Children
Child Care Services Philosophy
- We believe all children should feel safe, secure, respected, valued, cared for individually free from bias or discrimination and should have a strong sense of identity. “We are afraid to care too much; for fear the other person does not care at all.” -Mary Ainsworth
- We believe all children need a safe and stimulating environment to explore, problem solve, create and construct. Environments are vibrant and flexible spaces that are responsive to the interests and abilities of each child. “In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself” - Lev Vygotsky. ”A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying”- Burrhus Frederic Skinner.
- We believe all children should experience play-based learning that is engaging and builds success for life. “Almost all creativity involves purposeful play” - Abraham Maslow. “Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn” - O.Fred Donaldson.
- We recognise that diversity contributes to the richness of our society and provides a valid evidence base about ways of knowing. It allows the ability to understand, communicate with and effectively interact with people across cultures. The diversity in family life means that children experience belonging, being and becoming in many different ways.
- We believe in all children’s capacities to succeed, regardless of diverse circumstances and abilities. Children are confident and involved learners. “Learning is more than the acquisition of the ability to think; it is the acquisition of many specialized abilities for thinking about a variety of things” - Lev Vysotsky. “The teacher must orient his work not on yesterday’s development in the child but on tomorrow’s” - Lev Vygotsky. “It will happen but it will take time.” - John Bowlby
- We believe in responding to children’s ideas and play forms as an important basis for decision-making in programming, children become effective communicators. “Curiosity in children....is but an appetite after knowledge” - John Locke. “The more children know that you value them that you consider them extraordinary people, the more willing they will be to listen to you and afford the same esteem. And the more appropriate your teaching, based on your knowledge of them, the more eager your children will be to learn from you. And the more they learn, the more extraordinary they will become” - M.Scott Peck
Families
- We believe that all families in the community have the right to access quality care that is affordable and meets their individual needs. We believe in being sensitive to the vulnerabilities of children and families and respond in ways that empower and maintain the dignity of all children and families.
- We respect the views and values of each family, acknowledging the family as the primary care provider and the children’s first and most influential educator.
- We believe in providing an environment where families have an involvement in the service and are invited to participate in care activities and service management and also to develop positive relationships based on mutual trust and open communication.
- We believe we need to respect the uniqueness of each family and strive to learn about their culture, lifestyle, customs, language, beliefs and kinship systems. We believe we need to develop positive relationships based on mutual trust and open communication and assist each family to develop a sense of belonging and inclusion. We maintain confidentiality and respect the right of the family to privacy.
Service / Coordinators / Educators
- We believe fundamentally, that the frame work is a view of children’s lives as characterised by belonging, being and becoming. “Education does not transform the world. Education changes people. People change the world.“ - Paulo Freire
- We believe that The Early Years Learning Framework and the My Time Our Place guides us in our curriculum decision making and assists in planning, implementing and evaluating quality in early childhood settings. “The wider the range of possibilities we offer children the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences.” - Loris Malaguzzi We believe that it is essential to ensure that all children are provided with a high quality of care, which includes a quality educational program, in a safe and nurturing environment. “Learning is no more than a sector of cognitive development that is facilitated by experience” - Jean Piaget.
- We believe that it is important to continually reflect on practices and procedures with the aim of continuously improving our service to the community and be alert to emerging trends and policies. “Great teachers constantly reevaluate what they are doing.” - Barbara Rogoff
- We believe in honouring the histories, cultures, languages, traditions, child rearing practices and lifestyle choices of families. “Each person’s map of the world is as unique as their thumbprint. There are no two people alike...no two people understand the same sentence the same way...So in dealing with people try not to fit them to your concept of what they should be” - Milton Erickson.
- We believe in an environment that promotes teamwork, individual acceptance of differences, honesty and appreciation of beliefs and values.
- We believe in providing a service that meets the needs of individual children and their family. “The art and craft of early childhood teaching is in making decisions about fun, play and work. And it is this crafting that distinguishes the professional from the baby-sitter, parent or child minder.” - Susan Grieshaber & Felicity McArdle
- We believe that it is important for the service to work cooperatively and actively with parents, educators, management, the community and elders.
- We believe that working in partnership with families and educators, through providing information, education and support, will enhance the quality of care that children receive.
- We need to work in accordance with this philosophy, and take action in the presence of unethical behaviours, build collaborative relationships based on trust, respect and honesty.
- We believe in acknowledging and supporting the strengths, experience and diversity of colleagues which they bring to the workplace, also sharing and building knowledge, experiences and resources with colleagues. "The better you know something, the more risk there is of behaving egocentrically in relation to your knowledge. Thus, the greater the gap between teacher and learner, the harder teaching becomes." - Margaret Donaldson
Community
- We believe that promoting the Early Years Learning Framework and My Time Our Place within the community, develops strong community links, which enables families to become aware of quality standards in childcare practice. “I'm no prophet. My job is making windows where there were once walls.” - Michel Foucault
- We believe that promoting awareness of diversity within the community leads to acceptance and respect for others. This includes valuing the continuity and richness of local knowledge shared by community members, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.
- We believe in working with people, services and agencies within the communities that support children and families.
- We believe in promoting involvement within the service.
Resources
- The Early Years Learning Framework
- My Time Our Place
- National Quality Standards www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes
- www.f2be.com/quotes.htm
- www.pinterest.com/yellowtribe/theorist-quotes
- www.brainyquote.com/quote
