Philosophy

At Norwest Child Care Centre we continually strive to set the standard for high quality affordable child care.

A consistent and safe environment is essential for each child’s development. The welfare of our children is our first and foremost priority. An important element in achieving this is a close relationship between the centre and our families.

Norwest Child Care Centre is a privately owned, family run centre, with a strong commitment to participative, consultative and collaborative management. We welcome visits, ideas, suggestions and participation from each family.

Current research shows that the earliest years of a child’s development forms the foundation of their understanding of the world. It is important to us that we create socially responsible community members, who are capable of reaching their full potential.

We believe that children should have input and guidance in the experiences provided for them, therefore our program is based on emerging topics that interest the children, including a mix of activities and experiences which are child initiated and teacher led. Staff and parents are actively encouraged to provide feedback (email us) and input for programmed activities, policies and practices.

Children learn and develop best when exploring their world through stimulating and challenging play. Our environment provides the opportunities for children to reach their potential in the areas of:

• physical abilities
• expressive arts
• problem solving
• mathematical skills
• language and literacy – and most importantly
• the ability to develop and maintain relationships and to make wise decisions.

Our children are responded to with care and sensitivity and we ensure that each child’s needs are met throughout the day. We value the uniqueness of each family and the rich opportunities this gives the centre. We believe that our differences (and similarities) must be recognised and respected. The diverse values of families, staff and our community are incorporated into our daily practices.

We believe that within a secure, warm and loving environment, children require both acceptance and challenge. Our children are given positive guidance within the bounds of age appropriate acceptable behaviour. We model fairness, equity and social justice to all children.

We recognise the importance of our staff in our ability to implement these philosophies in order to provide the highest quality care. We invest in every staff member through our commitment to individualised training and development programs. We also work closely with other childcare professionals in order to constantly aim for high quality care.

We believe it is essential that the centre play an active role in the local community through our own Community Interest Group (parents and staff twice yearly committee) and participation in local activities. We believe that we can act as social advocates for our children, helping the broader community understand the importance of early childhood.

To ensure that we remain abreast of changing attitudes and new ideas, our philosophy, goals policies and practices will be evaluated by all stakeholders on an annual basis. We welcome your questions, suggestions and comments.

Last reviewed August 2007

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