Day to day organization

By living, growing up under guidance from experts together children can learn a lot from each other: learn to play, move, communicate, and self-reliance, …

For this reason we don’t work with fixed groups, for example, children would be divided in age groups, but we on a daily basis make up groups composed of a balance of ages, interests and specific care needs.

This way all children go to different spaces so they can gradually discover the possibilities inside and outside. 

The children don’t change supervisors during the period they stay at the day care, as with all of us, each supervisor has their own talents and expertise to work with all children.

The speed and needs of the child determine our rhythm. We provide a flexible offer of development stimulation by stimulating the senses, musical activities, crafting, gymnastics, snoozing and playing outside. There is contact with animals on the care farm: rabbits, goats, chickens and weekly a small group of children go to the hippotherapy.

Because family is important in the development of each child we organize regularly activities for parents and grandparents.

Next to a medical and orthopedagogy staff there are childcare workers, educators, a nurse, a speech therapist and logistical support. Screened volunteers and interns strengthen the team.

Our private physiotherapist can on medical prescription treat children during daycare hours.

For children with limitations the needs are mapped out and a customized development program is proposed.

For children of school going age and that are not able to go to school a teacher is provids a couple of hours of adapted education per week.

In the entrance hall there is room to take the coats off and put the slippers on and to stow away the buggy, wheelchair, carrying bag, etc. Each child has their own little space. In the living room the supervisors keep the care items, the medication, pacifier, … in a personal cabinet. The children are welcomed into our large play area. Here the parents can tell how the night went and what to pay attention to.

Specific group activities are organized each day: crafting, language moment, musical education, puppet theater, tiktak, gymnastics, Sherborne, hippotherapy. As much as possible we try to play outside and to go for a walk. The starting point is for all this is a theme that changes each month and whereby new SMOG signs (Speaking with support of signs) are thought.

A physiotherapy or speech therapy session is inserted for some of the children, others will in small groups or individually get to work with the teacher or master. Children that already must take a nap can do this in their own crib together with a cuddly toy.

Hot meals are provided around 11:00. The children see how the meals are prepared as the kitchen is adjacent to the play area.

It is possible for children that stay till 18:15  or to arrive between 12:30 and 13:00. We expect then that they have already eaten their lunch at home.

For most children it will be time for a nap after lunch: for this we have sleeping areas with video and audio surveillance. For children where it’s needed (e.g. very young children or due to medical reasons) we foresee that they sleep under direct supervision. In the afternoon there is again lots of time to run around, potter, continue snoozing, watch a little movie, experiment with an iPad or adapted computer, … . If the weather is good then you find us outside: walking, playing on the terrace or in the outside playground, or at the petting zoo in the middle of the rabbits, goats and chicken.

Around 15:00 when the little stomachs are again rumbuling we foresee fresh tasty fruit puree. Of course, there are also children that eat at different times (bottle feeding, probe feeding) and that might need a little bit more time to eat. If necessary, our speech therapist can be involved to help if a child needs support when eating. 

The parents receive feedback, in a booklet, of what their offspring experienced each day. Each child has a specific attention counselor assigned to them. 

Our day at Villa Clementina ends at 18:15. Then we tidy up everything, we ensure that our Villa is again fresh and ready for the next fun day!