sʔitwənx
UBC Okanagan Child Care’s newest centre sʔitwənx (crane), opened in November 2024 and is located at 1260 Discovery Avenue.
This centre was built following a passive design process, which means it works with the local climate to maintain comfortable internal temperatures. It also uses an electric air source heat pump and central energy recovery ventilator and has on-site rainwater management.
Philosophy
UBC Okanagan Child Care Services offers a variety of programs for children of all ages, based on a developmentally appropriate approach. The programs use an Emergent curriculum and play-based learning, creating environments that support social-emotional, physical, and creative development.
Our approach sees Educators as researchers, planners, recorders, and communicators of children’s learning. We believe children are competent, curious, and full of potential. Each child is unique, so we offer a variety of programs that include both child-led and educator-planned activities. Our Educators create a balanced learning environment where children can observe, question, experiment, and explore in a supportive and caring setting.
Infant Toddler
Our Infant Toddler Program focuses on providing warm, responsive child care, supported by a primary caregiver role.
Quick Facts
- Age group: from 8 months to 36 months
- Maximum group size: 12 children
- Child-to-staff ratio: 4 children to 1 Educator
- Food: All meals and snacks provided by families
- Hours: 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
The program offers flexible schedules, experiences, and materials to support the rapid developmental changes children undergo in their first three years. We meet children’s sleep and feeding needs and provide environments that foster language, cognitive, motor, and social skill development. Our environment connects children to nature, both indoors and outdoors. Each day includes indoor and outdoor play, small group activities, and routines like snack time, nap time, and diaper changes, along with language and music activities.
We use a Primary Caregiver Approach to build strong, trusting relationships between children, families, and educators. Each group of four children has a dedicated primary caregiver who handles daily care, including mealtimes, diaper changes, and toileting. The caregiver also communicates daily with parents about their child’s progress. A Senior Educator oversees the classroom to ensure a well-managed environment.
Legislative requirements
All of our settings meet or exceed legislative requirements for licensed care.
Child-to-staff ratio
- 1 to 4 children: 1 Infant Toddler Educator
- 5 to 8 children: 1 Infant Toddler Educator and 1 Early Childhood Educator
- 9 to 12 children: 1 Infant Toddler Educator, 1 Early Childhood Educator and 1 Early Childhood Educator Assistant
Staff qualifications
- Infant Toddler Educator Certificate (approximately 1,300 hours of training)
- Early Childhood Educator Certificate (approximately 900 hours of training)
- Early Childhood Educator Assistant Certificate (completed one early childhood education course)
3-5 Program
Our program fosters learning by emphasizing opportunities for negotiation with others, problem-solving, exploring curiosities, engaging with materials, and expressing creativity.
Quick Facts
- Age group: 30 months to school age (Kindergarten)
- Maximum group size: 25 children
- Child-to-staff ratio: 8 children to 1 Educator
- Food: All meals and snacks provided by families
- Hours: 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
The British Columbia Early Learning Framework shapes the curriculum for all UBC Okanagan Child Care programs. This framework highlights the importance of relationships, flexible environments, and play in children’s learning. It also outlines four key areas of early learning: well-being and belonging, exploration and creativity, languages and literacies, and social responsibility and diversity. Early Childhood Educators base their curricular choices on the goals within these areas.
In our 3-5 program, each group of eight children is assigned a dedicated primary caregiver (Educator) who builds a strong bond with each child, fostering security and trust. The primary caregiver observes and tracks developmental milestones, learning progress, and social interactions while keeping families informed with regular updates and personalized feedback. A Senior Educator oversees the classroom to ensure a well-managed environment.
Legislative requirements
All of our settings meet or exceed legislative requirements for licensed care.
Child-to-staff ratio
- 1 to 8 children: 1 Early Childhood Educator
- 6 to 16 children: 1 Early Childhood Educator, 1 Early Childhood Educator Assistant
- 17 to 25 children: 1 Early Childhood Educator, 2 Early Childhood Educator Assistants
Staff qualifications
- Early Childhood Educator Certificate (approximately 900 hours of training)
- Early Childhood Educator Assistant Certificate (completed one early childhood education course)