MAPLE BEAR CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE | The best of Canadian education for a global future.
At Bear Care, we understand that each infant is a unique and capable learner, deserving of a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment. Our program, designed for children from 6 weeks to 24 months, draws on best practices in Canadian early childhood education to support each child’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth.
Bear Care values responsive and respectful caregiving, emphasizing routines that adapt to each infant’s needs:
Positive responses from caregivers encourage infants to feel secure, motivating them to explore and imitate sounds. This early feedback supports language development, helping infants process sounds and build foundational communication skills during this critical stage.
Each Bear Care space is thoughtfully designed with safe, age-appropriate toys and furnishings, from newborns to almost-walkers, making the environment a supportive “teacher” that encourages exploration.
Physical, cognitive, communicative, emotional, and social skills are continuously observed, with progress documented in a personalized portfolio shared with parents.
Families are integral to the Bear Care community. Through daily communication, parents remain closely connected to their child’s development and experiences.
We organize schedules to best meet the needs of the infant. The infant’s day will have consistent and predictable routines, few transitions, and lots of time for repetition and practice, cultivating an “unhurried” atmosphere.
Aside from fixed moments like arrival, departure, and meal times, the day’s rhythm is guided by each infant’s individual needs. This approach keeps routines simple, consistent, and predictable, helping infants feel relaxed and secure.
Transitions are minimized to avoid overwhelming the infants and reducing stress, with songs or rhymes used as gentle signals for transitions, creating a calm and comforting atmosphere. Time is unhurried, especially during major transitions, such as arrival, to allow infants to settle comfortably. Each child enjoys daily one-on-one lap-time-whether through reading, singing, or quiet cuddling-as this builds a strong attachment with the caregiver.
Flexibility is key; caregivers are ready to adjust the daily plan as needed to respond to an infant’s mood, needs, or changes in routine, such as varying nap times or teething discomfort. Rather than focusing on the exact “clock time” for activities, the emphasis is on a consistent, nurturing rhythm where the caregiver remains the infant’s central focus throughout the day.
We introduce infants to the primary language they already know, followed by a gradual introduction to the school’s second language. There is no fixed age for starting a new language; it’s a natural, responsive progression.
Our goals align with our commitment to nurturing a holistic, balanced growth for every child:
Building secure relationships with caregiving adults to promote confidence and trust.
Helping infants develop a positive attitude toward learning and adjusting to environments outside the home.
Encouraging progress across all developmental domains – physical, cognitive, communication, emotional, and social.
Our safe and healthy spaces support exploration, social interaction, and individual respect, catering to each child’s needs with empathy.
Our program prioritizes not just preparation for Kindergarten but fostering a curiosity-driven approach to learning for life.
Parents around the world are choosing Bear Care for their child care because of our unique focus on early learning.
Bear Care’s bilingual, immersion-based program respects each infant’s emerging skills and interests, focusing on:
The Physical Development in Bear Care focuses on nurturing infants' growth through responsive caregiving that supports their sensory and motor development. Key milestones include developing gross motor skills like sitting, standing, and walking, as well as fine motor skills such as grasping, transferring, and manipulating objects. Safe, uncluttered spaces, along with varied textures and supportive equipment, encourage infants to explore and build coordination. Bear Care prioritizes a warm and encouraging environment where infants feel secure to try new challenges, fostering healthy physical and sensory growth.
Cognitive Development in Bear Care supports infants' natural curiosity and growing problem-solving skills. By creating a stimulating environment, Bear Care helps infants reach key milestones, such as anticipating events, imitating real-life actions, and staying focused on tasks. Activities like filling and dumping, playing with nesting toys, and practicing simple challenges encourage exploration and learning. With safe spaces and access to sensory-rich materials, infants are free to engage with their environment, fostering imagination, independence, and early cognitive skills through discovery and play.
Communication Development in Bear Care supports infants’ natural readiness to communicate through sounds, gestures, and early words. Milestones include using simple words, responding to familiar voices, and engaging in early "conversations" through gestures and sounds. Infants develop communication skills by listening, responding, and engaging with trusted adults in meaningful ways. Caregivers nurture these skills through patient listening, mirroring sounds, and identifying emotions, fostering an environment where infants feel heard and understood. The program provides comfortable spaces for quiet, focused interaction and incorporates familiar items from home to enhance each child's sense of connection and comfort.
Social Development in Bear Care centers on forming secure attachments with trusted adults, which enables infants to engage with others and build positive social skills. Key milestones include recognizing familiar names, responding to their own name, engaging in turn-taking games, and interacting with other children while still focusing on solo play. To foster these skills, Bear Care provides warm, consistent environments with ample opportunities for responsive interactions, eye contact, and calm responses to distress. Caregivers support infants by naming emotions, welcoming them warmly, and encouraging exploration within safe boundaries.