Are you exploring early education and child care options for your child in Toronto’s West End in the St. Clair West or Stock Yards village area? Here’s why you should consider Kids & Company: Kids & Company Stock Yards is a beautiful new centre that has six bright, sunny classrooms with huge windows in every learning space. Our large playground is right outside of our doors so that we can enjoy unstructured play and the great outdoors year-round. There is a kitchen on-site where your child’s healthy, made from scratch snacks and lunch are prepared. At the end of the day, as you gather your child’s belongings from their dedicated cubbie, they can help themselves to a complimentary Grab and Go snack for the ride home.
At Kids & Company, we use an emergent curriculum and learn through play philosophy. We’re very proud of our proprietary programs! They include Alpha Mania (pre-literacy and early reading), Mini Masters (art), and Munchkinetics (movement) and are designed to engage our children in a learning process that encourages self-expression, creativity, coordination and most importantly, fun! We often hear children singing the Alpha Mania theme song before the teacher even begins the lessons, a clear indication of their enthusiasm about learning through play. You’ll find sign language in our baby and toddler rooms, and all our children participate in music, French, science & exploration and creative play throughout our day. Does your family have an untraditional or rotating work schedule? Not to worry, we’ll work with you to accommodate your needs! More than just daycare, we offer flexible child care and superior early education to help families achieve a greater work-life balance.
I am Melissa Garcia-Medeiros, the Centre Director of Kids & Company Stockyards. I attended Sheridan College where I received a diploma for Early Childhood Education Diploma. I have been working in child care for 10 years, and I have been working with Kids & Company since 2015. When I was younger, I would babysit my little cousins which led me to fall in love with caring for children. I am happily married and fortunate enough to have three boys of my own, who are always keeping me on my toes. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling, spending time with my family, and camping. My favourite thing about the Kids & Company Stockyards location is that we treat each other like family and have built such a strong team so we can lean on each other whenever we need. What makes our centre unique is that we are so nurturing and loving, and we are always there for our families. Kids & Company is extremely flexible for everyone, especially our working parents who are in need. We have an emergency backup program so that you will also be accommodated. I hope when people see our centre, they will fall in love with our programs and curriculum. You will see that we will prepare your children to be extremely successful in their first years at school. Now that you know a little more about me, I hope to see you and your family soon!
At Kids & Company, we work with your family to ensure that the transition is a smooth one. Before your child’s first day, we’ll provide information on what to expect. We’ll create an integration schedule that is right for your child and every day that your child is in the classroom, you’ll receive a daily report that lets you know how your child’s day was. You’ll also be able to see him or her on our in classroom web cameras. The Centre Director will even send you an email before the end of the day if your child has a special “wow” moment that day.
Toddlers learn best in the context of relationships within small groups. There are fewer distractions and children’s activities are more focused. In Kids & Company toddler classrooms, our small groups allow very young children to make connections, form caring relationships, and learn to understand other children.
All two-year-olds examine everything they see, hear, feel and observe in an attempt to make sense of the world around them. In our preschool programs, Kids & Company teachers interact, observe and interpret the interests of preschool students to encourage further discoveries by planning activities and investigations that expand your child’s learning.
Kids & Company runs comprehensive kindergarten programs designed for children who are 4 or 5 years old (junior and senior kindergarten age) to prepare them for Grade 1. Using emergent curriculum techniques to adapt to the children’s’ interests and skills, we set a foundation of early literacy, numeracy, artistry, and the construction of relationships and ideas. Kindergarten programs are integrated into full-time child care to provide convenience and continuity.
