It is important that parents play a key role in the lives of their young children -- not only at home but also in day care.

Whether through activities, field trips or just popping in on them when they least expect it, it really makes a child feel important.

And no-one knows that better than the staff at the Happy Valley Day Care Centre.

This day care has answered the need of having and getting parents involved in helping to provide a well rounded educational atmosphere for their child. And one of their specific aims is fathers -- making them more responsible and active in their children's lives.

Acting coordinator Andalyn Swan said: "We have about 40 children in care and that includes four infants, 18 toddlers, and 18 pre-schoolers. We have a staff of ten which includes three head teachers and four child care assistants, a cook and a general helper.

"The way the day care is run is based on the theory that children learn through play,'' Mrs. Swan said. "Our programme is set up where we offer a diverse amount of activities that encourage active involvement and meaningful experimentation. We reinforce through repetition.

"Children have free choice when it comes to choosing the different learning centres that they are provided with daily. They have ten to 11 to choose from such as water play, sand play, or science activities. We also provide field trips.'' Mrs. Swan said the involvement of parents in the day care programme was very important.

"We really value the involvement of parents. Over the past few years we have had an improvement with the number of parents being a part of the activities.

And we really encourage fathers to come out and interact with their children.

"I believe in quality child care and you can not only teach the children but you can also help parents to assist them. Parents are just as important as the child.

"Parents shouldn't just drop the kids off to day care for the day, they should want to know that the child is being cared for and loved and see that there is a general interest in their child.

"When you make parents a part of your programme they are more willing to do at times.'' Mrs. Swan said to keep the parents abreast of the daily activities, feedings, and health of their child they receive a daily report.

"We feel that this is something for the parents to look at and see what their kids did and it can also help them to converse with their children at home.

They can know if they didn't nap or eat which could explain why the child might be cranky.'' She added that when parents participate in some of their child's activities the kids are happy and excited and it helps develop an awareness in kids that their parents care about what they do.

"We go out of our way to do a lot for the children and provide a lot of diverse activity for them and their families,'' Mrs. Swan said. "The day care staff set a goal to work at improving the services for the children and we found that school became more fun for them.

"About two years ago we started trying to build up good relationships with the parents by doing activities and social events.

"Right now we are working on the community trying to get some of the elderly to visit the day care and read stories to the children.'' Mrs. Swan said the day care used to be very structured with hardly any out door play equipment, limited field trips, parents who were not as active and there was also little involvement when it came to fathers.

"Mothers have always been the ones to be called upon to do things but we changed that to asking the fathers to participate in a lot of things. It makes them feel important and special. We are putting fathers in the forefront.'' "I'm proud of the centre because we have really created an environment which is providing quality child care,'' Mrs. Swan said. "The greatest joy you get in this job is knowing that you have really and truly made a difference.'' PROVIDING QUALITY CHILDCARE -- Acting coordinator of the Happy Valley Day Care Centre Mrs. Andalyn Swan.