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Every parent looks for something different in a childcare centre, but the end goal is always the same—to ensure their child is enrolled in a safe, happy and engaging place. You can use many different factors to assess a centre before enrolling, but one of the most significant considerations is the centre’s philosophy.
By clarifying the best-practice approach for everything from curriculum models to interactions with individual children, parents will know what to expect, staff will know how to manage different scenarios, and children will receive a consistent, familiar and comfortable experience every day.
At Young Academics, we place a large focus of our education programs on the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge and create spaces that support the growth and development of each and every child—today and for years to come. With this in mind, our philosophy encourages the systematic investigation and discovery of our students’ personalities, personal situations and family beliefs so that we can foster a lifelong pursuit of learning.
While every childcare centre strives to provide a superior experience for its students and their family, it’s essential to find one with a philosophy that reflects your personal views and acts as an extension or enhancement of your approach at home. Our early childhood teaching philosophy can be broken down into 3 principles: Recognise, contribute and change.
- Recognise
At Young Academics, we believe in continuous learning—not just for our children but also for our staff. After all, learning is lifelong. We’re continually seeking new opportunities to build on our practices, refine our services and better support our community. It’s a commitment to problem-solving that is often guided by our students themselves, as their responses give us the best insight into how well our policies are working. After identifying a trend, gap or potential opportunity, we then draw on the relevant professionals to help shift our learning programs accordingly. This may be on a centre-wide basis or for the care of a particular child.
- Contribute
The education of a child is a responsibility we don’t take lightly. When parents choose us for the care of their little ones, we believe our role is to contribute to their growth and development in various ways. Our approach is built on the belief that every child has inherently unique needs and interests, which is why we strive to incorporate individual learning plans that focus on the strengths, skills and abilities of each child. This may consider their age, development and persona, ultimately ensuring we enhance all aspects of their growth.
- Change
We believe childcare centres should be a vibrant and engaging place for little ones to interact with a range of facilities and resources. Rather than guiding your child on a certain, predetermined pathway, we provide a forum for open exploration, responsibility and opportunity on their own terms. By recognising and acknowledging cues from the child, our staff will incite incremental changes that align with their personality and natural progression to help authentically build their confidence, knowledge and independence.
Just as every family adopts a different parenting style, the right childcare centre philosophy will look different for every child. Finding the right one for your family can take some time, but is an important step to take before enrolling your family in a centre. There are a few considerations you may keep in mind when assessing a centre’s philosophy, including:
- Is the philosophy clearly outlined on the centre’s website or other marketing materials?
- Do your interactions online, over the phone and in person reflect the essence of the outlined philosophy?
- Are staff able to share their perspective or understanding of the centre’s philosophy?
- How do the centre’s values align with your child’s personality?
- Does the centre’s philosophy reflect your at-home practices and rules?
The most important step to take when assessing a childcare centre’s philosophy is to open the lines of communication with staff and be completely transparent from the get-go. By asking staff to share their perspective on the philosophy and watching the way this translates on-site, you’ll have a clear understanding of how well this suits your family dynamics and the needs of your child or children.
Above all, don’t forget to trust your instinct! A lot can be said for the ‘feel’ a centre gives you as soon as you arrive, so don’t underestimate the power of your first impression. For further assistance in the process of the details of other childcare centre philosophies to consider, contact Young Academics today.
