COVID-19 Re-opening Plan
At our Tsleil-Waututh Child & Family Development Centre, we provide holistic, quality care for children from six months to five years old. We promote healthy development in children, families and the community using a strength-based approach, which is family focused, community-based and culturally inclusive.
We have incorporated traditional Tsleil-Waututh education, language, and culture into our childcare curriculum, in response to what our community, leadership and parents have requested. We also look at other First Nations’ cultures and the cultures of families enrolled in the centre.
We recognize moving to a new environment can be challenging, so we support young preschool students moving into kindergarten. We want parents and our childcare and school teams to feel confident about the transition. Our goal is to help put children on the path to success in their educational careers.
We have daycare 30 seats open to the greater community, providing support for infants, toddlers and pre-school. Parents can apply here.
TWN has won a Child Care Award of Excellence in the innovation category, one of four awarded by the Ministry of Child and Family Development, in all licensed child care centres in BC.
Childcare
We run a fully licensed childcare service for children from six-months-old until school age, when they enter grade one. Our childcare is open to the broader non-Aboriginal community as well, on a fee for service basis. Parent Night We hold weekly parent groups where we provide a meal and child minding. Many of these parent groups have guest speakers on informative topics, while some are informal sessions where parents can enjoy each other’s company and share experiences.
HIPPY
Our HIPPY Program—Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters—reaches out to families with children who are three, four and five years old. We provide activities and support to help children develop literacy and numeric skills for school. Parent involvement is an essential component of the program; our worker gives families simple activities to follow through on with their children. The result? When the children enter school, families see the impact of their efforts and are more likely to be involved with their child’s education.
Aboriginal Infant Development Program
Our consultants visit homes with children under six years of age to help empower parents in their roles as the primary caregivers and teachers in their children’s lives. These clinical professionals work collaboratively with families to set and reach goals for their children and themselves.
Aboriginal Head Start Program
This is a free, three-hour program for community children to foster literacy and numeric skills, and ensure children are socially and emotionally ready for school. We incorporate First Nations culture, as well as the cultures of our staff (Iranian, Jewish, Spanish, French) and those of the broader community. We have traditional programming in art, drumming, singing, field trips, and opportunities for Elders and children to interact. Although our funding is targeted to Tsleil-Waututh community children, any child in the centre is part of the program.
Special Needs Support
We also provide specialized support for children with special needs. We have a longstanding partnership with the Supported Child Development team at the BC Centre for Ability to assist children with a variety of abilities.
| Hours: | 7:30 am to 5:30 pm |
| 3036 Takaya Dr, North Vancouver, BC V7H 3A8 | |
| To apply for the waitlist, please complete this form and send it to daycare@twnation.ca | |
| The Centre participates in the $10 a Day ChildCareBC Centres program with the Province of BC |
We engage with children in many activities at our Child & Family Development Centre, from science to math, gross motor skills, arts and dramatic play. We share different cultures and languages with children. And we integrate the Reggio Emilia Approach begun in Northern Italy, so children have the freedom to express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions, through different kinds of materials and in their own unique way. This model:
Daily Activities
- Values the ability of children to learn spontaneously and their potential to think, learn and construct knowledge
- Is based on child-centred learning, creativity, collaboration, environments, and partnerships with parents
- Observes what children are curious about and what challenges them; then tailors learning and exploration around their ideas and interests
Morning and afternoon snacks are provided by the childcare centre.
Cultural Activities
We also offer all sorts of cultural activities at the Child & Family Development Centre, from Tsleil-Waututh and other First Nations cultures, to international festivities such as Diwali and Cinco de Mayo.
International Festivities
- Cinco de Mayo
- Diwali
- Chinese New Year
- Christmas
First Nations Activities
- Drumming
- Language
Canoe Trip
Fish Hatchery Fieldtrip
Making Canoes
Weaving
Our Mission Statement
The Tsleil-Waututh Child & Family Development Centre (CFDC) works to promote healthy development in children, families and the community, using a strength-based approach that is family focused, community-based and culturally inclusive.
Family focused means we help each family identify their goals and support them in reaching these goals, by accessing as many community supports and resources as possible. Some families may find it hard to use certain supports; in this case, we will work with parents to deal with road blocks or look at other supports.
Although we have Tsleil-Waututh culture as part of our curriculum, we will also look at other First Nations’ cultures and the cultures of families enrolled in the centre. Our staff members share their culture and show the children other cultures as well.
Our Vision Statement
The Tsleil-Waututh Child & Family Development Centre will provide a holistic program for children and families, where they will learn, thrive and grow through incorporating the Tsleil-Waututh culture, Hun’q’umin’um language and other cultures.
Our Philosophy
We believe:
- The Hun’q’umin’um language is our connection to the past
- We share a responsibility in reviving the Hun’q’umin’um language
- Elders are our main resource in teaching language, culture and values
- Parents and families are their children’s main caregivers and teachers
- In supporting and empowering parents and extended families
- In supporting families to promote their children’s overall development
- When children know who they are, they are more successful in life
- Children learn through play
- All children have rights and we have an obligation to protect them
- In providing a welcoming, home-like environment that reflects the cultures of the families we serve
- Our curriculum must be culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate, and stimulating
- In providing a holistic program that incorporates six program components:
- Culture and language
- Education
- Health promotion
- Nutrition
- Family involvement
- Social support
Children need:
- Relationships of trust, where they feel they belong
- To gain a sense of accomplishment by learning through successful challenges
- More responsibility as they become more independent
- A sense of purpose where care and concern for others is modelled, recognized and reinforced
Children are raised in a family and we recognize families as the main influence in children’s lives. Families need:
- Opportunities and choices to decide how they will participate in the centre
- Support available to everyone in the family that works for them
- To decide what they need and how they will meet their needs
- To be respected for who they are
Families are affected by the communities they live in, and all families deserve support at one time or another.
Goals and Guidelines
Our goals are to:
- Foster the spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical development of children and their families
- Foster a desire for lifelong learning
- Support families as the main influences in children’s lives
- Foster a holistic approach to learning, based on culturally inclusive values
- Ensure efficient, effective management of all parts of the program
Guidelines Guideline Diagram Package (coming soon)
For more information please call 604-929-0693 and ask to speak with the Manager.
