This work is designed to help young children obtain a solid understanding of events and experiences in their own environment. It is intended to increase the children’s confidence in their intellectual powers and strengthens their ability to continue learning. Emergent curriculum develops the foundation for children to continue seeking a deeper understanding of the environment and the community around them.

Our classrooms and materials provide child-initiated and adult-supported experiences. We believe in making learning visible through the use of pedagogical documentation of the learning through observation, planning, reflecting and evaluating. The Educators document the children’s play and learning in a variety of ways to communicate to the families, and to extend the children’s learning.

We strive to be organized around the four foundations of learning which includes belonging, well-being, engagement and expression and is central to children learning and growth. Our Educators establish a flexible program in an inclusive, supportive and non-discriminatory environment. Open communication between and among the Educators, children, families and the school community is crucial to creating a warm and safe environment in which the children can play, learn and thrive. We strive to avoid gender bias values, attitudes and practices. Our programs and activities reflect the ethno-cultural diversity of our families and promote respect and appreciation of their uniqueness.

KCF believes in providing child care environments that contain a variety of complex and open-ended materials, experiences that encourage exploration, experimentation, problem solving and making sense of the world around them. Our Educators strive to arrange flexible indoor and outdoor space and resources where children can feel safe to take risks, explore, build and role play. We balance indoor/outdoor, active play, rest and quiet within each of our program’s daily schedules. Activities within the program emphasize skills such as self-esteem, self-respect, self-regulation and respect for others which allows individual children and groups to interact in a positive and confident manner.

Our School-Age programs offer flexible and responsive programming as a balance to the more structured environment the child attends during the day. Educators work closely with the children to extend their learning and plan the program in a co-operative process while helping children build positive self- esteem and promote self- reflection. The Kids Come First strives to incorporate some type of outdoor or active play with the children on a daily basis. Where it is not possible, due to weather or access to the gym, our Educators will work with the children to plan active games in the program. Our school aged programs are also designed to provide opportunity for quiet time for children to read and/or work on school assignments and/or homework with the support of our Educators.