About Us

The Children‘s Centre is located in the grounds of The Body Shop Australia headquarters in Mulgrave. It was created in 1994 to support employees with families, and to provide families in the local community with high-quality and reliable childcare.

We currently have 115 places and provide care and educational programmes for children aged from three months to five years old. Seven dedicated rooms – Possums, Panda, Bilby, Duck, Parrot, Wombat and Turtle – cater to different age groups and stages of development. We are open from 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and close only for two weeks over Christmas and for public holidays. 

Our team of 35 qualified and trained staff have a wealth of experience in childcare and early learning programmes. We are very proud of the low turnover in our team, which means we can provide a consistent and stable environment, in which your child can thrive. Our carers and teachers undergo continual training, which enables them to develop innovative early childhood programmes that best meet the needs of each child. Staff have adopted the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework into current practices and programming.

Contact with Parents

Families are welcome to meet regularly with staff to discuss their child‘s learning and development. We positively encourage interaction to provide the best possible network of support. At least once a year, we hold parent information evenings where staff and families discuss the running of each room and contribute to programming. We also regularly invite parents to hear guest speakers present on specific themes of interest, such as sleep education, school readiness, behavioral guidance, and health and safety awareness.

Families are welcome to make an appointment with room staff to discuss their child‘s progress and overall development. This is an opportunity for staff and parents to collaborate on their child‘s interests, strengths and family values. Each room produces a bi-monthly newsletter, which keeps families up to date with happenings and developments in each room. A centre newsletter is distributed each term.

Meals

Meals are prepared and delivered three times a day by The Big Cheese restaurant, which is situated onsite. It creates specific child-friendly and seasonal menus for the centre, and a vast range of meals are available to cater for the specific meal requirements of each child. The Big Cheese has received The Golden Plate Award for excellence in Healthy Food Options, Hygiene and Food Handling, and Energy and Water Efficiency over the years.

Early Learning & Additional Programmes

As well as development programmes for each room and for each child, the centre incorporates specialist programmes including languages (Italian and Mandarin), yoga, environmental awareness, music and movement and cooking. These are available to all children at the centre at no additional cost to parents. Programmes are delivered by trained staff in fun and practical ways that encourage children to develop skills and knowledge in areas they may not be exposed to at home.

We welcome parental input into these programmes; if you have a skill, passion or profession that can be shared with the children, we warmly welcome you to discuss it with the staff and arrange a special visit.

Orientation

Orientation to the centre is carefully planned to allow for a smooth, slow and stress-free transition. Feeling secure and safe is vital to the settling-in period for each of us. Before children start full days, we invite parents to accompany them on two-hour morning visits at no cost. We have found that this orientation process works exceptionally well because it allows for children, families and staff to build trust, security and a foundation for early learning.

Fees

Fees for the centre are outlined below; our fees have been set to provide high quality care and educational programmes. Childcare benefit and childcare tax rebates are available at the centre; parents should access fee subsidies through the Family Assistance Office and the Taxation system.

From 4th July 2011 our fees are: Weekly $425.00; Daily $85.00 per day 

Our Philosophy

Children are active, curious explorers. They construct meaning from their everyday experiences, and require a safe, nurturing environment in which to flourish. At the Children‘s Centre we are 100% committed to fostering in every child a sense of being, belonging and becoming. The children‘s centre strongly stands for being a centre of learners, amongst staff and children, we value and encourage the journey of personal growth.

Our Learning Programme is fun and educational. It is directed instinctively by the children as well as led by educators. We believe that young children develop best with programmes that are tailored to their individual interests, needs and characteristics.

We provide a nurturing environment in which children can thrive - through establishing warm, affectionate and consistent relationships that are based on trust, respect and understanding. We encourage children to develop their own sense of identity and independence, whilst accepting the differences in others.

Having a sense of ownership within the centre and the wider community allows children, families and educators to play active roles in preserving our environment. We believe open communication between children, educators and families gives everyone a voice, and that staff and families are partners as the ‘child‘s first teachers‘.

We pride ourselves on providing a sense of wellbeing and stability for families as well as children, which is critical for children to develop their confidence and try new things. Building resilience empowers children to make choices, accept challenges and take considered risks as well as building independence.

The core values of the Children‘s Centre are the development of self-esteem, building relationships between families, educators and the community, environmental responsibility, supporting the rights of every child, and promoting positive social change. These values are promoted through collaboration between families, teachers and the children and by incorporation into the children‘s daily learning program.

Kids – Go for Your Life & Smiles for Miles

The Children‘s Centre has been certified under the Victorian Government‘s Kids – Go for Your Life initiative, which recognises our facility as an environment in which children can enjoy healthy eating and active play daily. We have been awarded in the following categories:

• tapping into water (having fresh drinking water available at all times)
• healthy lunch box (meals are nutritious; fresh fruit and vegetables are incorporated in menu planning; harmful or low nutrition foods are not provided and are discouraged in lunchboxes)
• limit ‘sometimes‘ food (food is not used as a reward, incentive or for comfort; meal times are social and enjoyable learning experiences, and staff provide positive role models in sitting with children)
• move play and go (daily structured and free active play are significant components of each programme)
• turn off, switch to play, stride and ride (screen time with television, computers and electronic games is strictly limited; appropriate traffic and pedestrian safety education is provided).

The children‘s centre has also been awarded as a Smiles for Miles services. There are three key messages promoted through the Smiles 4 Miles program:

• Drink well - tap water is the preferred drink, limit sugary and fizzy drinks and plain milk preferable to flavoured
• Eat well - enjoy a variety of nutritiuos foods, limit sugary foods especially between meals and enjoy healthy snacks
• Clean well - brush twice a day with a low fluoride (children‘s) toothpaste, encourage flossing and develop good oral hygiene practices at an early age

Staff have incorporated these positive steps from both services in the everyday programmes of each room, which has allowed us to become an awarded service. You can learn more about the programmes when clicking on each of the rooms, and also by visiting www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/kids and www.dhsv.org.au/smiles-for-miles/