About Us

1 - A Message from the Board

Footsteps Family Centre was established in 1993 and is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors. Board members are elected at the Annual General Meeting in March of each year by the members of this organization. The membership is comprised of parents and interested individuals within this community who are committed to the well-being of all children. Monthly Board meetings are held to ensure the effective and efficient provision of the highest quality care and service to all children and their families. We believe that it does take a whole community to raise a child. Your support, suggestions, comments and questions are encouraged and valued. Together we can and will make a difference. As a Board, we welcome you and your family to this Centre.

Sincerely,

Chair of the Board

2 - Mission Statement/Philosophy

Mission Statement
Footsteps Family Centre encourages learning through play in an environment that is secure, stimulating and promotes the wholistic development of each child. Our centre strives to reach common goals through partnership with the family, the school and the community.

Philosophy

Children: Our belief is that every child is unique with individual needs and abilities. Our program is designed to foster the development of each child so that they can learn to live in harmony with themselves, others and the world.
Families: Our centre is committed to building partnerships with the parents to provide an extension of the family unit. Parents are encouraged to engage in and become active participants in their child’s day at the centre. We believe open communication and daily contact will provide our families with the trusting environment and relationship they seek.
Staff: The staff members have chosen their work because of a belief in the importance of the task, suitability of their skills and education, as well as the strong commitment to the healthy development of children.

3 - Program Statement

Footsteps Family Centre is committed to working toward the four foundations of learning: Belonging, Well-being, Engagement and Expression.

These foundations, or ways of being, are a vision for all children’s future potential and view of what they should experience each and every day. Regardless of age, ability, culture, language, geography or setting. Noted in “How Does Learning Happen” Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years.

Belonging refers to a sense of connectedness to others, an individual’s experiences of being valued, of forming relationships with others and making contributions as part of a group, a community, and the natural world.
Well-being addresses the importance of physical and mental health and wellness. It incorporates capacities such as self-care, sense of self, and self-regulation skills.
Engagement suggests a state of being involved and focused. When children are able to explore the world around them with natural curiosity and exuberance, they are fully engaged. Through play inquiry experience, the children develop skills such as problem solving, creative thinking and innovating, which are essential for learning and success in school and beyond.
Expression or communication (to be heard, as well as to listen) may take many different forms. Through their bodies, words, and use of materials, children develop capacities for increasingly complex communication. Opportunities to explore materials support creativity, problem solving and mathematical behaviours. Language-rich environments support growing communication skills, which are foundational for literacy.

For the Children, Footsteps Family Centre Strives to:

Provide a safe, nurturing environment enabling all children to gain trust in themselves and others, to enhance their self-esteem and to form positive relationships with others.
Recognize and celebrate the similarities and differences among all children.
Support and respond to the child’s sense of curiosity and innate need to explore.
Value the interrelatedness and wholistic process of development.
Provide numerous opportunities for play so that children can gain an understanding of their world and the people around them.
Enhance self-help skills and provide experiences for children to develop self-regulation, independence and problem-solving skills.
Encourage creativity with emphasis being placed on the learning process rather than the end result.
Provide environments and experiences to engage children in active, creative and meaningful exploration, play and inquiry.

For the Families:

To build a strong foundation of trust, and a relationship of respect with all families.
To enhance the parent-child-teacher relationship with open, honest, and positive communication.
To value all families and encourage each of their unique contributions to the centre.
To assist families in connecting with local community partners and allow these partners to support them in various ways. For example: Children’s Centre Thunder Bay offers a variety of programming for children (0-18 years of age), educational workshops, counselling services; while George Jeffrey Treatment Centre offers occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy services, just to name a few.

For the Staff:

To create safe work environments which offer opportunities for professional growth, lifelong learning, which in turn support positive and responsive interactions among children, parents, and co-workers.

For the School and the Community:

To work in partnership with the school to enhance the care and education of all children, Footsteps Family Centre provides before and after school needs.
To foster and encourage belonging within the community. Currently, Biwaase’aa Cultural Learning Program is available here at Our Lady of Charity School and operates alongside the Footsteps Family Centre after-school program in the school’s gymnasium. TBCDSB has partnered with Biwaase'aa to run cultural learning programs in our schools. Biwaase'aa is a culturally designed program that provides Aboriginal youth aged 7 to 13 years and their families with a fun opportunity to participate in programs which contribute to their cultural, mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

Your Trusted Child Care in Thunder Bay

With experienced professionals and a welcoming environment, we provide your child with the necessary tools for social, intellectual and emotional development.