OUR PHILOSOPHY
Goals and Beliefs
ECCC has the following goals and beliefs that underpin the philosophy of the Centre:
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Children learn through play. We believe in providing opportunities for children to explore and make discoveries through play and encourage autonomy, initiative, independence and cooperation. The learning journey of each child is a unique adventure;
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Children should be nurtured, educated and cared for in a warm, stable and secure environment;
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We believe that family involvement is vital. We believe that best practice pedagogy is based on the needs, interest and desires of children, families and educators working cooperatively together;
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All children, families and educators should be treated equitably and inclusively, with their cultures, unique personalities and varying needs acknowledged and valued;
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The ECCC environment should support and strengthen family relationships, fostering a deep sense of security, trust, acceptance and respect for others;
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We value the natural environment. Educators incorporate sustainable practices into their pedagogy and use of resources. Encouraging children to respect the environment and be conscious of how it effects their lives will help them feel that they are part of the ecology around them and become wise users of this planet;
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The National Early Years Learning Framework and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework are best practice tools in guiding our pedagogy and a valuable framework to document children’s learning and development;
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The National Quality Framework helps us continuously improve and our Policies and Procedures guide the daily operational activities at the Centre and ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children, families and educators;
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We recognize the need for an active exchange of information between families and educators and the Parent Management Committee, both informally and formally.
Our Centre Commitment to Child Safety
Eltham Childcare Cooperative is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This is the primary focus of our care and decision making.
Our Service is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children is always maintained whilst being educated and cared for by educators and staff at Eltham Childcare Cooperative. We promote a child safe environment that minimises the risk to all children in our care from all types of abuse, harm, and neglect. We understand our responsibilities and statutory duty of care to adopt and comply with the National Principles of Child Safe Organisations and the Reportable Conduct Scheme to build our capacity as an organisation to prevent and respond to allegations of child abuse.
Eltham Childcare Cooperative is committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Particular attention will be paid to cultural safety of Aboriginal children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with disability.
Our staff carry out their responsibilities as mandatory reporters as required by law under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection Act 1998) and maintain up to date with knowledge of child protection law and child protection training.
Our staff are recruited through an extensive screening process to ensure they display the right personal qualities and experiences to provide high quality supervision and care to child in addition to holding a validated Working with Children Check. Every person involved in our centre has a responsibility to understand the importance and specific role he/she plays, individually and collectively, to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.
Eltham Childcare Cooperative has zero tolerance for child abuse. We have a zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour towards children and any breach of child protection law. Any allegation or concern will be responded to promptly by management. We request that you contact our Nominated Supervisor if you have any concerns. 94397470 or office@elthamchildcarecooperative.org.au
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Learning through play
We believe that children are intuitive, skilful and capable learners, who learn through play. Children approach play and learning opportunities in a variety of different ways and express their discoveries in different ways too. Thus, Educators provide a mix of indoor and outdoor environments which offer opportunities for active learning through exploration, experimentation and decision making and problem solving. Our Centre offers a large and stimulating outdoor environment and our indoor environments offer a variety of different age-appropriate learning and play opportunities, which feature the use of natural and sustainable resources.
Belonging
Children learn best when they develop a strong sense of belonging through secure attachments with their families and educators. Educators strive to achieve this. All our Educators participate in the observation of children’s learning, which results in a rich tapestry of perspectives about each child’s learning journey. They include the children’s voice and perspectives which guide their programing and pedagogy, and are passed back to families through direct communication, through each Room’s Daily or Weekly Journal and the children’s own Learning Journals.
Wellbeing and Equity
We provide a warm, stable and secure environment where the health and wellbeing of each child is protected and nurtured. At ECCC we acknowledge that wellbeing is not just about safety but also about children’s holistic experience and we view child care as an opportunity to provide an experience that enriches a child’s life, and create a positive and strong learning and social foundation for their journey through the education system. Educators and families work together to ensure a safe environment is provided for the children at all times. All children are included in the learning program and Educators commit to high expectations for all children’s learning and development whilst acknowledging children’s varying needs. Educators recognise that every child can learn, but some children require different opportunities and supports to do this. To achieve this, Educators work with families to support children’s learning and development, both at home and in the community.
ECCC has an active relationship with other children’s services including local schools and other child care centres, children’s health professionals, and Inclusion Support Facilities. These relationships help facilitate seamless transitions within and across services and work collaboratively to provide holistic approaches for each child. We respect the privacy and confidentiality of all children, families and Educators at all times.
Family involvement, the Parent Management Committee and the Community
ECCC is a culturally inclusive environment and family involvement in the Centre is encouraged at all levels. Educators acknowledge, respect and support the values of families and understanding of their children to participate in shared decision making about each child’s learning journey. Educators provide feedback to families about children’s learning journeys through a variety of different means.
The Parent Management Committee, educators and families are committed to actively communicating and consulting with each other with respect to the operations and decision making processes surrounding the Centre. Decisions are made in the best interest of the children and these decisions are communicated and implemented through the Centre’s policies and procedures which are available to all stakeholders to access.
ECCC encourages participation from the broader community in learning opportunities for our children through a range of incursions and the involvement of our children in community events.
Participation in the community strengthens children’s sense of identity and wellbeing.
Code of Conduct
To ensure that the philosophy and goals and beliefs of the Centre are upheld, it is essential that all families, educators and management, volunteers and other stakeholders agree to behave responsibly at all times, operating in the best interest of children attending the Centre. All members and visitors at the Centre are expected to be helpful, respectful, courteous, sensitive, tactful and considerate. They will be conscious that their behaviour provides a role model for the children. They will also respect the privacy of all members of the Centre at all times.