Our Toddler Group and Baby Group make up our Educentre Facility. The two groups have separate units but share their own fenced playground separate to the older children.
Our Early Childcare service focuses on the following:
A Child Care Program That Follows Appropriate Health and Safety Practices
Our Educentre team ensure that all health and safety requirements are met with very high standards we have policies in place that address everything from hand washing procedures and sanitation practices for minimizing the spread of infection, to policies for administering medications and guidelines for safe sleeping.
A Staff Well Trained in Early Childhood Development(ECD) (0-3)
Our staff are educated and trained in ECD which is one of the best ways to ensure child care provided is quality and stimulating to our learners. The last decade’s findings about early brain development tell us that baby and toddler caregivers early care and education focuses on the unique learning abilities of babies and toddlers and trains caregivers how to plan appropriate activities, how to use daily routines to bond with babies, and how to provide cognitive stimulation through conversation, interaction and responsive relationships.
Age Appropriate Environment
Children under 3 learn through continuously exploring and interacting with their environment, which includes the emotional climate of a child care setting as well as the physical space. Babies and toddlers need safe spaces for quiet and active play (both inside and outdoors), safe spaces for sleeping, and spaces to interact one-on one with individual caregivers. We provide that environment and ensure our toddlers have toys and activities selected for each individual’s interests and abilities.
Small Groups Ensure Optimal Carer – Child Ratios
We have a low Carer to child ratio that ensure the amount of time and attention each caregiver can devote to each child is maximised. Infants need individualized care and one-on-one time for interactions and routines. As such they can grow, they and play more independently and can handle small group activities.
We currently provide:
a) 1 Day Mother for 4 infants (6 weeks to 18 months)
b) 1 ECD Teacher for 7 toddlers (18 months – 36 months)
Primary Caregivers and Continuity of Care
Assigning each child dedicated primary caregivers promotes the caring one-on-one relationships that help babies thrive. A baby develops trust as her primary caregivers learns to respond appropriately to her unique temperament, her needs and her interests by being the one who almost always diapers her, feeds her, puts her to sleep, and communicates with her family.
The child’s security deepens as her primary caregivers develop a positive relationship with her family and comes to know their values and wishes for their child. This holistic relationship provides the security and trust that enables the child to explore and flourish in group care.
Our children have the same primary caregiver team until age three, which spares her the trauma of leaving someone to whom she is securely attached and having to adjust all over again to someone who does not know her. Stability is important for healthy emotional development, which provides the underpinnings for all other areas of development.
Active and Responsive Caregiving to Support Children’s Development
Our active and responsive caregivers takes cues from each child to know when to expand on the child’s initiative, when to guide, when to teach and when to intervene.
They recognize signs of stress in the child and takes appropriate action to adapt to the child’s needs.
Responsive caregiving requires careful observation, knowledge of child development and respect for each child’s temperament, interests and capabilities.
Curriculum, Observation and Individualized Programming
The 0 – 3 curriculum is based upon a sound understanding of child development and appropriate practices while taking into account the individual needs and temperaments of each child in care.
Our curriculum includes:
a) the goals for children’s development( eg Potty training from 18 months)
b) the experiences that will be provided,
c) the role for caregivers and families,
d) the materials used.
Our Team plan for each day, individualizing activities, materials and schedules according to the routines of each child and his or her developmental stage.
Observation and discussion amongst the team and with families provides deeper understanding of each child and a basis for documenting developmental progress towards goals.
Emerging Language and Literacy
The path to literacy begins with conversations between caregivers and young children.
Our ECD Teachers is laying the foundation for language and reading when she talks aloud to a baby throughout the day, repeating back his babbling, asking him questions, reading him books, and singing him songs.
Our Caregivers promotes language development when we use simple words and keeps a balance between listening and talking with the child and provides a childcare environment rich with age-appropriate books, interesting pictures and photos to talk about, labels, charts, Theme Boards, and other printed material.
Family Involvement and Cultural Continuity
Our children come from a huge variety of ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds. Our high quality programs incorporate practices that reflect the values and beliefs of the families and the cultures of their communities.
We adapt our Daily Meals of Breakfast and Lunch to cultural requirements.
In our work with families, caregivers respect differences and strive to become more culturally competent. Caregivers welcome parents into their child’s classroom, use the child’s home language whenever possible, and organize special events that include the child’s family members.
Comprehensive Support Services
In addition to providing a protective and enriching environment for children, our Team serves as a source of support for the new families.
Open communication amongst our team and parents creates a more holistic and accessible system for families.
We currently have the service of a registered Nurse who will provide extra support to our families, as regards their child’s development.