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- The Cridge Childcare Services“I recommend the Cridge Centre to everyone.” This is how one parent of a busy 4-year old summed up her view of our childcare services. “The centre adds so much to our lives.” Choosing childcare can be a very big decision. All of our childcare services welcome the opportunity to serve children with diverse and supported care needs. While each program offers care to different age groups, they all offer an environment that is safe, stimulating, nurturing and responsive to every child. At the Cridge Centre for the Family you will also discover devoted care within a Christian envionment. **Note: In response to the recent influenza scares, The Cridge Childcare Services has increased the frequency of handwashing (children and staff included) and level of cleaning throughout the centre. Please help us combat illness by using the wall-mounted hand sanitizer as soon as you enter the building. More information on how to keep your family healthy. The Cridge Childcare Services includes programs for: Under 3′s Childcare Three-to-Five Childcare Morning Preschool School Age Care (K – Grade 7) Sunfun Summer Day Camp We also host the wonderful Elizabeth Buckley Elementary School for children with diverse abilities The Cridge Childcare Centre comprises 16,400…
- Infant CareProfessional quality care at a ratio of four children to one caregiver with never less than two caregivers on duty. Building authentic relationships with infants is so important in providing high quality care. At The Cridge Centre Infant Centre caregivers will begin building a respectful relationship with you and your child from the first visit. Responsible for feeding, toiletting, diapering, providing stimulating play, each caregiver is able to document your baby’s development and growth in a way that supports you as a parent. Leaving a baby in group care is a huge decision for you as a parent. There is a true security in knowing that a trained professional, working with a team, and with the resources of a large organization at their disposal are focussing their time, talent, training and energy to provide your infant with specialized and dedicated care. As a parent, you know that the needs of your infant and the speed at which they change is astonishing. Your child’s caregiver is well trained in the stages of infant development and as important as it is for you to feel comfortable with that caregiver, it is equally important that your little one feels that same…
- Day CareDaycare Child Care for Preschoolers Ages Three to Five After more than forty years in the field of group childcare, The Cridge Centre for the Family continues today to offer excellence in the service of meeting your child care needs. Investing time and talent in the social, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development of your child is our privilige. When you leave your child in our care, just a few of the things we will concentrate on are self-worth, respect, confidence, happiness, values, skills, manners and knowledge. We want you to have security and peace of mind in knowing that your child’s day is full of adventure, opportunity and joy. We support the inlcusion of all children into our childcare regardless of learning differences. Our environment has been created to foster success for your child and to be inclusive of children with diverse abilities. Our Centre is wheelchair accessible. Our staff provide growth opportunities for children in programming designed to maximize their opportunities for success and to prepare them for Kindergarten and School. Language development, counting, time, the calendar, sign language, the alphabet, science, art, music, dance, sportball are all featured in the course of a year. “Unflagging Optimism That…
- PreschoolPerhaps you don’t need full-time Childcare, but you are wanting your child to have the opportunity to begin to socialize more and to learn the routines that will ensure success in the transition to Kindergarten and School. If so, Preschool is the answer you’ve been looking for. Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings OR Tuesday and Thursday mornings, your little one can experience the delight of their own special time and place, created to stimulate and delight their mind, senses and curiosity. The opportunity for teachable moments and the experience of group play will benefit your child in many ways. Additionally, their half-day will be filled with: Personal, Social, Emotional Development Physical Development Exploration of the World Around Us Developing Listening and Speaking Skills Art, Music, Dance If this is just the type of opportunity you’ve been looking for, we welcome your interest. We are very proud of our preschool and our staff, and we think you’ll agree.
- School Age CareNot every parent’s daily schedule fits in with his or her child’s school timetable. If your day starts earlier, or ends later than your child’s day, we can help out! Our School Age Care is an active, stimulating adventure for kids who are going into Kindergarten through grade 7, operating between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm. If you can drop your child at the Cridge Centre, we’ll spend quality time with him or her until school opens, then we’ll make the drive to school (we provide transport to six local elementary schools). At the end of the day, we’ll be there at the school again to drive back to the Centre for an afternoon of fun, with lots of choices. Along with our regular schedule of activities, we offer the chance to join clubs throughout the year! Look for information coming about Art Club at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Swimming Lessons at Crystal Pool, Dance Club with Barefoot Ballerinas and Quilting Club with Sherrie! **Note: In response to the 2009 influenza pandemic, Cridge Childcare Services increased the frequency of handwashing (children and staff included) and level of cleaning throughout the centre. Please help us combat illness by using…
- Summer SunFunIn the summer, the School Age Care Program becomes Sunfun: a summer-long day camp, packed full of exciting experiences. Our staff are young and enthusiastic and really connect with kids of school age. Every spring, they start planning a new summer schedule full of group games, crafts, singing, tours, Bible stories and field trips to community events, beaches and parks on the island. Many kids return year after year and look forward to some of our “traditional” events like The Cridge Olympics, swimming in Lake Cowichan and a multi-night camping trip for the older children. A typical day at Sunfun might look like: Early morning, picking a toy and playing with new friends while kids are arrive at the centre Dividing into small groups for the morning, reading a book together and making an art project based on the story After lunch, driving to Gonzales Beach to build sandcastles, dig for crabs and wade in the ocean Finally, eating a healthy snack and playing on our playground until the childtren are picked up For more information, contact the School Age Care & Sunfun office at (250) 995-6407 or dantonik@cridge.org. Sunfun application forms and policies can be found here
- F.A.Q.
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Areas of Service
Select from the links below to visit our various programs
Q1: What are the hours of care at The Cridge Childcare Centre?
- Nursery: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday, year-round.
- Daycare: 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday, year-round.
- Preschool: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm on Monday / Wednesday / Friday, OR Tuesday / Thursday, September through June
- School-Age Care: 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday, September through June
Please Note: SAC is a 10-month program. Therefore, re-registration is required for the following years/ summer programs.
- SunFun: 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday, July & August
Q2: Are you open on weekends and statutory holidays?
The Cridge Child Care programs are closed on weekends and Statutory Holidays.
All Children’s Programs close at 3:30 pm on the last workday prior to Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The Cridge Child Care programs are closed for two Professional Development days at the end of the summer programs and before the beginning of the new school year. These days may fall in either August or September, depending on the calendar, and parents will be notified.
Q3: Can I drop off my child later than expected?
For your child to enjoy the Child Care experience fully, they must be at the Centre by 9:30 am. Please inform the Centre by 9:30 am if your child is going to be late or absent. Most planned learning activities start shortly after 9:30 am. The Centre may not be able to accommodate your child in another room when they arrive if the class has left for an outing.
Q4: What happens if I am late to pick up my child?
A late fee is charged to the parent when the child is not picked up by 5:30 pm (Nursery – 5:00 pm; Preschool – 12:30 pm). The late pick-up charge is $1 per minute per child. For more than 2 instances of late pick-up within a 30-day period, the charge increases to $2 per minute per child.
Please call the appropriate program as soon as possible when you are going to be later than your usual pick-up time. You will still be charged a late fee, but it will avoid involving Social Services, who are notified if a child is not picked up by closing time.
If staff are unable to contact you or any of your Emergency contacts within 30 minutes of the program closing time (Pre-school:12:30pm, Nursery – 5:00 pm, all other programs 5:30 pm), staff will phone the Social Worker on duty to collect the child. A note on the front door will inform you where to pick up your child.
Q5: What are the monthly fees at The Cridge Care programs?
Please refer to The Cridge Child Care policies for our rates.
Q6: What are the available payment options?
You can pay using cash, cheque, debit card, credit card, or e-transfer.
Please note: All fees are due by the 1st of each month. More information about the payment options will be provided upon registration.
Q7: When do I need to pay the deposit?
When a Child Care space is offered and accepted, we require a $100 deposit which will be held in trust to be applied to your final month’s fees, provided we are given four weeks’ notice of departure. The space will not be confirmed until the deposit is received.
- Once space has been accepted by the parent or guardian and the child is subsequently withdrawn prior to starting in the Centre, a 15% administration fee will be withheld from the original deposit (the balance will be refunded).
- Spaces are prepaid on a monthly basis; there are no refunds for sick or vacation days.
- Refunds for organizational disruption of service will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Q8: Do you accept the Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB)?
We do. ACCB is available from the BC government. For more information, check the ACCB website or contact the ACCB Service Centre at 1-888-338-6622. Whether eligible or not, the parent is responsible for all amounts payable to The Cridge Centre. This includes the expected amount of ACCB, the remaining parent portion, and any other applicable fees.
Q9: Is part-time care available at The Cridge Child Care Centre?
At this time, part-time care is NOT available for The Cridge Child Care programs.
Q10: What are your health and safety regulations?
The Centre is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment. All children must be immunized prior to enrollment in The Cridge Child Care programs. For more information about health and safety regulations, please refer to our policies.
According to Island Health recommendations, all COVID-19 protocols are strictly followed to prevent exposure to our students and staff. All COVID-19 protocols are posted at The Cridge Child Care building.
Q11: Tell me more about the guidance and discipline at The Cridge Child Care Centre?
The Centre recognizes and respects each child’s uniqueness and individuality. Therefore, the Centre’s staff will provide the child with the freedom to explore, experience, problem-solve and learn through play. The staff will focus on the behaviour rather than the child when assisting the child in finding appropriate ways of expressing feelings. All children are on a 1-month-probation to assess our ability to meet the child’s needs. Parents also have the right to discontinue the care. For more detailed information on this subject, please see the Guidance & Discipline Statement.
Q12: My child has food allergies. How do I prepare them for a day in The Cridge Child Care Centre?
The Cridge Child Care programs are able to accommodate most of the children’s needs. However, please inform us ahead of time of any allergies, health concerns, or specific foods that may be limited for your child. For more information, please refer to our policies.
Q13: How much time do children spend outdoors?
Children in our programs will be provided with regular outdoor active play (could be indoors in the event of extreme weather). Children will be provided with daily opportunities to climb, run, jump and play cooperatively to the best of their abilities both in our playground and on our surrounding property in a safe and healthy manner.
Q14: What is your screen time policy?
There will be no screen time provided in our Nursery (6 mos-3 yrs.) program. Screen time in all other programs with children 2.5 yrs and older will be limited to no more than 30 minutes/day. However, screen time may be accumulated to provide extra time for special movie days in these age groups.
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The Cridge Centre for the Family
1307 Hillside Avenue,
Victoria, B.C. Canada V8T 0A2
Tel: 250-384-8058
Fax: 250-384-5267