LEARN Program
The LEARN Program provides educational and therapeutic support to children in approved community child care centres.
About LEARN
The Providence LEARN Program is a Program Unit Funded (PUF) service providing specialized educational programming to children in Calgary attending an eligible child care program.
Each child enrolled in the LEARN Program receives support directly in their child care centre through scheduled visits and consultations from our team. The program focuses on all areas of learning and development, providing educational and therapeutic activities that are tailored to each child’s individual needs. LEARN is facilitated by a certified teacher with support from our therapists and teaching /therapeutic assistants, in collaboration with the child care centre.
The program operates September to June.
How It Works
Once your child is attending an eligible child care centre and registers with Providence in our LEARN program, our team works together with you, the child’s parent/guardian, to create educational and therapeutic goals specific to your child’s unique needs. Each child receives support directly in their child care centre through scheduled visits and consultations from our team.
Who It's For
The LEARN program supports children impacted by a wide range of disabilities and delays. To access the program, a child must qualify for special educational funding (PUF Program Unit Funding) through Alberta Education and be between the ages of 2.8 and 6 years of age on September 1st of the year they’re attending. Alberta Education determines eligibility. Providence will apply for Program Unit Funding (PUF) once all registration requirements are completed.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
- Down Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
- Genetic Disorders
- Global Developmental Delay
- Rare and Undiagnosed Delays/Disorders
- Sensory Disabilities
- Severe Emotional/ Behavioural Disabilities
- Speech and Language Delays
- Visual Impairment
Fees
At Providence, we take pride in making special education accessible to all families. The LEARN Program has a non-refundable annual registration fee of $50. Please note that families are still required to cover the cost for their child to attend their child care centre.
LEARN Locations
For a list of LEARN locations or to request the LEARN program at your child’s child care centre, please contact Providence at 403-255-5577 or learn@providencechildren.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Providence applies to Alberta Education for this funding once you have registered and provided all necessary documents.
At Providence, we take pride in making special education accessible to all families. There is a non-refundable annual registration fee of $50. Families are still required to cover the cost for your child to attend their child care centre.
Providence does not provide one-on-one therapy. The program is facilitated by a certified Teacher with support from our therapists and Teaching/Therapeutic Assistants in collaboration with the child care centre.
Providence does not provide Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) programming but will communicate with your child’s FSCD team to share information as required.
Providence works in numerous child care centres across Calgary that meet eligibility. Please contact us at 403-255-5577 or learn@providencechildren.com for a list of eligible child care centres.
The LEARN program manager will send out a schedule to parents/guardians in advance so you know when to expect our team.
Alberta Education states that children can only be enrolled in one Program Unit Funded (PUF) program at a time. As LEARN is a PUF program, we cannot support children in their childcare centre who are already enrolled in a PUF program with a different agency.
In our School program, your child comes to us, and in the LEARN program, we visit your child in their child care centre. The LEARN program provides educational and therapeutic support, just as we offer in our School program.
Our team works collaboratively with the educators at your child’s child care centre. We bring activities and resources for use when we are on site and when we are not, as well as providing strategies and professional development opportunities for the child care team.