day.  Since we can’t all be home with our children, what better way to show interest in their daily lives than on this board.  We entrust the daycare with the care of our children every day and to be a part of that is notable as this our children’s home away from home” Kellie Beal

Accreditation

Click here to go to The Alberta Association for Accreditation website for more information.
(http://www.aelcs.ca/)

The accreditation process ensures the Highest Quality of Childcare.

The ten Quality Standards are applicable for early learning and care services in general.  They are divided into 4 categories of outcomes; for children, for families, for staff, and for the community.

Part A:  Outcomes for Children
Children enter the world full of potential. The extent to which a child`s potential is realized is strongly influenced by early experiences. Children thrive within families and communities that protect their health and safety: nurture and respect them: and provide opportunities for involvement with caring adults, stimulating play and safe exploration of their environment.  Warm supportive and responsive interactions between adults and children help children to feel safe and encourage a sense of self-worth.  Children who feel secure and valued are more likely to get along well with others, develop self-control and be able to benefit from opportunities and experiences that foster learning and optimal development.

Standard 1 Children are safe, secure, well cared for and nurtured.
Policies and practices support children in forming secure attachments.
The Daycare environment promotes best practice.

Standard 2 Relationships between service providers and children are supportive and respectful.
Each child is treated with respect
Interactions  and communications with children are positive and supportive
Ongoing communication with families informs staff practice in supporting children`s emotional and social needs.

Standard 3 Every child`s optimal development is promoted in an inclusive early learning and child care environment
The early learning environment is inclusive, promoting competence, active independent exploration and learning through play
Planned experiences are geared to children`s interests and build on their experiences in their families and communities
Planned experiences promote development and learning across the developmental domains
The adult is actively engaged in children`s play and learning
Peer learning is encouraged
Children are guided as they begin to develop social and problem-solving skills and take responsibility for their own actions
There is regular and systematic documentation of children `s growth and development

Part B: Out Comes for Families
The family has the primary responsibility for and is the key to young children`s well-being and development.  To promote children`s healthy development childcare must establish supportive, collaborative relationships with families based on respect, honest communication and joint decision making.  Families have a right to fully participate in their child`s daycare

Standard 4 Families are supported as the primary caregivers for their children.
The daycare builds a relationship of trust with each family.
The daycare supports families in their child-rearing role and is respectful of their beliefs about child-rearing
The daycare builds a sense of community (social networks) among the families it serves
The daycare advocates for the family in accessing needed supports

Standard 5 Relationships with families are supportive and respectful.
Families are an integral part of the daycare.
The daycare recognizes the expertise of families and works in partnership with families to promote children`s early learning, growth and development.
There are clear, simple processes that support regular exchange of information between families and the daycare.

Part C: Outcomes for the Staff
The adults in the daycare are the most important element for the provision of high quality early learning and care services.  Children benefit most when there is continuity of relationship  with the adults, when the adults have a good understanding of child development and can translate this into practice, and when the adults feel supported and valued in their work situation

Standard 6 Daycare philosophy, policies and procedures support staff in providing high quality early learning and child care services.There is a clear statement of the daycare`s philosophy, goals and objectives, reviewed on an annual basis.
There are clear written policies and procedures for managing day-day operations of the daycare.
Policies and procedures are clearly reflected in everyday practice.

Standard 7: The work environment supports quality service delivery. A supportive work environment increases staff retentions, enhances job satisfaction, and provides staff with the tools they need to support children`s optimal development.
The daycare has well-defined management practices to recruit and retain staff in a positive work environment.
The organizational climate is positive.

Part D:  Outcomes for the Communities
High quality child care contributes to well-functioning families and builds social cohesion in communities.  It enhances community partnerships and supports appropriate linkages across children`s services.

Standard 8: The service responds to the needs and concerns of children, their families, the staff and the community.
The program is aware of and responsive to the diversity of needs in the community of children and families it serves.
The program is an active participant in the broader community of services for children and families.

Standard 9: Families and community stakeholders are actively engaged in ensuring that community diversity and interests are reflected in the delivery of early learning and child care services.
There is a clearly defined process for involving community stakeholders.
The roles and responsibilities of stakeholder groups are clearly defined.

Standard 10:  Early learning and child care services participate in ongoing monitoring and evaluation processes that support continuous quality improvement.
The daycare actively seeks the views of the staff, the families it serves and relevant community stakeholders through a variety of ongoing processes.    The program uses and annual review process to set goals for the coming year and to develop and implement action plans to address these goals for continuous quality improvement.

For more information on Accreditation click here to go to their webside.
(http://www.aelcs.ca/)