Our educational project
At Ohana, every child is welcomed with kindness, respect, and gentleness. Our two daycare centers, located in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Wavre, each have their own unique personality while sharing the same core values: personalized attention, a secure environment, and a family atmosphere that's a great place to grow up.
In Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, the daycare welcomes 13 children in a friendly and intimate atmosphere. Located in a quiet, leafy neighborhood, it offers a warm and bright space where children develop at their own pace, accompanied daily by two qualified childcare workers who are close to families and attentive to each child's needs.
In Wavre, the daycare center thrives on a joyful and stimulating atmosphere. Three dedicated childcare workers offer creative, sensory, and motor activities tailored to the children's ages every day. The environment is designed to foster curiosity, emotional security, and personal growth.
In every nursery, we believe in the importance of building trust with families, listening to the child, and celebrating every stage of their development.
At Ohana, we grow together, gently
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Relationship with parents
We believe that parents are key players in ensuring the best possible childcare experience. Communication, trust, complicity, and a good understanding are all essential factors for a successful childcare experience. A daily logbook is kept for each child to share information and any comments from the childcare provider or parents.
Relationship with children
We operate in two sections:
The little ones section: from 3 months to when the child walks
The older children's section: from when the child walks to a maximum of 36 months
However, from 7:30 to 9:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00, all children are gathered in the ground floor section.
Each section has its own childcare worker, even though each of them knows all the children.
We provide a variety of games and activities tailored to each child's age. We prioritize the child's psychomotor and cognitive development, while allowing them to decide for themselves whether or not to participate in a proposed activity.
Fine motor skills workshop: plasticine, painting, coloring, bead threading, etc.
Free psychomotor skills workshop: tunnels, foam, balls, etc.
Musical awakening workshop: maracas, drums, xylophones, etc.
Workshop to awaken the senses and knowledge: colors, smells, touch, etc.
Relaxation workshop, massage
Stories and tales: told either by childcare workers, or by volunteers, or with a CD
Nursery rhyme workshop: every day, the nursery nurses sing nursery rhymes with the children.
We encourage the child to become independent in every action he or she can take: eating, clearing away, tidying up, taking a tissue and throwing it in the bin, playing, etc. We make every move towards independence positive, whether it is successful or not.
Everyone's rhythm
We respect everyone's rhythm, mealtimes and naptimes for the youngest, because we believe that a child needs to be able to express themselves freely. Mealtimes and naptimes for older children are more fixed, however, if they wake up before the end of their nap, we take them back to their section to prevent them from waking up the others.
Familiarization period
A familiarization period is offered the week before the child's arrival at our childcare center. This is a first contact, a familiarization period for both the child and the parents.
Day 1: the child and the parent(s) stay for approximately 30 minutes
Day 2: the child and the parent(s) stay for approximately 30 minutes
Day 3: the child and the parent(s) stay for approximately 30 minutes
Day 4: the child stays with the parent(s) for approximately 30 minutes and a little alone
Day 5: the child stays the morning (+-2 hours)
It is best if the child does not work long days during the week following the adjustment so that they can take the time to familiarize themselves with their new environment. The adjustment period is organized on a case-by-case basis according to need and demand. It can be extended to a second week if necessary.
Food
We follow the child's progress step by step and wait for the parents to give us the signal to move from bottle to baby food, from mixed meal to pieces, etc., or we talk to them about it if we feel the child is ready.
Mealtime should be a calm and special moment between the child and the nursery nurse. For younger children, she only feeds one child at a time to encourage this moment, which is very important in each child's development. For older children, since we encourage autonomy, children are encouraged to eat alone, but the nursery nurse is always present to assist them.
The care
Every diaper change is a special moment between the child and their caregiver. We talk to them, comb their hair, clean them—everything necessary to make them feel comfortable in our company.
On the road to cleanliness
We work together to teach the child to become clean. We discuss it with the parents in order to best organize the transition from diaper to potty. This learning can only happen if the child accepts it. We never force a child who refuses it but develop strategies to convince him, such as coloring on which the child can stick a sticker for each need made in the potty, having a book or a game to reassure him, etc.
rules in force
At every age, we set limits for children. Children do not leave the table while eating or drinking. We are committed to teaching them about community life, sharing, lending, etc. When a child goes beyond the limits, we get down to their level and explain what they cannot do. Communication is the basis of learning.
The language
We put words to everything the childcare workers and children do. We encourage learning; we talk to them a lot. Through small games, we teach them about body parts, colors, objects, animals, and more. We make sure to express ourselves as accurately as possible, using appropriate vocabulary. We use age-appropriate words. We talk to children as we do to adults.