BUSINESS
BUSINESS
A PLACE OF LOVE, SUPPORT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT Wee the West Childcare Centre By Story Sheidow Photos Sara Bakker
When Kati Melville graduated from Three Oaks in 2011, she already had a clear sight of what she wanted to focus on next. Heading straight to Holland College, Melville took their Early Childhood Care and Education program, and following that received her Bachelor of Child and Family Studies at UPEI in 2016. Now, only five years later, Melville is the owner, operator and director of Wee the West, a childcare centre in Bloomfield Corner in Western PEI. With 14 employees, the centre services regions from Tyne Valley all the way to Tignish. “I want to give the community a place for their children to come and
grow into the young individuals they are destined to be and give children and families a safe place for them to be themselves without any judgment; just love, support, and encouragement,” Melville says. When Melville was diagnosed with a memory disorder in 2014, it was a reminder for her to work hard, but be passionate, kind and remember that we are all human – something she embraces at Wee the West each day with the centre’s child-led, play- based curriculum. “We believe that play is learning. Each educator sets up their classroom to meet the needs and interests of the children daily.
The experiences offered within the classrooms are geared to each child’s developmental stage. We use the ‘ELF’ Early Learning Framework to document children’s learning, and what they are doing throughout their time with us at the centre,” she says.
“My favourite part of working in childcare is the fulfillment of
achievement,” says Melville. “Knowing that you’re contributing to the growth of these children that are in our care, that will be running our world in the next 20 to 25 years. It’s a career that’s full of rewards, as we are a safe place for each of these children to grow and learn.”
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