Preschool programs

An increasing number of Canadian children are in some form of child care. In 2002–2003, 54% of Canadian children aged six months to five years were in some form of child care. Compare this to the statistic of 42% in 1994–1995 and it’s clear that the numbers are on the rise1.

Also increasing is the proportion of families who opt for preschool programs, where possible settings include child-care centres, nursery schools, preschools, pre-kindergarten, child development centres, playgroups and Head Start. This can be attributed to the worldwide movement of mothers with young children into the workforce and the widespread knowledge of the value of good early childhood education, as evidenced by recent research on the development of the human brain and evaluative research on model early childhood programs.

Preschool programs provide care and education to children in the years before they enter school. They are structured programs with recurrent activities, the content of which is central to supporting and strengthening young children’s learning and development. The curricula of these programs form the “front line” of children’s experiences – what is taught and what is learned.

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