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Philosophy
At Scribbles and Giggles Child Care Centre we believe in providing
high quality care and education for all our children. We aim to
provide an environment that is homelike, nurturing, stimulating and
safe to all our children and families.
- IN RELATION TO CHILDREN:
We believe that although children share a similar path of
development each child will develop in their own time and in
their own way as unique individuals. Children need to be valued,
supported, protected and have their needs met. They also have the
right to be cared for in an environment that is peaceful, loving,
consistent, and that meets all of their needs.
Therefore in practice we will aim to provide an environment that
is safe and that allows children to explore, grow and develop.
Within this environment all children?s needs of safety,
affection, education and physical needs will be met. Our service
will ensure the inclusion of all children with various needs and
abilities where the resources and physical environment can
adequately cater to these needs.
- IN RELATION TO FAMILIES:
We believe and respect that families come in many forms and that
the role of any parent is a complex one. We also believe that no
one knows their child better than the parent therefore they are
the best source of information and knowledge. This means it is
important to build partnerships with families, to learn from each
other and to meet the needs of not only the child but the whole
family unit.
Therefore in practice we aim to provide a link between home and
care and work in partnership with families to provide the best
possible care for the child as well as meeting the needs of the
family as a whole. All staff develop and maintain open
communication with our families and use families as a source of
information and support and encourage them to take an active role
in their child’s learning and in the centre. Our parents
are viewed as an asset and are therefore encouraged to be
involved in day to day operations, programs, and centre
decisions. We aim to provide a support network to families
utilising our centre and provide them with knowledge, advice and
professional support should this be required.
- IN RELATION TO COMMUNITY:
Children and their families are apart of and contribute to the
wider community so we believe that social interaction and
exposure to culture and community expands children’s
knowledge and development. The more experience children have
learning about diversity, the more understanding they will have
of the world around them,. This will help them to form their own
views and help them adapt to new situations.
Therefore in practice we aim to promote respect for diversity,
culture and individual differences. Staff use every opportunity
to teach children about the community around them and further
develop their awareness of others and the world around
them.
We also believe that children learn partly through observation of
the environment and the people around them. Therefore children
need to be exposed to a variety of social situations and positive
role models that will help them to build an understanding of what
is socially acceptable behaviour within society and the community
around them.
Therefore in practice staff will aim to teach children about what
is expected of them, and what is acceptable within society. They
will offer guidance and be positive role models, modelling
appropriate and socially acceptable behaviour at all times.
- IN RELATION TO PLAY:
We believe that children learn through play, therefore are active
in their own learning. They choose play and activities that
interest them and then learn skills from these experiences. We
believe that children will learn more from something that they
are interested in playing with rather than something they are
told to do, so they should be able to freely choose which play
experiences they use. Play should be based on experimentation,
natural curiosity, exploration and children’s
interests.
Therefore in practice staff aim to provide children with
opportunities for free play and exploration and create a balance
between teacher led learning and children’s ideas. We aim
to create an environment where teachers do not always decide what
to teach but rather help children develop projects around their
own ideas, interests and play. Staff will listen to their ideas
and observe their interests to expand on their play experiences.
They will include activities that further develop their knowledge
and skills through their own ideas as well as their own.
- IN RELATION TO THE PROGRAM:
We believe that the program should be a balance between
developmental and cognitive growth as well as children’s
interests, imagination and creativity. Children are active in
their own learning so therefore the program should reflect
teacher guided learning as well as be flexible to include
children’s own ideas about what they want to learn and how.
Teachers should not always decide what to teach but rather help
children to extend on their own ideas.
Therefore in practice we aim to provide a program that balances
developmental needs with children’s need to express
themselves through imagination, creativity and spirituality.
Staff will challenge children to explore and experiment with
their own ideas while guiding them in a way of learning from this
curiosity. They will also use their own ideas and knowledge to
initiate children’s thinking and encourage them to learn
through everyday experiences as well as providing opportunities
for developmentally appropriate play. We respect each
child’s culture and its values, which we incorporate into
out multicultural and anti bias program.
All activities planned are age and stage appropriate and reflect
each child’s development.
- IN RELATION TO THE ROLE OF THE CAREGIVER:
We believe that children need to build positive relationships
with caregivers and that this is a fundamental element in the
development of the child. Children learn best when they are
listened to, responded to and cared for with affection. The role
of the caregiver is to build this relationship and to provide
nurturing, support and stimulation to enhance each child’s
developmental journey.
We believe that children need positive guidance, role modelling
and honest feedback from caregivers to build an understanding of
the world around them that is free from bias and accepting of
diversity.
We believe that caregivers have a responsibility to the child and
family to meet their needs and provide support with the
child’s best interests as the caregivers guiding
principle.
Therefore in practice staff aim to build positive relationships
with children based on trust and understanding. Staff will meet
children’s basic needs with care, nurturing and affection.
They will model appropriate behaviour and reflect on their own
beliefs to create and environment free from judgement and bias
and accept diversity, difference and individuality. At all times
staff will use the children’s best interests as their
guiding principle.
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