Profile: Caledon East Children's Place

Caledon East Children’s Place is a centre focused on offering inclusive quality care for local children. We recently asked Brenda McNairn, Executive Director to tell us about the business and how the pandemic has affected them.

Tell us about the business.

Caledon East Children's Place (CECP) is a non-profit organization, licensed by the Ministry of Education.

CECP has been serving families in Caledon East since 1988, providing quality, inclusive early learning and childcare services to Toddler, and Preschool children, aged 18 months - school age.

The childcare centre has also served as a steady place for employment and student teacher field placements. CECP has partnered with both DPCDSB and PDSB, offering a before and after school care program.

CECP is unique in a sense that it has adopted elements of the HighScope Educational Approach to learning. The cornerstone of the HighScope curriculum is Active Learning. Research has shown that children learn best when they are actively involved with people and things.

In an Active Learning setting, children develop initiative, autonomy and self-confidence. 

Why is this business operated as a non-profit, how is that different than a for profit daycare?

Having non-profit status allows us to keep our parent fees competitive.

It also allows us to focus on recruiting qualified Registered Early Childhood Educators who want to have a positive impact on the families of Caledon East.

Thanks to our partnership with the Region of Peel, we are able to benefit from engaging in the Raising the Bar in Peel (A commitment to best practices in early learning), offering subsidized childcare spaces, having access to Peel Inclusion Resource Services (PIRS) and having the support of an Early Years Specialist.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the business?

We were mandated to close the centre at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We reopened in July 2020, going beyond the required measures in accordance with the Ministry of Education and Peel Public Health, in terms of cohort size, staffing and enhanced sanitization.

In light of COVID-19 restrictions, staff maintain strong respectful relationships with families, by communicating daily with parents via an online application, including photos and updates of their child’s day.

As our enrollment continues to grow and the pandemic begins to slow, we will continue to implement these same measures to maintain a safe and healthy experience for the children, families and educators.

Tell us about you, why did you get into the business?

The daycare commenced operations in 1988 by our founder, Moya Fewson, whose goal it was to offer quality care for local children.

The educators and environment have evolved over the years, but one thing remains the same…offering families the support and confidence in knowing their child is happy and well cared for by qualified educators.

As for me, I have been involved in Early Childhood Education for the past 36 years in various capacities. I believe it truly “takes a village” to raise a child. I have always maintained a consistent passion for providing quality early learning and believe every child has an equal right to quality care.

I also enjoy mentoring our staff and giving them the opportunity to have a positive impact on the children and families in Caledon East.

What are you most looking forward to when the pandemic is over?

When the pandemic is over, the centre mostly looks forward to the opportunity to gather the families together to freely celebrate a sense of community, goodwill and good health.

Caledon East Children’s Place is located at 6029 Old Church Rd, Caledon East | 905 584-9189 | https://cechildrensplace.com