By Angela Espinoza, News Editor
“Did you know?” informs Douglas students about college services. If you’re part of a campus organization for students and want to raise awareness, email us at news@theotherpress.ca
The Douglas College daycare facilities serve multiple purposes on the New Westminster and David Lam campuses. While they serve as a resource for student parents with young children, the daycare centres also provide training to Early Childhood Education (ECE) students.
Many make use of the college’s daycare facilities, as ECE general manager Susan Hall-Ford stated, “Approximately half the children attending daycare are students’ and staffs’ from the college.”
Hall-Ford also stated that additional Childcare Subsidy aid can be accessed through the ECE’s student services website
However, one does not need to be a student or staff of the college in order to use the daycare facilities.
“The application process is the same except the wait-list is different,” said Hall-Ford. Children of students get priority, children of the staff get second priority, and then children of community members get third priority. The student or staff ID is used to confirm their respective statuses.”
As for student involvement, students of the ECE program get to work one-on-one with daycare staff and children in order to better their teaching skills and ability to make connections with their future students.
“The daycare facility works directly in the ECE program through a program called Children Teaching Teachers,” said Hall-Ford. “The children at the Coquitlam campus meet once a week with the students, and the students set up the environment and engage the children in learning activities they have created.
“Students of the ECE program are sometimes placed in practicum at the centres. In some cases, they could end up as employees at the centres. If your child attends the childcare centres, you are automatically a member of the Douglas College ECE Society and you could sit on the society board, which is a good opportunity to learn about non-profit boards, how they function, and then count your hours there as volunteer hours.”
But while the ECE program is primarily run out of the David Lam campus in Coquitlam, students, staff, and the community can access daycare centres on both campuses.
“The facility at David Lam is in a standalone building, and the Centre in New West is in the main building with a playground out on the balcony.”
Hall-Ford added that as different resources are available, “fees differ at each location.”
“The students with children should feel relieved knowing they have priority access to excellent, quality childcare right on each campus. If someone is in need of more information, they can contact me directly at daycare@douglascollege.ca”
Daycare hours operate from Monday to Friday at both campuses, though David Lam’s runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and New Westminster’s from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
