We understand it can be a daunting time when your child is due to start a new childcare centre. In order to make things as easy and stress-free as possible, we have put together some handy tips and information.
Settling In
In order to make the transition from home to our centre as stress-free as possible, we encourage several short visits to the centre before leaving your child in our care. These are free of charge as long as a care giver is present and we believe it is the most successful way to introduce your child to the centre.
Your child’s key teacher will work with you to ensure your experience with us is positive from day one. By understanding your individual child’s personality and preferences, great relationships can be formed that will ensure your child feels at home in our centre.
You are welcome to visit or phone the centre at any time to check on the wellbeing of your child.
What to Bring
The children at the centre are very busy which means they are likely to get their clothes dirty or wet during the day. We recommend that each child has the following in their bag, and that all items are named:
- At least one full change of clothes, this includes socks and undies.
- Children who are toilet training should have 3 or 4 pairs of undies in their bag.
- A sunhat for summer
- A warm hat and extra warm clothing for winter
- If necessary, nappies and wipes for your child which are stored at the centre
- Certificate of Immunisation on their first day
Catering
We work towards a culture of whanaungatanga where children feel a sense of belonging through shared experiences and mealtimes are a particularly important part of this in our centre.
We all eat together and the centre provides fresh, nutritional meals such as fruit and sandwiches for morning and afternoon tea and ask children to bring lunchboxes.
Learning Stories
At Inglewood Community Childcare Centre, we use ‘Learning Stories’ as a unique way of capturing examples of the learning that happens at the centre.
Each child has a teacher who is responsible for keeping their learning journal up to date, this journal belongs to the child and is treasured by most families as a beautiful keepsake.
We also use Educa for families to keep up to date with their child’s journey, it is especially great for sharing with overseas members of the family!