ABOUT US
indigenous Land Acknowledgement
Official form of the TDSB & Start Right Childcare Centre Land Acknowledgement
After months of community consultations and working with leaders, elders, academics and knowledge keepers, the Urban Indigenous Education Centre has determined that the following statement will be the official form of the TDSB Land Acknowledgement:
“We acknowledge we are hosted on the lands of the Mississaugas of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and the Inuit peoples”
"Nous reconnaissons que nous sommes accueillis sur les terres des Mississaugas des Anichinabés, de la Confédération Haudenosaunee et du Wendat. Nous voulons également reconnaître la pérennité de la présence des Premières Nations, des Métis et des Inuit."
Click here to view some more resources.
African ancestral acknowledgement
The City of Toronto, and Start Right Childcare Centre acknowledges all Treaty peoples- including those who came here as settlers - as migrants either in this generations, or in generations past - and those of us who came here involuntarily, particularly those brought to these lands as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and Slavery. We pay tribute to those ancestors of African origin, and descent.
Click here to view some more resources.
ABOUT US
Start Right Childcare Centre was incorporated in July of 1985. It is run by a volunteer board of directors as a non-profit corporation and is located in an adult secondary school. Top priority is given by Start Right to the children of student in the school. The centre serves families of highly diverse, multicultural backgrounds.
Start Right’s staff is comprised of an Executive Director who is a member of College of Early Childhood Education as a Registered Early Childhood Educator, and been with the centre for over thirty years. There is also an Assistant Director with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Spec. Visual Arts Honours Degree who is also a Registered Early Childhood Educator. The classroom staff are all well trained teachers that are all Registered Early Childhood Educators. They work alongside their team members who are Early Childhood Assistants. We are also supported by a close knit group of Supply Assistants that may work with your child from time to time. All staff have been trained in CPR & First Aid. The teachers as a group are highly representative of the clientele served, in terms of their cultural background and therefore attuned to the problems that our children and their families may experience.
Currently, Start Right serves 10 infants, 15 toddlers and 24 preschoolers. Our staff has undergone extensive professional development training in order to implement these specialized programs and learn to identify the developmental challenges faced by our children both socially and academically.
The Centre opens at 7:00AM and closes at 6:00PM Start Right Childcare Centre operates throughout the year except on statuary holidays including Easter Monday. We serve breakfast, a hot lunch in the afternoon, snack in the afternoon at 3 p.m. and another snack in the evening before the children are picked up. We cater to special dietary needs including Halal. We do not serve any pork, and are a nut-free environment. The children may also go on trips from time to time such as to the local park, a farm, or other experiential learning activities based on their interests.
History
Start Right Childcare Centre was the first centre in North York to offer infant care in a secondary school. The parents, at that time, were teenagers and part of their school day was spent in the centre with their children learning parenting skills from the staff of the centre. The staff were role models, teachers, friends and confidantes for many of these young parents.
As the school changed to an adult facility our families changed. Many of our families are immigrants refuges and people who are now working toward upgrading and retraining in order to acquire new jobs skills. At this time were are also enjoying an increase in our community representation as more mothers and fathers who work, or live in the surrounding community entrust their children to our care.
Start Right Childcare has been opened all throughout the pandemic when allowed, and the dedicated staff have continued to provide an enriching early years program for Ontario's youngest learners. We have recently opted into the Canada Wide Early Learning, and Childcare Program. For a more comprehensive explanation of our program fees click here.
