A gentle beginning built on trust
Your baby learns through every relationship, movement, sound and repeated experience. In our Infant Program, educators begin by building the warm, dependable connection that helps each child feel secure enough to explore.
The day moves at an infant's pace. Feeding, diapering, rest and transitions receive the same care and attention as sensory play, songs, outdoor experiences and planned learning. Educators watch closely, respond to each child's cues and create meaningful opportunities for communication, movement, discovery and growing independence.
We are here to provide a loving and secure environment where your child can grow, learn and thrive.
- Age range
- 10 months to under 19 months
- Program hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Care options
- Full-time care. Part-time care may be available; families must inquire first, and approval depends on space.
- Daily rhythm
- Responsive care, two outdoor periods, sensory and developmental play, feeding, rest and family handoff
- Family updates
- Daily information in person and through the Centre Parent App, plus a formal progress report each August
- Curriculum
- Montessori-informed practice, emergent curriculum and Alberta's FLIGHT framework working together
At a glance
Relationships come first
An infant's strongest learning happens within a trusting relationship. Educators greet each child by name, learn how they communicate and respond consistently to their sounds, gestures, expressions and changing needs.
This relationship-centred approach can be seen throughout the day:
- arrivals are warm and unhurried;
- feeding follows each infant's cues;
- educators narrate care routines and make space for a child's response;
- comfort is offered promptly and respectfully;
- familiar songs, voices and routines create predictability; and
- families receive a meaningful observation from their child's day.
Feeling safe, known and connected gives infants the confidence to reach, move, experiment, communicate and take part in the life of the room.
How our curriculum meets infants where they are
Montessori-informed practice, emergent curriculum and FLIGHT are not separate parts of the day. They work together as educators observe the same child from three complementary perspectives.
Montessori-informed practice
Purposeful movement and growing independence
The Infant Room is thoughtfully prepared so children can see, reach and safely explore materials suited to their current stage of development. Floor play, tummy time, supported movement, sensory materials and simple cause-and-effect experiences help infants build coordination, concentration and confidence.
Educators give children time to try, repeat and participate. Early independence may look like choosing between two materials, reaching for a familiar object, holding a spoon, helping with dressing or moving towards something that has captured their attention.
Emergent curriculum
Following what captures each child's attention
Infants show their interests through their gaze, movement, sounds, repetition and emotional responses. Educators notice these signals and use them to plan what comes next.
A child watching leaves move outside may lead to songs about wind, a basket of natural textures or another slow stroller walk. An interest in dropping and retrieving objects may become a safe cause-and-effect experience. Plans remain flexible because learning develops from the children who are actually in the room.
FLIGHT
Belonging, well-being and responsive relationships
Alberta's FLIGHT framework keeps the whole child at the centre of practice. For infants, this means protecting their well-being, respecting their individual rhythms and building the secure relationships from which communication, curiosity and participation grow.
Educators reflect on everyday moments, document what they notice and make learning visible through room journals, updates and learning stories shared through the Centre Parent App.
What we support during this stage
| Area of development | What parents may see |
|---|---|
| Secure relationships | Seeking familiar educators, accepting comfort, showing preferences and participating more confidently |
| Early communication | Eye contact, gestures, sounds, imitation, songs, shared attention and growing understanding of language |
| Physical development | Reaching, grasping, rolling, sitting, crawling, balancing, climbing, standing and walking according to each child's stage |
| Thinking and discovery | Repetition, object permanence, cause and effect, sensory investigation and early problem-solving |
| Growing independence | Making simple choices, attempting tasks, participating in care routines and exploring at an individual pace |
| Belonging with others | Short shared experiences, noticing peers, turn-taking with support and becoming part of the room community |
Development does not follow one timetable. Educators plan for the group while adapting experiences, goals and support to each child's strengths, interests, needs and current abilities.
A typical day in the Infant Program
This schedule is the room's usual weekday rhythm. It creates predictability without treating the clock as more important than the child. Feeding, sleep, diapering and comfort remain responsive to individual needs, and outdoor timing may change with weather, air quality, safety conditions or the needs of the group.
The everyday details
Care routines are part of the curriculum
For an infant, learning cannot be separated from care. Feeding, diapering, getting dressed, washing hands, settling to sleep and waking again are repeated opportunities to build trust, language, body awareness and participation.
Educators slow these moments down. They tell the child what is happening, wait for a response, make eye contact and invite age-appropriate participation. Diapers are changed promptly, and personal care is handled with warmth, privacy and respect. This consistency helps children understand what comes next and gradually take a more active role in familiar routines.
Feeding and mealtimes
Families provide all formula or expressed breast milk their child needs. Please also provide age-appropriate infant food until your child can safely eat the food offered by the centre and those foods have first been introduced at home.
KCC welcomes parents who wish to breastfeed at the centre. Expressed breast milk must be sent in suitable containers labelled with the child's name and date. Families should speak with the Director before care begins so feeding routines, storage and any dietary needs can be planned safely.
Morning and afternoon snacks are included in the optional Essential Services Package. Families who decline the package provide their child's snacks and milk or yogurt. Families send a nutritious, ready-to-eat lunch each day.
Educators follow each child's hunger and fullness cues. Food is never forced, used as a reward or withheld as a consequence. Allergies, sensitivities, dietary restrictions and feeding requirements must be recorded and kept current in the Centre Parent App.
Sleep and rest
Infants follow individual sleep schedules based on their needs and the information their family provides. The room's midday nap window protects a calm period for sleep and responsive care, but children are not expected to sleep according to one fixed schedule.
KCC provides an individual crib mattress appropriate to the child's program. Families provide a properly fitted sheet and any approved personal rest item requested by the centre. Bedding goes home for washing at least weekly and whenever it becomes wet or soiled.
Outdoor experiences and movement
Infants are offered two outdoor periods each day when weather, air quality and site conditions are safe. Depending on the group and the season, this may include stroller walks, time on a blanket, reaching and crawling on suitable surfaces, water-table exploration or quietly observing movement, light, sounds and nature.
Educators support active development indoors as well. Reaching, rolling, sitting, crawling, balancing, climbing and walking are encouraged through safe spaces and experiences suited to each child's abilities. When outdoor time must be shortened or cancelled, indoor movement opportunities increase.
Families send seasonally appropriate clothing each day so their child can participate comfortably. Outdoor times may shift with weather and safety conditions.
Screen-free
Screen media is not used with infants. Learning happens through responsive relationships, movement, sensory discovery, hands-on materials, music, stories and real experiences indoors and outside. Assistive or communication technology may be used when it supports an individual child's access or participation.
Care, supervision and group size
Alberta's regulated staffing and group-size requirements change when an infant reaches 12 months. KCC plans staffing according to the exact ages and attendance of the children receiving care.
| Program age | Standard staff member-to-child ratio | Maximum regulated group size |
|---|---|---|
| 10 months to under 12 months | 1:3 | 6 children |
| 12 months to under 19 months | 1:4 | 8 children |
The maximum regulated group size is a licensing grouping limit; it is not the physical capacity of an entire room. Ratios are maintained alongside active supervision, regular headcounts and the centre's safety procedures.
Starting with us
Staying connected with families
Families know their children best. Before care begins, educators want to understand your child's routines, comfort strategies, feeding needs, communication, interests and the relationships that matter to them.
Once care begins, daily information is shared in person and through the Centre Parent App. Updates may include meals, sleep, care information, photographs, room journals, learning stories and meaningful moments from the day. Families also receive a formal progress report through the app each August, summarizing their child's strengths, interests, learning and areas for continued growth.
Questions, observations and changing needs are always welcome. Keeping information current helps home and the centre respond consistently to the child.
What to bring
Please label every item with your child's name. Infant families generally provide:
- indoor shoes and a labelled water bottle;
- at least two complete changes of clothing;
- seasonally appropriate outdoor clothing;
- a properly fitted crib sheet and any approved rest item requested by the centre;
- all required formula or expressed breast milk;
- age-appropriate infant food until the child can safely eat centre-offered foods already introduced at home; and
- an approved comfort item when helpful.
Families who decline the Essential Services Package also provide diapers, wipes, morning and afternoon snacks, milk or yogurt, sunscreen and insect repellent. Creams and ointments are treated as medication and require an approved Medication Authorization Form before they can be applied.
Beginning care and moving rooms
Starting childcare is a meaningful transition. Families are encouraged to tour the centre, meet the room educators and share the information that will help their child feel secure. The Director and educators work with each family to plan a comfortable start within the options available in the program.
Room placement and later transitions consider licensing requirements, the child's age and development, relationships with educators and peers, support needs and available space. Before a planned move, the Director works with the family and both room teams so the change is thoughtful and well prepared.
Frequently asked questions
What if my child follows a different feeding or sleep schedule?
Infant feeding, sleep and care remain responsive to individual needs. The room schedule provides a predictable overall rhythm, while educators use the information you provide and continue observing your child's cues throughout the day.
Does my child need to be walking before joining the Infant Program?
No. Experiences are adapted for each child's current stage, including sitting, crawling, standing, cruising or walking. The environment supports safe movement and progress without rushing development.
Do infants go outside every day?
Two daily outdoor periods are planned when weather, air quality and site conditions are safe. The timing, length and type of experience may change to protect children's health and respond to the group.
How is learning planned for a child this young?
Educators observe each child throughout the month and document their interests, strengths, emerging abilities and needs. Those observations guide the next flexible classroom plan and any individualized experiences or support.
How will I know about my child's day?
Educators share daily information in person and through the Centre Parent App. Families may also receive photographs, room journals and learning stories, followed by a formal progress report each August.
What happens if my child becomes ill at the centre?
We call you straight away and ask that a parent, guardian or authorized person collect your child within a reasonable time. While you are on your way your child stays supervised and as separate from the other children as is practicable. They may return once they have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, their symptoms have improved and they are well enough to take part comfortably, with at least 48 hours since the last episode of vomiting or diarrhea. The full policy is in our FAQ.
Is part-time infant care available?
Part-time care is not guaranteed. Families must inquire first, and approval depends on available space, staffing and the enrolment options currently offered.
What happens when my child reaches 19 months?
Age is one part of room placement. The Director also considers development, relationships, support needs, licensing requirements and available space, then plans the transition with the family and educators.
Come experience the room
A tour lets you meet the educators, see the environment and understand how responsive care and meaningful learning come together throughout an infant's day.
