Day-care: mindful growth
All children aged 0 to 4 are welcome at Hero’s day-care centres! We provide a safe and inviting environment that stimulates their development every step of the way. Children receive the attention they need to feel seen, heard and understood. Each child is given the chance to develop into the very best version of themselves in their own unique way and at their own pace. With around 20 locations in Haarlem and Spaarndam, there will always be a suitable daycare near you!
Groups
Each child is a part of their own fixed group with a permanent educational staff. Hero works with both vertical groups (children aged 0 to 4) and horizontal groups (separate infant, baby, and toddler groups). This differs per location.
A safe environment is absolutely essential for young children. When children feel safe, secure and familiar in their surroundings, they dare to venture out to discover the world around them. The children become attached to their caregivers and develop a warm and loving bond with them. Intensive one-on-one contact is particularly important for babies; which is exactly why we spend plenty of time cuddling them, playing with them and talking to them. It goes without saying we have lots of fun with the children too, because fun makes everything a little better!
Care
Hero always adopts a positive and compassionate approach in caring for the children. We are involved in their worlds and attuned to their needs. They feel seen, heard and understood, which subsequently improves their social-emotional development. We promote physical closeness with the children and we adjust our pace to suit theirs. We communicate, assist and care for the children with patience and undivided attention.
Sleeping
Sleep is very important for young children in order to effectively process their daily experiences and impressions. All Hero day-cares have separate bedrooms. Some locations have outside beds too, in line with the Scandinavian example. These are weatherproof sleeping houses where children can enjoy a more peaceful, deeper and longer sleep in the fresh air.
Eating & drinking
We think healthy and delicious food is of the utmost importance. We have worked together with nutritionists and the guidelines of the Dutch Centre for Nutrition to compile a varied range of food and drinks at all our locations. We provide as many fresh products packed with nutrients and vitamins as possible. When fresh isn’t an option, we avoid refined sugars and chemical additives, such as colours, fragrances and flavourings. Children who can eat and drink independently are free to make their own food choices and we encourage variation to promote their taste development. It goes without saying that expressed breast milk or any special dietary needs are accommodated as well.
Activities
We organise fun daily activities that are always perfectly suited to each child’s age and developmental phase. These activities focus on one or more developmental areas: language, thought, social skills, creativity and motor skills. We have a toddler gym and toddler music on offer too. We work with fun and appealing themes that rotate every five weeks.
Design
There are three elements that contribute to a child’s development: the child itself and the other children they spend time with, the adults that care for them, and the environment they are surrounded by. Our day-care centres are designed with the children in mind to promote learning, curiosity and creativity. Children tend to just start running wild in an empty space, while a well-designed space encourages focused play. Play is an important part of a child’s development, and offering opportunities for development is an important part of our educational policy. Read more about how we intentionally design our day-care centres to optimise development.
Looking for a day-care facility near you? Take a look at our location page.
