Local, Eco-Friendly Daycare

Guest blogger Courtney Bizeau is owner of local green business The Cleaning Crew and is proud mother of a three-year old girl.

When we discovered Hart Home Daycare it was with such a big sigh of relief. Finally, we could go to work knowing that our daughter was in a safe, secure environment that is totally geared to her well-being. Owner and child care provider Sara Hart devotes her life work to the care and development of children and every aspect of this daycare is proof of her solid commitment.

Sara has transformed her home into a wonderful child care facility that is also an eco-friendly environment, proudly boasting the distinction of being the first in Ottawa and Ontario to be endorsed by the OEC. The indoor play area is fresh and spotlessly clean, bright and sun filled, child-friendly, colourful, and well organized. Sturdy storage bins and shelves house copious amounts of toys, games, blocks, costumes, etc., all geared for imaginative interactive play and conversation. A large chalk board lines one wall to encourage budding artists. The outdoor play space is a safe, fun area where the children are encouraged to run, jump, climb, slide, dig and play to their heart’s content. All activities are well planned months in advance and designed to meet and challenge the mental and physical development of each child. Nutritious meals and healthy snacks are deliciously varied and include organic fruits and vegetables, locally grown as the season permits. The children are encouraged to participate in food preparation and taste testing of new foods.

Every morning Sara greets my daughter and me at the door with a wonderful smile and a warm greeting. I barely manage a quick kiss goodbye before little chunky hands of happy faced friends reach out to welcome my daughter into the group. The excited chatter of tiny voices begins a day that will be filled with laughter and song, music and movement, fresh air, quiet time & naps, skill building, learning, arts and crafts, kitchen science, stories and much much more. Those are the days of childhood dreams.

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P.S. from Alette Willis (editor).  I emailed Sara Hart from the daycare to ask how they came to be certified by an Oregon-based environmental group.  Here is her response:

Hi Alette,
I came across the Oregon Environmental Council while looking around the web to see how other daycares were greening their centres.  Unfortunately, I could not find anything similar, or even close, in Canada. I was happy to find that the OEC had recently expanded to a US National Program and was also willing to endorse Canadians who met their criteria.  The OEC now endorses approx.1223 providers which care for 47839 children across the United States and Canada.  Although the program is not well known in Canada,  I applied for endorsement as a symbol, to parents and myself, of my commitment to creating the healthiest possibly environment for the children in my care.  If you are interested in learning more about the OEC and the resources they provide, you can visit them here.

Sara Hart

Hart Home Daycare
●Learning Through Play●
www.harthomedaycare.com