Richmond HillUnit 22, 13085 Yonge St, Richmond Hill, ON(289) 234-8886
Markham120 S Town Centre Blvd, Markham, ON(289) 469-0523
Children learning at Newstead Academy

Newstead Academy

Infant Daycare in Berczy Village

Choosing an infant daycare is one of the most important decisions parents make during the first years of their child's life. Families in Berczy Village are often looking for more than convenient childcare. They want an environment where their baby is cared for with consistency, supported as an individual, and given meaningful opportunities to develop during this important stage of early childhood.

Newstead Academy offers an Infant Classroom for children from 6 weeks to 18 months, available at the Markham location. The program provides a warm and responsive environment where each infant is recognized as a unique learner. Educators work with families to understand each child's individual needs and follow personalized routines for feeding, sleeping, caregiving, and learning.

For families searching for infant daycare in Berczy Village, Newstead Academy combines responsive care with early learning experiences designed to support healthy development, curiosity, communication, independence, and early relationships.

What Makes Infant Daycare Different?

Infants have very different needs from toddlers and preschool-aged children.

During the first 18 months, children are rapidly developing physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Their daily routines may revolve around feeding, sleeping, caregiving, movement, sensory experiences, and early communication.

A high-quality infant program therefore needs to recognize that every baby develops differently.

Rather than expecting every infant to follow exactly the same schedule, Newstead Academy's infant program follows personalized routines for feeding, sleeping, caregiving, and learning. Educators work closely with families so that important information about each baby's needs can be incorporated into the daily routine.

This individualized approach helps create consistency between home and the daycare environment.

Personalized Infant Routines

One of the most important aspects of infant daycare is consistency.

Babies may have different sleeping patterns, feeding schedules, comfort needs, and developmental milestones. A routine that works for one infant may not work for another.

At Newstead Academy, educators work closely with families to understand each baby's individual routine.

Personalized routines can include:

  • Feeding schedules
  • Bottle feeding
  • Age-appropriate solid foods
  • Nap schedules
  • Diaper and caregiving routines
  • Rest periods
  • Sensory experiences
  • Outdoor experiences
  • Family communication

The goal is to create a daily rhythm that responds to each infant rather than treating every child as though they have identical needs.

This individualized approach is particularly important during the transition from home to infant daycare.

Children at Newstead Academy

A Gentle Transition to Infant Daycare

Starting daycare can be a major transition for both babies and parents.

An infant who has primarily spent time at home may suddenly be introduced to new educators, new surroundings, different sounds, and other children.

A responsive daycare environment can help make this transition more comfortable.

At Newstead Academy, educators welcome infants and communicate with families at arrival. Parents can share important updates about their baby's night, feeding, sleep, or other needs before the child begins the day.

This communication helps educators understand the child's current needs and provides families with greater continuity between home and daycare.

Inquiry-Based Learning for Infants

Early learning begins long before formal academic instruction.

Infants are constantly observing, touching, listening, moving, and responding to their surroundings. These everyday experiences provide opportunities to develop early cognitive and communication skills.

Newstead Academy uses an inquiry-based approach with infants to encourage discovery and curiosity. Educators create opportunities for children to explore their environment through sensory experiences and age-appropriate learning experiences.

The emphasis is on allowing infants to discover their surroundings while educators intentionally support their development.

Through these experiences, infants can begin developing:

  • Curiosity
  • Attention
  • Observation
  • Cause-and-effect understanding
  • Early communication
  • Sensory awareness
  • Fine motor development
  • Gross motor development

These foundational experiences contribute to the child's overall development and establish early habits of exploration and discovery.

Sensory Exploration for Infant Development

Sensory experiences are an important part of an infant's early learning.

Babies learn about their environment through their senses. They observe colours and movement, listen to different sounds, feel different textures, and explore objects through movement and touch.

Newstead Academy provides sensory exploration experiences that encourage infants to discover the world through touch, sight, sound, and movement. These experiences support curiosity, fine motor development, and cognitive growth.

Educators can create age-appropriate environments where infants are encouraged to observe and investigate at their own developmental level.

Early Communication and Language Development

Communication begins before children say their first words.

Infants communicate through facial expressions, sounds, gestures, eye contact, movement, and eventually words. Responsive interactions with educators can support this early communication development.

Daily experiences at Newstead Academy can provide opportunities for infants to hear language, participate in songs and stories, respond to educators, and interact with other children.

Circle time, books, songs, conversation, and responsive caregiving can all contribute to an environment rich in early communication.

These experiences help create a foundation for later vocabulary development and language learning.

Children at Newstead Academy

Circle Time for Infants

Circle time is adapted to the developmental needs of infants.

Rather than expecting young children to participate in an extended structured lesson, infant circle time can include short and engaging experiences such as songs, soft books, rhythmic movement, and simple social interactions.

Newstead Academy's infant schedule includes morning and afternoon circle experiences involving songs, books, and movement to support early language and social development.

These shared experiences also help infants become familiar with classroom routines and develop a sense of belonging within their learning community.

Outdoor Experiences for Infants

Outdoor time provides infants with opportunities to experience fresh air, natural light, movement, and different sensory environments.

Newstead Academy's infant program includes outdoor experiences during the day, weather permitting. Educators support age-appropriate activities such as tummy time, visual exploration of nature, and sensory experiences in the outdoor environment.

Outdoor experiences can complement indoor learning by giving infants opportunities to observe their surroundings and experience different sights, sounds, textures, and movements.

Supporting Physical Development

The infant stage involves significant physical development.

Babies gradually develop greater control over their bodies as they progress through milestones such as tummy time, reaching, grasping, rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, and eventually walking.

An infant learning environment should provide appropriate opportunities for movement while allowing children to develop according to their individual pace.

Newstead Academy incorporates movement and outdoor experiences into the infant day, giving children opportunities to develop physical skills within a supportive environment.

Educators can observe children's development and provide experiences appropriate to their current abilities.

Nutrition and Infant Feeding

Nutrition is another important consideration when choosing infant daycare.

Newstead Academy provides age-appropriate meals and snacks designed to support healthy growth and development. The infant program accommodates different stages of feeding, from bottles to age-appropriate solid foods.

Feeding routines are incorporated into each child's individualized schedule.

This approach recognizes that infants may have different feeding needs depending on their age and stage of development.

Rest and Infant Sleep

Sleep is essential during infancy.

Young babies can have significantly different sleep schedules, and their sleep needs change as they grow.

Newstead Academy's infant program follows individualized nap schedules rather than requiring every infant to sleep at exactly the same time. The daily program includes dedicated rest periods within the infant's personalized routine.

Educators also follow safe sleep practices and monitor infants during rest periods.

For parents choosing infant daycare, having a program that recognizes the importance of sleep can be an important consideration.

Responsive Caregiving

Caregiving routines are not separate from learning.

Diapering, feeding, dressing, settling for naps, and other personal care moments provide opportunities for educators to communicate with infants and build trusting relationships.

At Newstead Academy, personal care routines are approached with warmth and respect. Educators use these moments to communicate with infants through conversation, eye contact, and responsive interaction.

These everyday interactions can support emotional security, communication, and early social development.

Building Secure Relationships

Young children need consistent relationships with caring adults.

Positive educator-child relationships can help infants feel comfortable and secure in their daycare environment.

As educators learn each child's individual routines, preferences, communication cues, and developmental progress, they can respond more effectively to the child's needs.

For parents, this relationship is also important. Families need to know that educators understand their child and can communicate meaningful information about their day.

Family Communication

Parents remain an essential part of their child's early learning experience even when the child spends part of the day at daycare.

Newstead Academy places importance on communication between educators and families.

At arrival, families can provide updates about their child's night and any information educators should know before the day begins. At departure, educators can share information about feeding, sleeping, milestones, and notable experiences from the day.

This two-way communication helps create continuity between home and daycare.

A Typical Day in the Infant Program

A typical infant day at Newstead Academy is designed around the individual needs of each child.

The schedule includes:

  • Arrival and family communication
  • Diaper and caregiving routines
  • Breakfast or bottles
  • Outdoor experiences
  • Circle time
  • Sensory exploration
  • Lunch or bottles
  • Individualized nap time
  • Afternoon snack or bottles
  • Inquiry exploration
  • Outdoor experiences
  • End-of-day caregiving
  • Family communication at pickup

The exact rhythm of the day is adapted to each infant's feeding, sleeping, and caregiving needs.

This provides structure while recognizing that infants require individualized routines.

Early Learning Before Preschool

Parents sometimes think of daycare and early education as two separate stages. For infants, however, early learning is already happening throughout the day.

An infant learns while:

  • Listening to an educator's voice
  • Looking at a picture book
  • Reaching for an object
  • Exploring a new texture
  • Observing movement
  • Responding to facial expressions
  • Practising physical movement
  • Interacting with other children
  • Experiencing familiar routines

These experiences create the foundation for later development.

As children move from infancy into toddlerhood and preschool, their learning experiences can gradually become more complex.

Preparing for the Next Developmental Stage

Infant daycare is not about preparing a baby for kindergarten through formal academics.

Instead, the focus at this stage is on establishing the developmental foundations that children will continue building throughout early childhood.

These include:

  • Communication
  • Curiosity
  • Social interaction
  • Physical development
  • Confidence
  • Independence
  • Attention
  • Exploration

As children grow, these foundations can support their transition into the toddler and preschool classrooms.

Newstead Academy offers classroom programs progressing from infants to toddlers, preschool, and kindergarten-aged children, creating a broader early education pathway.

Infant Daycare Near Berczy Village

Newstead Academy's Markham campus is located at 120 S Town Centre Blvd, Markham, Ontario, and the Infant Classroom is available at the Markham location.

The school serves families from Berczy Village and other Markham communities, including Unionville, Angus Glen, Cornell, Wismer Commons, Cachet, Buttonville, and Markville.

For families in Berczy Village, the Markham location provides access to an infant program focused on individualized care and early learning.

Why Choose Newstead Academy for Infant Daycare?

Families looking for infant daycare near Berczy Village may consider Newstead Academy because of its combination of responsive caregiving and early learning.

Personalized Routines

Each infant has individual feeding, sleeping, caregiving, and learning needs. Educators work with families to support these routines.

Inquiry-Based Learning

Infants are encouraged to discover their environment through exploration, sensory experiences, and age-appropriate inquiry.

Early Communication

Songs, books, circle experiences, conversation, and responsive interactions provide opportunities to support early communication.

Sensory Experiences

Age-appropriate sensory experiences allow infants to explore through touch, sight, sound, and movement.

Outdoor Experiences

Outdoor time provides opportunities for movement, fresh air, visual exploration, and sensory discovery.

Nutrition

The infant program provides age-appropriate meals and snacks, including support for different stages of feeding.

Family Communication

Educators communicate with families about feeding, sleep, milestones, and important moments throughout the day.

Choosing Infant Daycare in Berczy Village

When comparing infant daycare programs, parents may want to consider several questions.

Does the daycare follow individualized routines?

Infants have different feeding and sleeping needs. Ask how the daycare accommodates individual schedules.

How do educators communicate with parents?

Daily communication can help parents understand how their child is adjusting, eating, sleeping, and developing.

What does the infant learning environment look like?

Consider whether the environment provides opportunities for movement, sensory exploration, communication, and discovery.

How is sleep handled?

Ask how nap schedules are managed and what procedures are followed to support safe and comfortable rest.

What happens as my child gets older?

Families may also want to understand how children transition from the infant classroom into toddler, preschool, and kindergarten programs.

Schedule a Visit to Newstead Academy

Choosing infant daycare is a decision that is easier to make after seeing the environment and speaking with educators.

Newstead Academy invites families to learn more about the infant program, understand the daily routine, and discuss their child's individual needs.

The Markham campus is located at 120 S Town Centre Blvd, Markham, Ontario. Families can contact Newstead Academy to learn about tours, enrollment, and current program availability.

Register for Infant Daycare Near Berczy Village

If you are searching for infant daycare in Berczy Village, Newstead Academy provides an early learning environment designed specifically for the developmental needs of infants from 6 weeks to 18 months.

The program combines personalized routines, responsive caregiving, inquiry-based learning, sensory exploration, outdoor experiences, age-appropriate nutrition, and family communication.

Newstead Academy's broader educational approach also emphasizes inquiry-based learning, academic readiness, leadership development, and holistic child development as children progress through the early years.

Contact Newstead Academy to learn more about Infant Daycare near Berczy Village and explore the next step for your family.

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Land Acknowledgement

Newstead Academy is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work, and live in the community with each other.

Equity Statement

Newstead Academy is committed to creating and sustaining an equitable and inclusive learning and working environment. We encourage and actively seek applications from Indigenous, Black, racialized people, visible minorities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, all genders, and persons with disabilities.