St Cecilia’s new playground, where friendships flourish
Catholic Early EdCare services provide children with plenty of opportunities to explore, discover and connect outdoors.
The early years are a critical time in a child's development. At Catholic Early EdCare long day care centres we work with families to help their children grow and develop from six weeks through to kindergarten age.
The early years are a critical time in a child’s development. At Catholic Early EdCare long day care centres, we will work with your family to nurture your child’s development from as early as six weeks through to kindergarten age. Children are shaped by their many experiences, relationships and the skills they develop in the early years. In our long day care centres we focus on helping children develop their communication and language skills while supporting their emotional and social development.
Our educators are all tafe or university trained and will support your child to develop foundational skills, through play, in line with the Early Years Learning Framework. This framework focuses on helping children develop a sense of belonging, make the most of their childhood and preparing them to become a full and active member of society. Relationships are central to creating a feeling of belonging. Our educators will develop a strong relationship with your child and help them build relationships with others. At Catholic Early EdCare we also believe play is the most important work of a child and respect their right to experience the joy of childhood. Our educators will provide new opportunities for your child to create and explore everyday. Through our school and parish partnerships and connections with our local communities your child will grow in confidence as they become involved in their community from a young age.
Play can provide children with the opportunity to discover new things, express their creativity and use their imagination. Our educators will support your child to learn through play by setting up environments that build on their interests and include new challenges and learning opportunities. At play, children feel supported and at ease. We believe that by beginning their learning journey in play we can help them develop a love of learning that will continue to grow with them.
In our nurseries educators set up a variety of craft experiences. We help children develop their fine motor skills while exploring different colours and textures, using a variety of tools such as brushes and sponges. In our pre-kindy rooms the craft corner is filled with unique resources, from feathers and leaves through to paddle pop sticks, that children choose how to use. With this freedom children will explore their own interests, which our educators will expand on to create meaningful learning experiences. For example, when the children at St Mary’s Long Day Care + Kindergarten decided to make hand puppets, our educators challenged them to create a puppet show and present it to their peers, helping them develop their literacy and public speaking skills.
Kindergarten is an important time in every child’s life. That’s why all of our long day care centres offer an approved Queensland Government Kindergarten Program run by a university-qualified early childhood teacher. Our kindergarten programs follow the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines curriculum framework. This means our teachers support children to grow in line with the five learning and development areas identified in the guidelines.
Throughout the kindergarten year our teachers focus on preparing your child for prep by teaching them foundational literacy, numeracy and science skills.
Our teachers believe in inspiring a love of learning which is why they look to create ‘teachable moments’ in line with your child’s current interests. It’s also why our programs are tailored to accomodate all developmental stages. This will help your child build a strong sense of self and confidence in their abilities which they will take with them into the school environment.
To enrol in our kindergarten rooms your child should turn four by June 30 of that year. If your child is already attending our service we will talk with you about the best time for your child to move into our kindergarten room .
At Catholic Early EdCare we recognise that all children develop and grow at their own pace. That’s why we focus on helping your child grow as an individual.
Our educators will create experiences which respond to children’s individual strengths, abilities and interests. This ensures learning experiences are engaging and will challenge your child’s thinking. We also focus on supporting your child’s social and emotional needs, this is why you might see little helpers in reception some mornings. If arrival time is a stressful experience for your child, they might spend some time helping our admin team while they settle in or they might be given a special job each morning, which can help to put them at ease.
As a parent you will know what’s important to your child and what sparks joy in them. We encourage you to share these insights with us so we can better support your child on their learning journey. In the early years children are developing an understanding of their own identity and place in the world. We support this growth and understanding by ensuring our programs and play environments speak to their individuality.
Your child’s first day at long day care may seem a little daunting. That’s natural, after all this is a time of significant change for your family. Our teams are here to help and will work with you to settle your child in.
Once you’re enrolled, our centre director will talk with you about the best way to introduce your child to our centre. We encourage you to take advantage of our ‘stay and play’ sessions, which allow your child to get to know us and their new environment and start settling in while you are there to provide reassurance.
You are welcome to stay a bit longer on your child’s first day and don’t hesitate to speak to our team about keeping in touch throughout the day so we can let you know how your child is settling in.
Catholic Early EdCare is an approved child care service provider for the Australian Government’s child care subsidy. This means your family may be able to access financial assistance to reduce your out of pocket expense. The level of support your family can receive depends on a number of factors that include your family’s combined income, the child care fees you are charged and the number of hours you and your partner work, train or volunteer in a fortnight.
To access the subsidy you will need to complete an assessment through Centrelink. To find out what support you are eligible for and to complete an assessment visit this website.
You may also be eligible for Queensland Kindergarten Funding (QKF), introduced on 1 January 2023 to make kindergarten more affordable and more accessible for families. The new funding replaces the old Queensland Kindergarten Funding Scheme (QKFS).
The new funding will benefit families with children who attend a 600-hour annual approved kindergarten program – either through a long day care service or a sessional kindergarten. All 25 Catholic Early EdCare kindergarten and long day care services throughout South East Queensland deliver approved kindergarten programs.
To benefit from the new funding, your child must turn four years old by 30 June 2023.
Just like previous government funding schemes, the new funding is provided directly to Catholic Early EdCare services to assist with the costs of delivering a kindergarten program. Catholic Early EdCare will make a financial adjustment to eligible families’ accounts, reducing the amount of out-of-pockets that families need to pay.
Visit the Kindy savings website to check your eligibility and work out how much you can save or talk to our friendly administration team on 07 3367 6373 to confirm your eligibility.
