This pedagogical policy plan reflects 20 years of experience of our managers, group leaders and, last but not least, the parents of our Bambinikids. The full version of this plan you can read on our website (pdf file in Dutch), or on the locations in a handy loose-leaf format. Updates according to new demands are possible any moment.
In this pedagogical plan we offer our proper view on the daycare center and the afterschool care (1), especially on the responsibility of our team of group leaders and assistants; we emphasize early signaling and prevention of problems, in cooperation with the parents. This view has consequences for the equipment of the physical spaces (2), in shaping a homely atmosphere and a stimulating and safe environment. We set high organizational standards (3), and actively cooperate with the implementation of the policy measures of Amsterdam municipality to prevent any form of child abuse or maltreatment (the so-called ‘4 eyes and 4 ears principle’). Finally, the pedagogical working plan (4) illustrates how we put our view and this municipal policy into practice at the locations.
The Bambini Daycare Centers are open for babies from the age of 8 weeks, up to 4 years old kids; the Afterschool Care welcomes school children of all age groups at primary school, from 4 years up to ca. 13 years old, on fixed hours. The homely atmosphere offers space for group education, as well as personal development. Basic principles are safety, security and confidence, for the children and in our cooperation with the parents.
Not only daily care, also the environment stimulates our children to develop: physically, as well as in their social-emotional growth, creativity, linguistic and intellectual capacities. In our pedagogical policy, we pay special attention to the crucial transition to primary school, in the Toddler Plus group. Thus, the Daycare and the Afterschool Care are harmoniously connected, both in the living space and in our organization. In this particular respect, Bambini distinguishes itself from other quality childcare institutions.
Respect also means to us, that children, parents and assistants from different cultures feel at home on our locations. This cultural diversity is already visible in the appearance and equipment of the locations and in the variety of games and activities.This approach asks a lot from all our pedagogical assistants: to take care of the cozy atmosphere and the safety, to pick up signals of the kids and discuss with parents, daily care and animation, and most of all enthusiasm, having pleasure in the work and showing it.
Example: Can babies have a soother during the day?
Fenna (11 months old) has just been sleeping, but is restless and weepy. She doesn’t want to play or watch other children. Instead of letting the leader consoling her, she points with her hand at the corner where the soother is laying. Our leaders are not in favor of giving soothers during the day, but the parents have indicated that Fenna is fond of her soother and that they don’t make a problem of it. The assistant gives Fenna her soother until she has calmed down and takes pleasure in playing. When she drops her soother, the leader can simply clear it away,
Example: Stimulating toddlers and watching the limits
In the toddler’s group, the leader gives a compliment to Lex (2 years old): ‘How nice that you helped me with covering the table, with both of us we are quickly ready!” In the afternoon Bert (2,5 years old) refuses help with crafts, he takes scissors himself and tries to cut the paper. The leader sits with him and lets him go ahead, but keeps a close watch.
Voorbeeld: peuters - observeren en bespreken
In een peutergroep heerst een onrustige sfeer: veel geren, de kinderen gaan van het ene speelgoed naar het andere, niets wordt echt afgemaakt. De leidsers hebben het gevoel dat ze meer voor ‘politieagent’ moeten spelen en dat de activiteiten die ze bedacht hebben niet aanslaan. In de werkbespreking komt naar voren dat er kinderen in de groep zitten die veel behoefte hebben aan meer bewegingsruimte. Het team besluit dat een leidster vaker met dit groepje kinderen naar buiten gaat voor activiteiten waar ze hun energie in kwijt kunnen, terwijl de overige kinderen een rustige activiteit doen met de andere leidster.
Example: Observing and discussing problems
In a toddler’s group, there is a restless ambiance: much running, the kids go from one toy to another, nothing is really finished. The leaders have the feeling that they are forced to play ‘cops’, and that proposed activities don’t work. In the team discussion, it is noticed that some kids in the group show much need of having more moving space. The team decides that one leader will go out with this group more often, for activities where they can spend their energy, while the other kids do a quiet activity with the other leader.
In zulke situaties reageren de leidsters alert op wat de kinderen aangeven en treden ze regelmatig in overleg met de ouders, over dagelijkse vragen zoals slaapgedrag, handen wassen, naar het toilet gaan en voedingsgewoonten. Op Bambini gebruiken we standaard geen varkensvlees en kiezen gezonde traktaties.
In such situations, the leaders are reacting alertly on things the children express, and regularly get into touch with the parents, about everyday questions such as sleeping behavior, washing hands, going to toilet and food habits. As a rule, we don’t use pork at Bambini and choose healthy treats.
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De visie van Bambini uit zich in het rijke aanbod van spelmateriaal en creatieve activiteiten, voor binnen en buiten: knutselen, woord- en taalspelletjes, dans en gymnastiek, muziek maken en zingen, poppenkast, samen iets mooi bouwen van afvalmateriaal, stoepkrijten, balspelletjes en dergelijke. Maar ook lastige dingen uitproberen, fouten maken en opnieuw proberen hoort erbij: zichzelf aankleden, veters strikken, maar ook zelf ruzies oplossen. De leidsters moedigen de kinderen aan en begeleiden waar nodig.
Bambini’s vision is expressed in the rich supply of game materials and creative activities, inside and outdoor: crafts, word and language games, dance and gymnastics, music making and singing, puppit-show, constructing something beautiful out of waste materials, pavement chalking, ball games and so on. But also trying out difficult things, trials and errors are part of the game: dressing, tying shoelaces, as well as solving disputes yourself. The leaders encourage the kids and guide them where needed.
Our pedagogical workers are aware of their role as co-educators, in open and clear communication with the parents. That happens in various ways, during intake talks and in the adjustment period and, when needed, parent talks in between. Besides, parents get the Bambini newsletters, with the drawings of the kids and personal information. Yearly highlights are the parents’ evenings, with pedagogical topics and active inputs of the parents themselves.
Bambini assistants are skilled in methods for close monitoring of the well-being of the children, with observations and yearly result measurements. Results are discussed with the parents, and in the Afterschool Care also with the kids themselves.
It can happen that a child needs extra care or that something dramatic happens among the children. Our assistants consider it their responsibility to signal problems at an early stage, and render manageable. If necessary we know the way to professional aid institutions, under strict privacy conditions.
Each location has a reader with protocols for prevention of problems, such as guidelines for hygiene, infection diseases and vaccination. Our assistants know how to act and keep supervision during outdoor playing and near the playing instruments. There are also company aid assistants available at each location, among other things for fire prevention.
De oudersblijven verantwoordelijk voor de opvoeding van hun kind. De nauwe samewerking en communicatie tussen ouders en pedagogisch medeerkers begint al in de wenperiode van uw kind. De actieve betokkenheid van ouders begint is vooral te merken bij de jaarlijks terugkerende feesten, zowel van westerse als niet-westerse oorsrpong, en bij de afwisselende themaweken.
Parents remain responsible for the education of their children. The close cooperation and communication between the parents and our pedagogical assistants starts already in the period of adjustment of your child. The active engagement of parents is most notable in the yearly cycle of celebrations, of both western and non-western origin, and during the varying thematic weeks.
De fysieke inrichting van Bambini is medebepalend voor de gastvrije huiselijke sfeer, het vertrouwen, de veiligheid en de ontwikkelingsmogelijkheden van de kinderen. Het KDV en de NSO zien er schoon en goed onderhouden uit en voldoen zichtbaar aan de wettelijke veiligheidseisen, met aparte slaapkamers voor de babies en de dreumessen of peuters. De inrichting en indeling van de groepsruimtes zijn aangepast aan de leeftijden van de kinderen. Bij de inrichting en de keuze van bijvoorbeeld speelgoed en boeken houden we rekening met de verschillende culturele achtergronden.
The physical equipment of Bambini is a basic condition for the hospitable homely atmosphere, the confidence and security, and the developmental possibilities of the children. The Daycare and Afterschool Care look clean and well-maintained, and visibly meet legal safety demands, with separate bedrooms for the babies and the younger and older toddlers. Also the equipment and division of the group rooms are adapted to the ages of the children. With the equipment and the choice of toys and books, we take the variety of cultural backgrounds into account.
De buitenruimtes voldoen niet alleen aan de hoogste veiligheidseisen, maar zijn ook uitdagend ingericht voor veschillende soorten spel ne beweging. De babies hebben een eigen veilige plek, terijl de dreumessen en peuters vrij kunnnen spelen, klimmen en fietsen.
The outdoor spaces meet not only the highest safety demands, but are also equipped in a challenging way for different kinds of games and movement. The babies have a proper safe space, while the toddlers can freely play, climb and cycle.
Bambini is an acknowledged institution, founded and managed by director Ann Vries. Under her final responsibility, the location managers and leaders are in charge of the Daycare Centers and the Afterschool Care. The locations dispose of a permission according to the Municipal Childcare Rules, and meet the strict demands of the Childcare Quality Policy of the Municipal Healthcare Service (GGGD).
Each daycare center has a permanent team with at minimum two certified pedagogical assistants per group. We are a job training company, that also offers places for leaders in education and interns. If necessary, we call upon our pool of regular replacement workers. Also for the technical maintenance we make use of a team of regular handymen, led by Gerald Brown, who has been in charge of the spatial equipment of Bambini from the very beginnings.
There are strict agreements about the presence of leaders at the Daycare Centers and Afterschool Care, with a arrangement for extra assistance during the busy times of bringing and taking. These rules of presence have been sharpened by the active policy of the municipality of Amsterdam, to prevent child abuse, maltreatment and other safety risks by transparency, the so-called ‘4 eyes and 4 ears principle’ (not standing alone with a group). Bambini is among the frontrunners of adapting this principle as a stimulus for further quality improvement.
The pedagogical working plans for each location are addressing the same questions: ‘What are the needs of the children, and what does that mean for the group leaders, the working practice and the communication with the parents?’
In this plan, Bambini’s pedagogical policy, the legal conditions and protocols are elaborated in detail for the daily practice. One of the main points in the child care sector as a whole, is the adaption of the above mentioned ‘4 eyes and 4 ears principle’ in concrete measures.
At each location, it is arranged exactly and day to day, that we put in largely enough personnel as long as there are children in the building. Each worker – we always employ women – is carefully screened before starting to work in Bambini, and only accepted after a trial period of two months. Bambini’s proper code of behavior is part and parcel of the selection procedure. The location manager also encourages assistants to address each other on responsibilities. The parents’ commission takes an active role in supervision, in close contact with the location manager.
Together we take care that we don’t merely guarantee the high-set standards of the Quality Certificate Childcare and the municipal childcare safety policy, but also look continuously for further improvements. For example, in each location we put windows in the entrance doors in order to further mutual supervision; this also renders the rooms lighter and cozier.
Through the parents’ commission and this website, we keep you posted about the developments in our pedagogical policy and the adaption in practice.