Dartmouth Day Care Centre is a not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. We have been providing quality childcare to families and children in the East and Central Dartmouth areas for more than 40 years. We currently provide childcare for close to 125 families in our two locations, 28 Caledonia Road and 33 Crichton Avenue.
Spaces available for 2-3 year olds. We are also accepting waitlist requests for 2019-2020 for other ages.
Apply Now
Dartmouth Day Care Centre is looking for Community Members to join our Board of Directors
If you are interested please fill out the application and return to dartmouthdaycare@ns.sympatico.ca
or contact Angie for more information at 902-434-2865.
Board of Directors Application (PDF)
We are looking for Qualified Early Childhood Educators
Call 902-434-2865 for more details or email your resume to dartmouthdaycare@ns.sympatico.ca
About Us
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Our Story
Dartmouth Day Care Centre was created from a shared vision to create a quality program for families and children in the East Dartmouth area. We were incorporated in 1974 and settled into the basement of St. Luke’s Anglican Church on Veterans Avenue. We started out small with an enrolment of 30 children. In 1987, due to an increased need for childcare in the central Dartmouth area, we expanded to 33 Crichton Avenue. After successfully expanding and operating two full-time childcare programs, the Board of Directors for Dartmouth Day Care Centre approved the movement of the St. Luke’s program to 28 Caledonia Road in 1990. Currently, Dartmouth Day Care Centre provides quality childcare to more than 100 families in the East and Central Dartmouth areas. In 2014, we proudly celebrated 40 years of service to our communities and thank all those involved in helping build a successful organization.
Our Mission
Our Centre is dedicated to providing a high-quality inclusive early childhood education program that includes diversity, cultural respect for community and a holistic framework to support a nurturing environment for all children to reach their full potential.
We Learn When We Play!
Our learning centres in each play room are developed with the children's interests in mind. Our Early Childhood Educators consult with children about their key experiences and help form various learning areas such as: Block Area, Creative Art Area, Quiet Area (Library and books), Tactile Area ( Sensory bins ) , Pretend Play ( dress up. Puppets, themes area ( medical clinic/ veterinary clinic/ grocery store), Math/ Science and Nature Area. We believe in a unique, technology- and screen-free learning environment where children learn by doing.
Science & Exploration Area
- Explore and experience the natural world
- Problem solving
- Making guesses and estimates
- Develop observation skills
Math Centre
- Develop concepts: many/few, thick/thin, classification, rational counting, ordinal counting, sets, same/different, greater than/less than, heavy/light, measurement etc.
- Cognitive development
- Sense of self worth
- Concentration and completion of a task
Manipulative Toys/ Table Top Toys
- Fine motor control and development (pincer grasp)
- Concentration and completion of a task
- Enhanced self esteem and feeling of control and mastery
- Early concepts such as patterning, sequencing, order
- Problem solving
Creative Art & Expression
- Creativity and imagination
- Self expression
- Concepts such as colors, shapes, lines, properties, textures, cause and effect
- Fine motor control and development
- Conceptualization (interpret observations with concept; to arrive at a concept as a result of things seen, experienced, or believed; to imagine)
- Hand-eye coordination
- Social and language development
- Setting limits, trying new things, risk taking
Block Area (Construction)
- Concept development (shape, size, balance, contrast, one-to-one correspondence, counting, matching, sorting, spatial relationships, groupings, classifying, problem-solving, length, height, weight, leverage, geometric shapes, etc.)
- Conceptualization(interpret observations with concept; to arrive at a concept as a result of things seen, experienced, or believed; to imagine)
- Cooperation/social skills; learning to communicate with others and work out differences
- Logical thinking
Books / Library / Quiet Corner
- to teach children a love and appreciation for books and literature
- books are sources of information can answer our questions
- pre reading concepts- the written word is talk written down, made with symbols; stories are read from right to left; sequencing; letter recognition; language patterns and development; new concepts and vocabulary; etc.
- Encourages thinking and predicting skills (what will happen next, recall past events in story)
- Concentration and independent play
- Matching and identifying pictures from books to actual objects and real life situations
- Imagination and creativity through storytelling
Dramatic Play
- Understand and experience the adult world through imitation
- Means to express feelings and emotions
- Assist in better understanding their world
- Experience a sense of power by imitating grown-ups
- Develop creativity and imagination
- Experience different roles
- Improvising and symbolic use of items- abstract thinking
- Social interaction/ socialization (resolve conflict, social play)- working together, sharing
- Build language skills
- Develop body/mind identity, identify a sense of self awareness
- Empathy- understanding how others feel
Outside Play / Active Play
- Exploring
- risk-taking
- fine and gross motor development
- social development
- appreciation of nature
- problem solving
- freedom of expression
- body control
- confidence building
Sensory Play / Water and Sand Play
- math and science concepts (empty/full, before/after, shallow/deep, and heavy/light)
- fine motor skills
- hand-eye coordination
- cause and effect
- independent play
- gross motor development in( puddles, sprinklers)
- fosters curiosity, imagination, and experimentation
- cognitive development (making sense of their world through concepts developed)
- promotes social learning and cooperative effort
- enrich language experiences
- Aid in development of senses
Our Playgrounds
Apply Now
We would love to welcome your child at Dartmouth Day Care. To get started either call us on 902-434-2865 for more information or download and complete our application forms:
Application Forms
Please return the completed forms to:
P.O. BOX 271528 Caledonia Road
Dartmouth, NS
B2X 1K8
Please note: 2018 Spaces are filled. We are accepting waitlist requests for 2019-2020
Costs
(as of 1 April 2019, annual review of costs completed by board of directors)
$38 / day
- 18 months to 3 years old
$37 / day
- 3 - 5 years old
Our Team of Early Childhood Educators
Dartmouth Day Care Centre abides by all regulations set forth by the Department of Education requiring staffing. We employ a total of 20 staff across both of our daycare sites in Caledonia and Crichton, NS. All of our staff working with children have either a level 2 or level 3 classification; a level 3 classification is the highest attainable certification for an early childhood educator. Our professionals bring unique backgrounds of degrees and diplomas in the early childhood field. Our Early Childhood Educators have been working with us an average of 12 years with various compliments of junior, senior, and master early childhood educators. Our senior management at both sites brings specialized expertise in play-based curriculum, play therapy, and management training.
Dartmouth Day Care Centre has an inclusive program utilizing the expertise of two Inclusion Coordinators, as well as all staff who have specialized knowledge working with children with diagnosed or undiagnosed needs. Dartmouth Day Care Centre’s Inclusion Coordinator for our Caledonia site, Angela Daniels-Drummond, recently received acknowledgement of the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education.
Our locations are well-equipped with trained cooks who abide by the Department of Education Food and Beverage Regulations/ Standards and the Department of Agriculture Food Protection and Safety Practices.
All of our professionals are required to have numerous professional development hours annually, a vulnerable sector check and child abuse registry check, current CPR and first aid training, and have signed a behavior management agreement.
Contact Us
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Our Curriculum
Why Emergent Curriculum?
Emergent Curriculum is...
- a child-centred approach to planning in child care centres
- how we meet our goal of providing a creative, nurturing, responsive environment to children
- developmentally appropriate
Download our Emergent Curriculum Document for more information (PDF).
Sun Safety Policy
Dartmouth Day Care Centre is taking all necessary measures to protect children and staff from the harmful effects of UV Rays. Sun safe practices will be on going throughout the year with extra precautionary measures during the months of May – September. In an effort to keep families and staff informed our sun safety policy is available to all parents and staff. Temperatures and UV index will be posted in a clear visible spot each day for reference.
Protecting Children
In accordance with the Nova Scotia Day Care Act and Regulations staff of Dartmouth Day Care Centre will take the following precautions during outdoor play time in the summer months. When the UV Index is high, the following protections will be in place:
- all children are encouraged to wear protective gear including hats with brims, sunglasses (if provided) and lightweight clothing to protect the skin
- while outside, shaded areas and drinking water are provided
- the majority of outdoor activities will be planned for early morning and late afternoon (before 11am and after 4 pm)
- sunscreen with a SPF of at least 30 will be generously applied to exposed skin 30 minutes before going outside. (Refer to proper application of sunscreen)
- children who show signs of heat illness, including thirst, fatigue, leg or stomach cramps and cool, moist skin, will be removed immediately to a cool place.
- in extreme heat conditions children will have shorter periods of outside play time, or will remain inside participating in planned activities.
Download our Sun Safety Policy Document for more information (PDF)
Sample Menu
Dartmouth Day Care Centre provides nutritious lunches and snacks for children in our care.