Timmins Centre
Initially opening as Bambi’s Castle in 1972, our Timmins Centre has enjoyed a long history of providing excellent childcare to the City of Timmins, before being acquired by Friends Forever Childcare Centre in 2018. Building from this success, our centre continues to provide a second home for our families with 4 unique programs, and magnificent educators that are just as committed to your child’s development as they are to their own.
Meet our Supervisor!
After graduating from the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at Canadore College, Taylor Huycke entered the childcare field and has flourished at Friends Forever Childcare Centre since we’ve opened our doors in 2013. Beginning as an Assistant Supervisor in the Toddler program, she was quickly promoted to Supervisor of the whole North Bay Centre. Taylor moved and transitioned to the Timmins site as of November 2020 to work alongside and lead an incredible group of educators. Throughout her time at both locations, Taylor’s energetic and positive attitude has helped shape Friends Forever Childcare Centre into the incredible organization it is today.
Our Assistant Supervisor!
Ashley is the Assistant Supervisor at Friends Forever Childcare, Timmins. She started working in the childcare field in 2009 and has proudly been an educator with Friends Forever Childcare, previously known as Bambi’s Castle, and has flourished in the early childhood field. Ashley has experience in all programs as she had the opportunity to work in every program leading up to her supervisory role. Throughout the years in the field and at this location, Ashley’s positive attitude, kindness, and energy has been nothing short of incredible and a great asset to the centre.
Meet our Administrator!
Maxine is our Administrator here for both Friends Forever Childcare in North Bay and our Centre in Timmins. She started working in the childcare field in 2005 and has proudly been an educator throughout her schooling years and has been an asset to Friends Forever Childcare, since 2017. Over the years, she has worked within the Centre as an educator and our Home Agency, and with all that work experience, she has flourished to be the Administrator who is willing to help out with anything she can. Ever since her first day here at Friends Forever, Maxine’s kindness and energy are two of many great traits that add to our whole team!
Our Philosophy
As a team we understand that we learn as much from the children in our programs as they do from us, and we use this continuous learning to improve our centre and ourselves every chance we get.
What We Offer
Our Message
All of our programs are child-led and follow the How Learning Happens Curriculum. We allow children to explore at their own pace with tools and materials to expand on their individual interests. For more information on becoming a Licensed Home Childcare Provider, check out our How Learning Happens Potential+Providers
Programs
Infant
3 Months – 18 Months Old
Full-day Care
Our Infant Program is less structured and follows the routine of parents at home, including nap schedules and meals which are saved if a child is sleeping. Infants sleep in cribs in a separate sleep room and sleep checks are performed by staff every 15 minutes to ensure the safety of all infants. Quiet-time activities are given to infants that do not sleep. Diapers are changed 4 times per day and/or as needed and, weather permitting, infants are taken outside once or twice a day.
Toddler
18 Months – 2.5 Years Old
Full-day Care
Our Toddler Program follows a more structured routine than our Infant Program but maintains its flexibility to ensure it is child-lead. Nap time is 12pm – 2pm on cots, however, because naps are not enforced, toddlers that do not sleep are given quiet-time activities. Toddlers are encouraged to self-serve food with the support of educators and, weather permitting, they are taken outside twice a day. Diapers are changed 4 times per day and/or as needed and potty training is encouraged when children are ready.
PreSchool
Junior
2.3 Years – 3 Years Old
Full-day Care
Senior
3 Years – 4 Years Old
Full-day Care
Our Preschool Program follows a similar structure to our Toddler Program – continuing to maintain its flexibility to ensure it is child-lead. Nap time is 12pm – 2pm on cots, however, because naps are not enforced, preschoolers that do not sleep are given quiet-time activities. Preschoolers are encouraged to self-serve food with the support of educators and, weather permitting, they are taken outside twice a day. Diapers are changed 4 times per day and/or as needed and potty training becomes a focus so preschoolers can become comfortable using the bathroom. Between January and June, the letter and writing recognition program, Jolly Phonics, is implemented so that preschoolers become comfortable with proper literacy.
To prepare senior preschoolers for school, independence is fostered between January and August and, beginning in May, nap times are cut – typically 30 minutes at a time.
School Age
Junior and Senior Kindergarten
- 4 Years – 6 Years Old
- Before School Care
- After School Care
- Full-day Care
School-Age
- 7 Years – 12 Years Old
- Before School Care
- After School Care
- Full-day Care
Our School-Age Program follows a similar structure to our Preschool Program – continuing to maintain its flexibility to ensure it is child-lead. During the school year, school-age children are dropped off at our centre, bussed to school, bussed back to the centre after school, and stay at the centre until they are picked up. School-age children are encouraged to self-serve food with the support of educators and, weather permitting, they are taken outside twice a day. Field trips are planned for full-day care, some of which include an extra cost to parents.
Address
571 Pine Street North
Timmins, Ontario, P4N 6L9
Phone:
705-268-6601
Email: Supervisor
Centre Hours
6:00am – 6:00pm
