Child Care and Early Learning Centre

Welcome to the Mackenzie Health Child Care and Early Learning Centre at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, caring for children between the ages of one and six.

For more than 30 years, the Mackenzie Health Child Care and Early Learning Centre (MHCC&ELC) at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital has been providing fun, innovative child care and early education services to children between the ages of one and six.  

We pride ourselves on offering safe, convenient and reliable child care. We strive to foster a positive sense of self, well-being and healthy development in every child. Children will thrive in environments that value their individuality and recognize their evolving and emerging abilities. It is our goal that all children, parents and staff will be actively engaged and experience a sense of well-being and belonging, free to express their ideas and perspectives in meaningful ways. 

We are committed to providing excellence in quality child and family-centered early education and collaborate with community services to best meet the needs of our community. 

Download our parent handbook

Large group of kids sitting on a mat listening to a story tellerWe are licensed by the Ministry of Education and adhere to the legislative requirements of the Ontario Child Care & Early Years Act (CCEYA). At the MHCC&ELC, we implement the Ontario Early Learning Framework ‘How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years’, ‘Early Learning for Every Child Today’, and ‘Think, Feel Act: Lessons from Research About Young Children’. Learn more about this framework. We also follow the Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT) Continuum of Development from birth through school age that describes predictable sequences of development within the very broad and inter-connected domains of social, emotional, language, cognitive and physical development. Get more information about ELECT.

Who we are:

  • We are guided by Mackenzie Health’s mission, vision, values and strategic priorities 
  • We are collaborative with community services to provide expert and compassionate child care and early education 
  • We are open, honest and accountable 

Our team

Large group of kids sitting on a mat listening to a story tellerLocated within Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, we abide by the College of Early Childhood Educators’ Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice. Everyone with direct contact with children undergoes a criminal reference-vulnerable sector screening before beginning work or volunteer service at our centre. All child care centre employees have a valid certificate in standard first aid, including infant and child CPR, issued by a training agency recognized by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. All MHCC&ELC employees must complete a health assessment and have received all necessary immunization before commencing employment . Our program staff are registered members of the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators and/or registered members of the Ontario College of Teachers. 

Staffing

The MHCC&ELC is proud to meet, and exceed, the minimum staffing requirements of Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and Early Childhood Assistants (ECAs) as set out by the CCEYA. This ensures that our littlest learners benefit from continuous and regular engagement with our highly trained staff. 

To maintain high quality staff, performance appraisals are conducted on an annual basis to acknowledge strengths and top-quality performance and to identify goals and action plans We understand the benefits of professional development and continued education and therefore encourage and support opportunities for staff to develop, grow and learn through workshops, conferences, courses and seminars. 

Our philosophy

At its inception in 1991, the MHCC&ELC served as one initiative of the Employment Equity Committee which explored concepts around work and family policies. At present, the notion of work and family balance is increasingly relevant as families are challenged by competing demands on all fronts. 

It is recognized that parents are the experts and the primary and most powerful influence in their children’s lives. Our child care services support parents in this role. Learn more about our philosophy in our parent handbook.

Our goal

Two children looking at objects through magnifying glasses

The goal of MHCC&ELC is to provide high quality child care and early education to children of Mackenzie Health employees and children in Richmond Hill and the surrounding community. The centre focuses on fulfilling the Ontario Ministry of Education’s purpose of “supporting the development of strategies, dispositions and skills for lifelong learning through play and inquiry.”

Kids playing outside

The MHCC&ELC serves children between the ages of one and six. We are also proud to offer services for children with unique developmental needs in the community. The ability to accommodate children is based on the nature of the need and the availability of community resources and support services such as resource staff from Early Intervention Services of York Region, York Region Preschool Speech & Language, Early Referral Identification Kit, Sick Kids, and the Ontario Ministry of Education. These organizations can assist as necessary in setting up and maintaining an appropriate program for each child with a special need.

Available types of child care services

  • Full-time care: Available on an enrolment basis. The full-time monthly fee is applied to children registered five days per week and the monthly rate is calculated for working days, Monday-Friday, regardless of attendance. 
  • Part-time care: Children may be enrolled on specific days of the week. Part-time enrolment is based on two or three days per week. Scheduled days are offered on an enrolment basis and parents are responsible for payment, regardless of attendance. 

Please note, there will be no credit for illness, holidays or absent days. Parents are required to pay for statutory holidays (for parents of part-time children, only on scheduled days). Parents and families may sign up for a waiting list and will be contacted when spots become available. 

The experience

Group of children in a childcare room with a teacher

As the child enters the playroom, they are greeted by an educator and given the freedom to explore the various learning activities and discovery centres that have been prepared to promote exploration, play and inquiry. 

The environment, its contents and its accessibility play an integral role in the learning process. Within the classroom learning environment, activities and discovery centres evolve according to the needs and interests of the children. 

The learning environment must also maintain a sense of familiarity in order to provide the security and comfort required by the young learner. Discovery centres are arranged to provide an organized set of developmental materials which challenge the child’s skill levels and emerging abilities. 

An educator is always nearby to observe the child’s self-initiated activity and to be a co-learner in the experience. The educator becomes involved in the activity to lend support, challenge thinking and to extend inquiry-based learning. 

Our program

Showcasing one of the childcare centre rooms, furniture and toys

Staff at the MHCC&ELC design the classroom environment for both indoors and outdoors to inspire children’s desire to use their natural curiosity to explore the world around them. Our program focuses on building healthy relationships and frequent communication with parents to build on the knowledge of each child. We also help build the foundation for the essential developmental stages and provide opportunities and choices throughout the day, in order to support the child’s learning and development.  

Our programs are intended to: 

  • Encourage children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their ability to self-regulate. 
  • Foster children’s exploration, play and inquiry. 
  • Provide child-initiated and adult-supported experiences. 
  • Offer opportunities to create relationships with others in the program.

Outdoor and indoor time

Children playing in the playground area outside

Outdoor active play provides an extension for active engagement of classroom concepts and is an integral part of the program. The children participate in this activity daily. The program schedule of playroom discovery and outdoor active play are interchangeable according to weather conditions. It is our policy to provide a safe and secure environment for the children in our care. We meet present Canadian Standards Association standards (CAN/CSA Z614-98) and comply with the playground safety policy as required by the ministry. 

MHCC&ELC staff exercise full and appropriate supervision of children in the playground area at all times, ensuring a safe outdoor play environment that promotes creativity and active play for children. Staff ratios are not reduced during outdoor play. Children in care for six or more hours are outdoors for a minimum of two hours each day, weather permitting. 

MHCC&ELC is required to follow guidelines set out by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Ontario Ministry of Health and the Regional Public Health/Medical Officer of Health for proper infection prevention. Our responsibility is to ensure infection prevention practices are carried out properly to prevent the spread of illness among employees, placement students, children and volunteers. Policies and procedures are assessed and monitored to ensure our employees, placement students and volunteers are consistently and carefully carrying them out. Policy and procedures will be reviewed and accepted by all employees and any updates aligned accordingly when needed. 

MHCC&ELC will ensure our pandemic plan and service continuity and interruption plans align with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Ontario Ministry of Health and the Regional Public Health/Medical Officer of Health plans. 

Fees

We believe that child care provides a strong foundation for early childhood development and well‐being of children and are committed to providing child care services that meet the needs of the families we serve.  

Participating in the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) Program allows us to provide high quality child care that is accessible and affordable. Learn more about the CWELCC program. 

Listed below is the current fee schedule. Fees are subject to review in order to reflect the program costs of our non-profit centre. 

Full-time care:  

  • Toddler (12 to 30 months) full-time: $25.04 per day  
  • Preschool (30 months to six years) full-time: $21.85 per day 

Note: fees are multiplied by the number of operational days per month plus statutory holidays. 

Part-time care: 

  • Toddler (12 to 30 months) part-time: $26.46 per day 
  • Preschool (30 months to six years) part-time: $23.27 per day 

Note: parents are required to pay for all scheduled days of care as well as any statutory holidays which fall on a scheduled day, regardless of attendance. 

The Ontario childcare fee subsidy program will also continue to be available for eligible families. The centre cannot accommodate a change of status within a current month i.e. change from full-time to part-time or vice versa. 

Wait list

There are times when we may not have space for additional children, in which case we encourage parents to sign their child up for our wait list. Once your child is officially offered a secure space at the child care centre, and if you choose to accept it, we require an enrollment fee of $200.00, which will be applied to your child’s fee for the first month of attendance. 

Thank you for your interest in the Mackenzie Health Child Care and Early Learning Centre at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. To register your child, or if you have any questions, please contact: 

Louise Dinunzio, Manager, MHCC&ELC at 905-883-1212, ext. 3996 or by email at louise.dinunzio@mackenziehealth.ca 

Address: 

Mackenzie Health Child Care and Early Learning Centre 
10 Trench Street 
Richmond Hill 
Mackenzie Health Hospital, A-Wing, Level 1 

Hours of Operation: 

Monday to Friday from 7:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 12 months a year, except for the observance of all statutory holidays and a planned closure period during the Christmas holiday. 

When you give the gift of health this holiday season, you help ensure patients and families in our community continue to receive exceptional care close to home. Even better, when you donate before December 31, your donation will be matched by the Sgotto family, meaning your gift will have twice the impact!