Values Programme
Restorative Justice approach to behaviour management
Morals
Manners
Social interaction
Daily fitness
Outdoor play
Drama
Gross motor skill development
Hygiene & healthy catering
Visual Arts
Craft
Fine motor skill development
Drama
Music
Dance
Numeracy
Problem solving
Comprehension
Prediction
Visual Literacy
Literacy
Talking & Listening IT
Including Technology devices
Self help skills
Initiating conversations
Self expression
Eating lunch independently
Toileting
Show and Tell
Balmain care for Kids provides an educational preschool program with a strong emphasis on school readiness that prepares the children for entering the primary school system. Parents and the preschool educators share a role in making children feel safe and secure as they transition to a new educational setting.
The key aspects of school readiness are integrated throughout our preschool program and routine from the moment the children enter preschool at the age of 3, moving right through to their transition to primary school. The School Readiness Program is expanded for our preschoolers in their final year before school to ensure that they are given the maximum opportunities to learn new skills, as well as refine existing abilities. We recognise that children up to seven years old learn best through play, and that just as important as skill development is their development of social and emotional wellbeing, which is needed to be an active and positive learner.
Our aim is to promote lifelong learners; our program will be adapted to the children’s individual needs to ensure the children are socially and emotionally ready to enter primary school with the confidence and resilience to ensure a successful and comfortable transition. Children will be provided with a variety of experiences in their daily program according to their needs and level of understanding which will help make the transition to school a positive experience.
Our Teachers will endeavour to create partnerships between Balmain Care for Kids and the local schools in our community to ensure an open exchange of information and understanding regarding particular entry requirements and preparation.
School Readiness Programs include:
– Importance of self-respect and respect of others.
– Promoting social skills when interacting with other children and educators.
– Self-regulation and language development.
– Self- help skills and responsibility for their personal belongings.
– Confidence and high self-esteem promoted in each individual child.
– Foundations of Literacy and Numeracy
Throughout the year we celebrate and hold a number of events, these may include:
Balmain Care for Kids appreciates children’s lives should be fun and as such, we like to you to join in these celebrations. Look out for details of how and when we will be celebrating these in our Newsletter or centre email.
We will also celebrate days such as Anzac Day, Remembrance Day, and Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Grandparents’ Day. The programme also includes excursions and visits by entertainers to complement and extend children’s learning about the wider community.
At Balmain Care for Kids we will also be involved in activities within our local and wider community.
Some activities may include:
– Outreach Programmes
– Donate food to Oz Harvest
– Fundraising for Charities
– Charity Awareness.
Parent involvement is always greatly appreciated
A small bag with child’s name on the outside containing the items as suggested below:
Tips:
If an item of clothing seems to be missing, please check the lost property baskets or speak with your child’s educator. Items not collected will be given to charity after a period of 1 month.
We ask that you please apply water-resistant sun cream to your child before they arrive at the centre each morning.
For more information on sun safe clothes, please see our Sun Protection Policy.
It is natural for both parents and their children to have difficulty parting from each other, particularly when they have not previously been parted for any length of time. Each child’s experience of starting at Balmain Care for Kids is different and while some children eagerly join right in, other children need a longer time to adjust. Rest assured the teachers will tailor their settling in approach to suit the needs of each child.
Here are a few suggestions we hope will help make settling in your child easier:
If you are having difficulty separating from your child, please let one of our teachers know so that they can quickly comfort your child and allow you to go. Children generally settle in the first few minutes after parents leave and staying only prolongs the period that your child is distressed. Allow our teachers to guide you. Then saying “Give Dad a kiss and a cuddle” or “It’s time for Mum to go to work now” is giving you cues that now is probably a good time to go. If your child is quite distressed during the day and cannot be comforted, a teacher will contact you to ask for further advice or to collect the child, if that is in their best interest.
Toys, jewellery and trinkets from home can be lost or broken if brought to the centre. Therefore, we strongly discourage children from bringing these in, and ask you to encourage your child to leave them at home. A cuddly toy/comforter for rest time is welcomed as it helps children settle in. Education or discussion item, such as rocks, shells, flowers, or photos of family/special events, are always welcome and will usually be discussed during group times, then can be safely returned to their bags after.
From 1st July 2018, the government introduced Child Care Subsidy which is a means-tested benefit and will be based on your family income.
In order to receive Child Care Subsidy, you will need to gain 2 Centrelink Reference Numbers (CRN), one for you and one for your child. You will then need to provide these CRN numbers to Balmain Care for Kids during the enrolment process.
For more information on Child Care Subsidy and to see if you’re eligible please click the following link – Child Care Subsidy information
All fees will be paid using a Direct Debit System through the online OWNA application. Families are able to update their details at any time through this platform.
Daily Fees
Fees for 2025 are as follows;
For further information please refer to our Fees Policy.
At Balmain Care for Kids we strongly encourage parent involvement in all aspects of our service. We value our strong partnerships with the families and believe these relationships are paramount to building trusting relationships between educators and children. We would love for you to come in and do a cooking lesson with the children or read some stories during group time. However you would like to contribute to our programs and service we will always welcome you with open arms.
The parent must provide the centre with the names, contact numbers and addresses of at least two responsible persons who can collect their child(ren) in case of an emergency or illness. When contacted by the Director or their delegate, the parent, or a responsible person authorised by the parent, must personally go to collect the sick or injured child as soon as possible.
To view our service policies or for more information, please contact the appropriate Centre Director.
A child can only be released into the care of either a parent, a guardian, or a responsible person which is to be outlined on the child’s enrolment documents or OWNA application.
Staff have a duty of care to your child and therefore are unable to allow adults under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs to collect your child. In the event a parent or other person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs another emergency contact for the child is to collect your child instead.
The centre’s hours of operation relate directly to the terms of the licence and insurance policies. Therefore caring for children outside normal operation hours means that we may be in breach of the Child Care Regulations, which is a serious offence.
The person responsible for collecting the child is responsible for completing the time the child arrived and left for each day of their attendance on the digital sign-in/out system through the OWNA application. It is extremely important that this is completed on each arrival and departure as this record is used to determine which children are in care in the event of an emergency situation such as a fire, evacuation, or lock-down.
When entering or leaving the centre, please make sure all doors and gates are closed properly. Please do not allow children and siblings to open centre gates and doors.
In the event a child is left after hours at the centre and the parents and emergency contacts cannot be reached, The Department of Education & Communities, or the Police will be notified. On the advice of The Department of Education & Communities, the child may then be released into the care of the Police.
A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a formal commitment to reconciliation. At Balmain Care For Kids we have created a RAP on the Narragunnawali website. Narragunnawali supports all early learning services all over the country to develop a level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.
If you would like to access our RAP please click the link below:
Balmain Care for Kids RAP
Our vision is to respect and acknowledge the unique connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with the Lands on which early learning centres across Australia are situated, and help to build genuine, respectful relationships with all children and families who attend these centres. We are dedicated to ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are actively recognised for being Australia’s First Nations peoples and we are committed to gaining a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and learning.
Our focus will be in developing genuine, respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities of our Balmain Care for Kids (BCFK) community. We seek to embed an awareness of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures into our programs that promote an understanding of diversity and inclusiveness. It is hoped that as a result, a high degree of empathy would develop in the relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous members of our community, and that a growing desire for reconciliation would be born.
Balmain Care For Kids values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the cultures and contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities can make to our centre and the wider community. We aspire to work towards a reconciled future where everyone is acknowledged, respected and involved. By engaging children, families and the wider community, we can work together towards an equal and equitable Australia. In order to foster reconciliation and respect difference and diversity, both personal and cultural, we all need to work together and form a bond to become an inclusive, accepting community.
At Balmain Care for Kids, we firmly believe that no two children are the same, and as such, it is imperative that we incorporate multiple theories and approaches into our practices. Ever since the early pioneers of early childhood education, such as Friedrich Fröbel, began delving into the importance of early childhood development and exploring ways of supporting children in this crucial period, many prominent figures have theorised on different aspects of life and how these play a role in giving children the best start in life.
These different theories from around the world have provided us with a wide range of perspectives and approaches to draw upon in modern-day pedagogy. First and foremost, we utilise John Bowlby’s attachment theory as well as the concept of “The Circle of Security” to ensure the establishment of strong, reciprocal, and respectful relationships. Secure attachments are crucial to success in early childhood, laying the foundation for security and engagement in care.
In our environments, we look to Loris Malaguzzi, Italian educator and psychologist, the creator of the Reggio Emilia approach. Malaguzzi developed the concept of “The Environment as the Third Teacher,” highlighting the importance of a calming environment that encourages exploration, sparking curiosity in each child and making their learning visible. His theory also encourages us to explore the myriad ways in which children express themselves through “The Hundred Languages of the Child.” This inspires us to incorporate open-ended experiences, enabling children to express themselves in ways that come naturally to them, rather than imposing upon them a specific way to play, learn and be.
We then blend this open-ended and expressive approach with the more structured Montessori approach to learning. Maria Montessori stressed the belief that “Play is the work of the child.” At Balmain Care for Kids, we wholeheartedly agree with this perspective, ensuring that we implement play-based learning. As in Montessori teaching, we provide children with accessible resources, allowing children the freedom of choice in their “work.” However, our “work” is completed on the children’s time, as opposed to the more defined structure of a Montessori timetable. We begin to implement a more structured timetable of learning towards the end of the year, in our Gum Trees class, as a way of supporting children in their transition to school.
Our approaches to implementing learning experiences and planning everyday aspects of our routines and programs are then informed by developmental theorists such as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. These theorists support us in identifying the different stages of development and provide us with the tools to support children as they progress through these stages. Howard Gardner’s approach encourages us to identify children’s strengths and learning styles, providing us with a crucial insight into how we can support the individual in a way that is best suited to them.
By drawing on all of these perspectives, rather than relying solely on one approach, we are able to provide a holistic approach to learning, supporting each child as the unique individual they are. As a tight-knit learning community, we at Balmain Care for Kids truly focus on supporting children in their “Belonging, Being and Becoming,” supporting the development of relationships, valuing the special time that is early childhood, and fostering a lifelong love of learning.
Our educational programs are guided by the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework V2. (EYLF) and support children in working towards the five learning outcomes outlined in the EYLF. We strive to support children in developing a sense of belonging, celebrating them being in the now, and working towards them becoming their best selves.
Each room’s educational program is available on our OWNA platform for parents to view, showing the different learning experiences taking place throughout the week. Through OWNA, the program and regular posts from educators will give you a well-rounded view of your child’s engagement in the educational program and their development whilst in our care.
– Georgie Kenny (Educational Leader of Balmain Care for Kids)
Balmain Care for Kids is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for its staff, children, families, and visitors. We strive to make our workplace as free of predictable risks as is reasonably practical while remaining true to our vision and mission. We aim to go beyond compliance with all relevant legislation and work towards best practice to ensure a safe work environment. Our organisation is committed to continuous improvement in all areas of workplace health, safety, and wellbeing.
We provide an environment that encourages children to effectively learn in play which involves supporting them to take risks. It is important for children’s development to become adventurous and participate in opportunities to explore and test their own capabilities, manage risk, and to grow as capable, resourceful, and resilient people.
We have a designated ‘Child Safety & Compliance Officer’, Ash, who works in a management role completely off the floor to oversee the compliance of our organisation and ensure the centres meet the Education and Care Services National Regulations & Law, Child Safety Standards, and our Policies and Practices.
Ash has been working at Balmain Care for Kids for over 10 years, in various roles, most recently in this role for the last 3 years. Ash mentors all employees within the organisation to ensure all compliance requirements are met to the highest of standards and provides guidance to educate them on compliance and child safety requirements.
The ever-changing nature of the Early Education sector provides us with the opportunity to continuously update our knowledge and create a safe and caring environment for all children, educators and families, by striving towards continuous improvement, growth and learning.
– Ash Dornan (Child Safety & Compliance Officer of Balmain Care for Kids)
