How we cater for different developmental stages of young children and plan their learning appropriatelyAt Family House we vertically group the children, this means the children are grouped together and not segregated in age groups. We believe that the children become more aware of other children and their own abilities, it also means that sibling can stay together. We have provisions to separate groups into interest based or friendships groups or children who may want to have some time away.
Maria Montessori believed that vertical grouping was a part of our natural development and that grouping children by their age was against our social nature. In order to develop individually, children need to be free to learn at their own pace. It is therefore an aid by vertical grouping to develop individually, since they can follow and guide each other from different levels of development rather than their current age group. Taken from the Montessorimind.blogg.se website Orientation ProcessOur orientation procedure is set to ensure that all children and families feel safe and comfortable about their transition to care outside of the home.
We recommend as many visits for as long as it takes, for both the child and family to feel safe and secure. Please feel free to discuss your orientation process with the educators. Our experience has shown that when a child has had a good transition into care, they settle better. You will be required to sign that you take full responsibility for your child during visits and you will need to stay on the premise. Download our daily routine Catering for children with disabilitiesAt Family House Child Care, everybody is welcome. We are a small centre that has a compassionate approach to behavioural issues and special needs, we are able to focus more on individual children's needs
Educational programAt Family House we follow the Early Years Learning Framework.
We encourage play based learning.
Food at the centre - nutrition and qualityCurrently Parents and Carers are required to supply their child’s food with a “bring from home lunch box”. We encourage healthy eating and meal times are a main social occasion of the day with all children eating together.
The educators sit with the children and eat their lunch, they use this time to have discussions about the day, what is happening in the children lives and it is a great opportunity to talk about healthy eating. We do offer cooking experiences such as baking biscuits or cooking soups. We also have a small kitchen garden which we use to educate children about where food comes from and how it is used in cooking. Family House Child Care does have a small kitchen for food provision, and if your child is hungry we can provide extra food as needed but encourage children to eat all their food from home first. Breastfeeding MumsWe encourage and support breastfeeding and the Centre is a member of the Breastfeeding Welcome Here program.
FAQDoes my child have to have a sleep?
No, we do not make children sleep, if they do not want to, quiet time is encouraged instead. Do I need to bring bedding for my child’s sleep time? We provide cots, sleep mats and all bedding for sleep time, we encourage sleeping bag / special sleeping toys, dummies, wraps etc. We strive to stick to the home routine. What if my child is a fussy eater? By providing your own food in your children's lunch box you have the control to put food in your child will eat, whilst promoting healthy eating. What happens if my child will not settle when away from me or gets upset when I leave? This is very common for most children, we strongly recommend a good orientation process, to help settle your child. When it comes to staying without a parent, we urge families to stay close to their phone, we do out best to settle your child, however if your child is extremely upset, we encourage families to come a little earlier. Some children settle well and some children take a while, please be assured, we want your child to feel safe and happy at Family House Child Care. What happens if my child has a medical condition like asthma or allergies? If your child has a medical condition, you need to provide a medical action plan, signed by a health practitioner, any medication/cream etc, need to be labelled correctly, please see our Dealing with a Medical Condition policy. We are here to work with you and your child. My child has a delay, how can you help? If your child has a known delay, we are happy to use strategies from you or from any professional services you have engaged with. Everyone is welcome at Family House Child Care and we are happy to support where we can. If we see a delay in your child’s development, please do not be offended, we see lots of children and we only want the best and early intervention is the key for your child to move forward. Will my child make friends? Yes they will, children have different development stages of playing and playing with other children, generally by 4 years old, they will have made a friend, being a small centre we can encourage friendships and work through disputes. What if I am not happy about a certain situation? We welcome feedback good and bad, it’s how we can improve. If you are not happy about a certain situation, you may feel comfortable to discuss with the staff. However, if you do not wish to, you are welcome to talk to the centre Director, if you are either unhappy about the outcome or wish to take it further, please email Sean Hames at the Mount Barker Community Centre [email protected]. You are within your right to take it further by contacting the Education Standards Board of South Australia on 1800 882 413 or [email protected]. Please remember there is never a silly question, we are here to help. |
