Early Edition Winter 2014

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2014

IT’SCONFERENCE TIME25-27 JULY 2014 GOLD COAST

Building the Dream Team

Breaking the cycle of chaos

10 Points to help manage your day

childcareqld.org.au

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Childcare Queensland

Location: 11/6 Vanessa Boulevard, Springwood

Mailing: PO Box 137, Springwood QLD 4127

Telephone: (07) 3808 2366

Fax: (07) 3808 2466

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MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Disclaimer: Articles published in this magazine are published as a service to readers and should not be substituted for specific advice in relation to any issue. While advertising in this magazine is encouraged, Childcare Queensland accepts no responsibility for the contents of the advertisements. Advertisements are accepted in good faith and liability for advertising content, goods or services supplied is the responsibility of the advertiser.

Cover Photo: Snug and warm in the first days of Winter.

Contents

Message from the CQ President 2

Message from the CQ Chief Executive Officer 3

Dare to Be Exceptional - Lighting the Flame and Keeping it Burning 4

How to help children develop positive self-talk 5

Building the dream team 6

Breaking the cycle of chaos 8

My leadership learning journey 12

Educator in profile 14

5 reasons why you want raving fans in your centre 15

10 Points to help manage your day 16

The A,B,C,D,E,F,G of assessment and rating 18

Associate member directory 20

Childcare Queensland Office

General Manager James Blake

Senior Office Administrator Jen Smyth

Executive

President Peter Price

Vice President John Keast

Treasurer Jae Fraser

Secretary Debra North

CEO Gwynn Bridge

Committee Members

Linda Davies

Majella Fitzsimmons

Kerrie Lada

Christine Mayer

Brent Stokes

Prue Turnbull

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND News - WINTER 2014

11CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2014

When constructing a building, we often think of all the work that goes into the visible aspects – the concrete slab, the walls, and the roof. What we often fail to acknowledge is the importance of strong foundations.

Without good foundations, the rest of the building is unstable. It is the foundation that provides the stability and longevity of the building - particularly if the building is placed under any type of stress. In short, we get a better building when it is constructed on good foundations.

As educators we need to see the ECEC sector in the same light. It is the foundation on which the rest of our educational journey is built. As a community we will get better educational outcomes for our children when their learning is built on strong foundations such as the programs offered by ECEC services.

ECEC establishes the foundations of our ‘life skills’ such as developing a positive attitude, teamwork, co-operation and working with others, constructive use of the imagination, perseverance and determination, pride in work, communication, acceptance of diversity and a multi-cultural society, recognising opportunities, setting goals, facing challenges, coping with change, and many more.

I believe our communities would be vastly different if all of these skills had been built in early childhood when our current leaders were 3 or 4 years old. We’ve had to do it the hard way but we now have the opportunity to give a better start to our children.

Over half of everything that we learn during our lifetime happens in the first 5 years, and the ground-rules are set then for much of the remainder. It is critical that our educators and our parents, as well as other sectors of the community, work together as a team to make these years as rewarding as possible for our children.

My aim is to give all of our children the best possible start in life. We must put everything we can into our children’s first five years of ‘foundation’ building to ensure a stable and long lasting ‘structure’ of a citizen in the years to come. The pursuit of quality costs everybody, but the pursuit of quality has no finish line.

Perhaps the greatest positive step in recent times has taken place with the Australian Government making the decision to invest the remainder of the $300 million Early Years Quality Fund (EYQF) into the Long Day Care Professional Development Programme (LDCPDP) for all educators in our sector.

There has been so much pressure placed on educators and approved providers by the NQF, primarily to increase quality of progressing and services to children and families.

We should all be grateful that this government has recognised that support is needed in all centres and that the pursuit of quality is worth investing in properly. Unfortunately, some providers who received money under the EYQF have wasted it by providing lump sum wage supplements. This is a short-sighted approach, a waste of taxpayer’s money and a feeble attempt to improve workforce retention.

The sector has been given an opportunity that we must not waste. It is not a gift or a bonus but an opportunity that we must respond to as a collective. We must use the funding to

improve the way we operate; the way we educate and the way we service our communities. This is an opportunity that will support us on our pursuit for greater professionalism in long day care. If we fail, we will be criticised for wastage and self-interest.

Professionalism is not a simple transaction. You can’t pay for it. It needs to be developed systemically and supported over the longer term. For approved providers and educators, this is our responsibility and we should expect it from ourselves. Being more professional is about being responsible and setting higher expectations for ourselves.

It is important in this period we are also not taken advantage of by providers of trainers and suppliers of resources. We must be prudent to ensure prices are not inflated, promises are not overstated and training actually meets the ambitions for quality that we are pursuing.

The most important aspect of LDCPDP is that funding will be spent on educators in a way that ultimately delivers better outcomes for children. Yes, educators will achieve greater knowledge and satisfaction from delivering improved educational programs, but it is the children and their families who will receive the long-lasting benefit.

Importantly, this programme has the potential to lay strong foundations and continue to build the professionalism and effectiveness of our services in the community.

Peter Price President

Message from the CQ President

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) and construction have a lot in common...

2

Message from the CQ Chief Executive Officer

All sectors agree that the current funding model has substantially devalued over the past 10 years causing hardship and reduction of workforce participation of families with your children. This combined with the costs of implementation of the NQF have played a part in the situation we now face with families reducing attendance due to financial hardship. Queensland ECEC fees are amongst the lowest in Australia which indicates that our services have absorbed costs to assists families and their children throughout these years.

The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) committee facilitated three days of advocacy in Canberra in March. The points that were raised with 27 Members of Parliament were:

• affordability pressures on families

• vulnerable and disadvantaged families

• workforce Issues (including concerns regarding VET training)

• planning and viability, including occupancy levels

• red tape regulatory burden.

Whilst ECEC has been affected in the 2014-2015 Federal Budget, we are mindful of the fact that the PC report is almost due and was a factor in changes being considerably less than would have otherwise been expected. These changes will impact on families by the freezing of the income thresholds on eligibility for Child Care Benefit. The rebateable hourly fee will continue to be indexed and we understand will increase to over $4 in July. From discussion I have had with government, this freeze on the income thresholds will have low impact initially but we believe that if it were to continue for four years (without a change in

funding model resulting from the PC report) we will see subsidies affecting more families as they move to higher thresholds. Child Care Rebate has not been affected. JETFA families will be restricted to 36 hours per week with a different fee structure.

The good news of the year is the release of the Long Day Care Professional Development (LDCPDP) Funds. Through the ACA we advocated strongly that the funds under the former model Early Years Quality Fund be distributed equally to all educators. In tight economic times in our country, we are thankful to the Australian Government that these funds have been allocated to our educators for their professional development. Services will receive considerable funding and CQ is assembling workshops throughout the state to ensure that you can access meaningful professional development delivered by quality ECEC specialists at a reasonable cost.

CQ facilitated a meeting to address the funding agreement for the LDCPDP. A webinar was also held the next morning with delegates Australia wide linked in.

We have also seen some positive outcomes from our red tape submission with the streamlining of the requirements for Certified Supervisors, the continuation of the 3 month period prior to signing a new employee to a course of study, extending timeframe for teachers working towards qualification to 2018, relaxation on time for QIP to be sent to regulatory authority for new services and extension of the rest pause provisions in Queensland.

During this period I attended a number of meetings as CEO of CQ and President of ACA. These meeting included:

• OECEC on regulatory issues

• Australian Skills Quality Authority on vocational training

• National Children’s Services Forum

• Assistant Minister Sussan Ley

• Opening of Acorn East Bundaberg

• Guild Group Melbourne

• Lobby Days Canberra 24 – 26th March 2014

• Senate Inquiry Melbourne

• PEDS training and information session

• CEO of C&K

• LNIRC – Legislative and National Reform Committee – Queensland Government

We also made submissions to the following:

• Productivity Commission

• •Senate Inquiries on workforce Issues and affordability

• A combined application for funding was lodged for by CQ, QCAN and FDC Queensland (unsuccessful)

• Tender for AEDI project (unsuccessful)

Our CQ office now is an intense hive of activity as we gear up for the commencement of our College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE). CQ is an extremely strong State Association and we will continue to provide advocacy, support and resources to our growing membership.

Gwynn Bridge Chief Executive Officer

he Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sectors across Australia are anxiously awaiting the release in July of the Productivity Commission’s (PC) draft report into Childcare and Early Childhood Learning


In today’s chaotic world where constant change is the norm and there is an overabundance of parenting information at our finger tips - ‘childhood’ is being threatened. The role of early years’ educators to ensure that children get high quality care while still being allowed to experience play based, child centred, respectful and responsive care is even more important than ever. The ‘push down’ of formalized learning is of particular concern for all ECE’s as is the tsunami of technology that is sweeping homes, schools and child care services.

There has been a significant increase in the number of children suffering from anxiety and stress related illnesses and hyper-sensitive behaviours. The modern world has created environments that have helped overload children’s stress regulating systems – and being aware of how to reduce some of the stressful events in children’s lives will help reduce stress and anxiety. Creating calm, safe environments for young children is now even more important than it has ever been before and the need to help parents build resilience in children is yet another challenge in this modern world.

Exceptional early years’ educators realise that every student matters, no matter what. Fortunately the NQF (based on the EYLF) values all children and thankfully this holistic framework has a clear goal of ensuring every child has the best possible start in life. Given the additional challenges that exist in today’s world early years’ educators need to be exceptionally competent to ensure young children grow healthy on all levels, maybe more so than ever.

In my research of exceptional, stand-out educators I have found there seems to be 6 characteristics that they have in common.

Six Keys to Exceptional Teaching

1. Be interesting and play well;

2. Help students to find their strengths and talents;

3. Teach them how the brain works;

4. Practise “kaizen” – continual self-improvement;

5. Have the courage to care and connect; and

6. Believe in the highest potential for yourself and your students.

When educators combine passion, enthusiasm, knowledge and high positive expectations then the result for everyone will be something special and exceptional. Interestingly, every educator had an exceptional teacher somewhere in their life that somehow sowed the seed of possibility. Who influenced you?

Our highest duty is to help students believe in themselves and to discover their strengths and talents – whether they be academic, physical, musical, interpersonal, artistic, linguistic or spiritual. With some students, that can be really tough. Having a strengths focus rather than a deficit focus can really help a child grow to become ‘more’.

Remember that we are biologically wired to belong because we are human beings. Once we belong we strive to be worthwhile. Imagine that there is an invisible sign pinned to every child’s chest that reads: “Show me that I matter, that I have some value – please”.

If we can do this, we offer that gift which only charismatic adults can offer and which shines a light of hope within that can ignite great things within our young people.

Exceptional early years’ educators change lives for the better. Many people have no idea of the complexity of early child development and that you do so much more than care for children. So next time someone asks you what you do – put your shoulders back and tell them one of these;

• I am a highly skilled social engineer working in the field of human potential ensuring the world becomes a better place.

• I am a dedicated professional working in the art of positive “people making” to create a world full of opportunity, abundance and peace for all.

• I am privileged to work with the most sacred people on earth – children, and I make a positive difference often to allow them to become the best person they can be.

Dare to Be Exceptional - Lighting the Flame and Keeping it Burning

The legacy of a teacher lasts a lifetime. Unfortunately this well-known adage works both ways and the legacy of a toxic or incompetent teacher lasts just as long as that of an exceptional teacher.

Maggie Dent

4at the 2014 Conference

COME &

SEE ME

We can help children develop positive self-talk by descriptively encouraging, that is, consciously noticing and mentioning the characteristics and behaviours that we want to see in children.

“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” Lady Bird Johnson

Descriptive encouragement recognises effort and improvement, shows appreciation for contributions, accepts children for what they are now, and focuses on strengths.

Some ways to use descriptive encouragement include:

• Using a positive tone of voice – sound pleased;

• Being specific;

• With teenagers and adults use a quieter voice and more subtle phrases; and

• Recognise the act, not the actor. The contribution, not the result. The activity not the product.

You can describe:

1. Strengths / achievements ‘I like the way you asked Andrew what he wanted to play when he came over.’

2. Effort ‘You tried and tried to put your shoes on and didn’t give up. You gave it your best shot.’

3. Qualities of character - develops a positive self- image. ‘You remembered everything you needed for our trip to the park. I can see you are improving at getting yourself ready.’

This is my favourite way of using descriptive encouragement, if there is a characteristic that you would like your child to develop, then noticing and mentioning when you do see evidence of it, helps them develop that characteristic so much faster.

Unfortunately, because the opposite or negative characteristic makes us more uncomfortable, that is what we often notice and mention. Take whingeing for example, parents notice and mention whingeing a lot. What is the opposite of whingeing? It could be asking for what you want in your normal voice. Notice when they do ask for what they want in a normal voice and make a fuss of that instead.

It is not easy, but it is very important, to encourage even if the child misbehaves.

Telling off doesn’t work as well, it usually just makes the child (and you) more upset.

Learning to behave properly is a long process. It is unrealistic to expect children to suddenly change. If every little step in the right direction is encouraged, more and more little steps will follow.

Encouraging when a child is misbehaving can seem unnatural or even wrong, as we have often been used to giving negative attention to misbehaviour for years. It will take a while for this habit to change completely. The more descriptive encouragement is practiced, the easier it will be and the sooner the new skill or behaviours will be mastered.

How:

1. When a child who sometimes hits now only shouts, you could say ‘even though you are angry, you are not hitting. Your self - control is improving.’

2. With a child who complains a lot, you could say ‘This is the first time I heard you complaining today. Yesterday you complained much more. You are learning how to get what you want without complaining.’

If we can learn to communicate effectively with children, our language can be used to motivate and activate the potential of children, increase self-confidence, self-mastery and independence. It can also be used to diffuse difficult situations, to change the mood and atmosphere of a negative situation to a positive one quickly. The major benefit is that relationships between you and your children can easily become calmer and easier.

Rudyard Kipling said, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

How to help children develop positive self-talk

Meg Parkinson, Thrive Parenting


at the 2014 Conference

COME &

SEE ME

A team is one of the primary - if not the primary - drivers of success for your operation. Pick the right team and you’re bound to increase your odds of succeeding. Pick the wrong individuals and everything tends to go pear shaped pretty quickly. We all know that most families choose/or remain at a service because of the educators.

Building a team is paramount to your success, yet so many managers/approved providers compromise on this at the very first hurdle. We find it hard to find the right people, so we just hire any type of individual. Especially in our industry when it is often difficult to find anyone, let alone the perfect person, so we often settle for anything.

That’s probably the biggest mistake you can make.

Be selective and exclusive in whom you add to your team. Consider not adding someone rather than adding someone that isn’t a good fit for what you’re hoping to achieve. Simply adding bodies for the sake of it or to meet regulation, doesn’t help and it only decreases your signal-to-noise ratio, and in the end, will make your work harder and take longer to achieve your goals.

Once you know who you want on your dream team, the next and probably longest step is actually building it, and this is where you’ll need a big dose of patience, creativity and persistence. One approach that can work well is the use of trainees or interns/Prac students (where possible). Rather than trying to locate highly-targeted, highly qualified educators (which often isn’t the most successful method), source to find ambitious, creative students, fresh new employees who are studying to go into

the different lines of the Education and Care sector. This won’t be the solution for every centre, but a great starting point to be able to mould and guide your employees to be what you want them to be as they learn in the field.

Not only does this approach help find motivated, talented and specialised support for your business, it also helps you find prospective permanent hires who are being both trained and screened as we go.

Building a dream team for your small business is possible, if you know the goals you’re trying to achieve and then find creative ways to fill the gaps and find support. While I can say that building a team hasn’t been the easiest part of running our business, it has certainly opened my mind to new possibilities for growth and improvement. Managing people is one of the toughest things we face but ever so rewarding when all the hard work pays off and your goals are met and your team is achieving amazing things.

Hiring educators and directors can be a gamble. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Sometimes the best candidate isn’t the one actively looking for a job, and you need to learn some clever techniques to hire that passive employee.

The only way to get better is to learn through experience. You learn the key things to look for in people that will tell you they’ll be a solid, long-term employee. If you’re just starting out and haven’t racked up a few years under your belt, here are some tips to help you build a winning team to grow your business.

Identify Your Needs

Running a child care business is a lot like running a football team. They’re constantly looking for ways to improve their squads, and the first thing they do is evaluate what they need. If they lack outside shooting and defensive toughness, they create strategies to address those needs with their available resources. The teams that do the best job of addressing deficiencies are the ones that win the Grand Final.

Take a good, hard look at your current team of employees. What are you missing? How can you get what you need with your available resources?

Hire on Culture, Not Qualifications (if you can)

The person with the right qualifications isn’t always your best choice. The single most important aspect of your business is your culture, and you should consistently look for team members who evoke, maintain and build your current culture. If your environment is fast-paced, upbeat and communicative, you probably shouldn’t hire someone who is slow to act and lacks social skills — even if he/she does really good work. And in the Education and Care sector just finding a person with a qualification is often a forced desperation decision rather than a selection process.

When you really have a team that gets along, they’re happier, and happier teams always do better work. When you’re doing culture screenings, ask questions that get down into their personality. One of my favourite interview questions is “Tell me a story”, or “sing me a song”. It forces people to think on their feet and you learn about them personally. You could also use personality tests to help screen new hires.

Building the dream team

Building the perfect team in your Education and Care Service is not an easy task and it often takes many years to get the “dream team”.

Jae Fraser, G8 Education

6

Engage and Motivate

Once you have hired the perfect people for your team, the real work begins. Lots of centre directors and approved provider recruit and let them go to it. It’s easy to understand why. Business owners/centre directors are almost always pressed for time. That’s why you hire people in the first place: to do stuff that needs to be done that you don’t have time to do. It is critical that you spend time outlining your expectations and setting the goals and limits right from the start.

If you don’t make a serious effort to show your employees that you notice and appreciate their work, you run the risk that they will lose interest and motivation and ultimately lose them. Most employees crave feedback, even negative feedback, as long as it comes from somebody they believe is trying to help them improve. Sincere praise for a

job well done can go a long way toward building a strong relationship of trust.

Another good motivating factor is competition. Setting challenges and incentives to achieve goals and go above and beyond to create something special for their classroom or KPI’s for their centre, and when they do, they’re rewarded. Your employees are working hard for you, so reward them every now and then when they’ve exceeded your expectations.

Set Clear Expectations

People are smart and hard working. They want to succeed. They want to feel they are contributing to something bigger than themselves. It’s your job to lay out a compelling vision and clear expectations. How do you want your centre to be seen in the community – make them a part of this.

Make sure each person on your team has individual goals and know how they relate to the company’s overall objectives. Give them your well-defined guidelines and any necessary resources. Communicate small victories, policy changes and company events with all employees so they feel they are part of the team and remain committed to its success.

The best football teams have one goal every season: to win the championship. And everybody on the team, from the front office to the coaching staff to the players and even the trainers, knows it.

Are you ready to build your own winning team?



COME &

SEE ME

Sometimes things don’t always go to plan in our day and we feel like we have chased our tail and ended up nowhere.

Upon reflection, some of this could be rising from our approach to planning for play-based learning and the environment we set up. In some cases, play-based learning is interpreted as ‘let the kids loose all day with all the toys, and hover around looking busy’ (Auntie Annie’s Childcare, 2011).

Play-based learning isn’t an excuse for a free for all. One service’s interpretation of play-based learning is a:

“Child-based programming and prepared intentional teaching, always flexible and reflecting the children’s interests and needs, but in a climate of carefully considered structure and close respectful supervision of free play”

(Auntie Annie’s Childcare, 2011).

It may be worth considering the following ideas to assist with the planning process and to alleviate that feeling of chaos……..

Make a list of the areas you are having most difficulty with from the most challenging to those that are an issue but not as challenging.

Now work on strategies to improve the first item on the list. It may take time for you to see improvements but as you work your way down the list, the strategies you have put in place to solve the most challenging issues will have filtered down to assist with other issues on your list.

Step back and look critically at your environment. Get on your knees and enter the room to see it from a child’s perspective.

Ask yourself some questions. Is the space inviting? Is it interesting? Does it call out, come and play, investigate and discover? Are the displays up high for adult’s attention and not at a level where children can “read” and interact with?

Are there choices to encourage independent play – building on the child’s feelings of self-worth and confidence?

Do the children in the Kindy group know “how to play”? Do you need to start from the basics and gradually build on the children’s knowledge, understanding and strengths?

Think about how you believe children learn, what theories of child development this meets and if you are reflecting this in your environment.

Do the children have much input over their environment or do you feel that you need to be in constant control?

Let go!

The more that children’s suggestions regarding their environment are fostered and included, the more they will feel empowered to use the play space respectfully, feel confident to make choices and self-regulate what happens in the play space.

If they have decided how many children can comfortably play in a space they have created, they will soon let you know if there are too many and enforce the rule they have made for that area.

Do you converse with children constantly as individuals, small and large groups to engage with them and find out what they know and are interested in? This will assist in creating an environment that is truly meaningful for them.

At all times be mindful of the fact that these are just some ideas or questions to consider and they may not suit all environments, educators, children and families. You may not need or want to use the ideas in their entirety but instead choose the parts that suit you best and adapt them to your circumstances. This will ensure that what you plan and implement at your service is catering to the individual needs of all stakeholders.

In the last issue, we explored ways of how to create order from the chaos in a play-based environment, but what happens if you are already experiencing some “chaos” within your play-based environment?

Linda McConville, Kindergarten Advisory Support Service (KASS)

Breaking the cycle of chaos

8


COME &

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9Proudly funded and supported by the Queensland Government

Connect now at www.kass.net.au

engage with one another to

share challenges and successes

discuss programming

ideas

make professional connections

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Existing ECT Networks: ✔ Bayside

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✔ South Burnett

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✔ Sunshine Coast

✔ Toowoomba

✔ Townsville

Are you a part of an Early Childhood Teacher Network?Early Childhood Teacher Networks or ECT Networks provide an opportunity for early childhood teachers and long day care services offering an approved kindergarten program to:

Not already a part of an ECT Network? KASS can help you connect with a network in your area, contact us on

1300 4 KINDY or email [email protected]

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I started as a trainee, worked in various roles within services, studied part time along the way, while also having my family, and finally completed my Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.

I recently made the transition from Kindergarten Teacher into managing two services in Bundaberg, Queensland for LEAD Childcare. I have always been passionate about teaching, so the transition led me to constantly reflect on my beliefs about Early Childhood Education and in particular, leadership. As an Early Childhood Teacher I promoted children’s being, becoming and belonging through the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines (QKLG). I believe this is also true of leading educators in my services.

Allowing staff to be who they are and value their individual contributions, cultures and experiences allows them to have ownership over their service..

Providing staff the opportunity to learn and grow and participate in their own learning journey allows staff to become.

Creating a respectful team with a sense of fun creates a sense of belonging.

At first I felt that stepping out of the classroom was difficult. Not being able to directly influence and guide the children’s learning on a daily basis took time to get used to. But by applying the principles of the EYLF to my new role, I found that I am still involved in the learning experiences the children have in my services through allowing educators to be, become and belong.

My number one tool on my leadership journey is critical reflection.

I document my learning regularly and by doing this I have identified some key questions and I’m sure this list will continue to grow and grow!

Am I an advocate for children, families, educators and the early childhood industry and professional standards?

By allowing children, families and staff to have a voice, to listen to their voice and to take action, I am advocating for their rights and needs.

By following current research, attending professional developments, promoting best practice and sharing this information, I am advocating for the early childhood industry.

I have had the pleasure of participating in the Bundaberg Early Childhood Teachers network in conjunction with Kindergarten Advisory Support Service which is a fantastic way to share and advocate best practice and placing an importance and value on ECTs in Long Day Care.

Am I a facilitator of learning and communication?

Through action I become a facilitator.

By empowering and providing the tools for children and educators to find out for themselves, I am facilitating.

By providing for and guiding professional conversations I am facilitating communication.

Professional conversations are a great tool in my services, either at team

meetings, or in everyday routines. Sometimes the best professional conversations occur in the lunch room where educators can share their ideas with each other. These discussions often build their confidence.

Do I have clear expectations?

I found that there was not a clear understanding of the National Quality Framework in my services. We were working on a Quality Improvement Plan but some educators were unaware of the principles and practices we were working towards achieving.

How could I then expect educators to meet my expectations when they didn’t understand them?

Together we are now working through the principles and practices and reflecting as a team on our quality improvement. I am now aware that I need my expectations communicated and understood by everybody.

Am I a motivator?

I provide motivation by leading by example.

As part of our Quality Improvement we focused on incorporating sustainable practices in our services. I read about sustainability challenges and= decided that this was what we needed to get everybody involved in creating excitement about sustainable practices.

I took inspiration from someone’s idea and gave each educator an envelope with the challenge of creating an outdoor resource for the playground made from sustainable or recycled materials that cost no more than $10 and a risk assessment (of course). We

Alison Colville has been in the childcare industry for 20 years, starting out as a trainee to now a manager of two childcare services. This is her leadership learning journey.

My leadership learning journey

Alison Colville, LEAD Childcare

12

had already looked at lots of ideas from Pinterest (which by the way is a great place to find inspiration), so this had set the wheels in motion for a highly motivated team excited by their creations, and more importantly excited to see the children interacting with their resources.

This leads me to the most important leadership question of all…

Do I have passion?

Passion is infectious. Without passion you cannot lead. I am fortunate to be passionate about early childhood education and pass this passion on through every aspect of my role as an advocate, facilitator, motivator and leader.

Where to next?

As I continue on my leadership journey with LEAD Childcare, my teams and I will continue to work on quality improvement in preparedness for Ratings and Assessment. I will continue to learn and grow as a leader and I’m sure I will have those bad days along with many good ones. This journey is far from over. What does your journey look like? (See you’re reflecting right now!)


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In this issue, Early Edition profiles Sarah Ho, an early childhood teacher from Brisbane’s north side. She has recently completed her Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and now runs the approved kindergarten program at Mitchelton Childcare Centre.

What is your role?

I am an early childhood teacher in the 3.5 - 4.5 year old group. My role is to run an interest based program in the Kindy room; planning and delivering everyday learning experiences to help each child reach their potential in various learning areas in accordance with the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline.

What does your typical day look like?

Depending on my shift, every week is a little different. I start the morning setting up the playground if I’m on the opening shift, and then supervise the children’s play outside or supervise morning tea inside. At 10am my Kindy students move into our own room and we start our morning group time routine before commencing play time, which consists of student - initiated play as well as specific learning experiences that I plan for the children based on their interests.

Is this your first time in this role or did you move from a different setting?

Yes, I started work here after my graduation. I did, however, complete my practicum in a state school.

How is the long day care setting different from what you thought it would be or from another setting?

Compared to other settings, long day care provides more flexibility in the day and time children attend the service. Some attend five days a week while others, two to four days, all with varied arrival and departure times. These change the dynamics of the group each day as the children see and play with different children on different days.

What were the challenges you faced in your transition? How did you cope with the change of setting?

Prior to long day care I had my practicum in a prep and year one classroom, and as the children attend school every day and there is a fixed schedule in schools, I planned my lessons in advance. In long day care, with the children attending the service on different days and times, I found that I had to change the way I plan my learning experiences. It meant I had to be more flexible and spontaneous in my planning each day. Over time, I found myself able to come up with ideas more spontaneously and I like how this leaves space for other spontaneous teachable moments as we engage in the children’s play and the conversations we have with them.

What support did you receive?

When I first started working in my service, the previous teacher was still in the service to assist me over a period of time before she left, which helped familiarise me with the service’s routine. It also helped that I have supportive directors whom I can talk to about running the room. I also received great support from the Kindergarten Advisory

Support Service (KASS) in the form of professional development workshops, the KASS in-service visiting program, and the ECT network groups. Being able to visit different services through the networking process and having gained a mentor through the process has been invaluable to improving my teaching practice. It’s all about gaining new ideas and perspectives, even more so when you are the only teacher in a service.

How has your involvement in an ECT network been of benefit to you in your role?

The ECT network has been very helpful in providing me with important resources to assist with my teaching. KASS workshops and network groups allowed me to make connections with other ECTs. The ECT networks gave me the opportunity to visit other centres, which a lot of us, as the only ECTS in our services, have expressed the need for. It helps to have others in the profession to share ideas with, and it allows us the opportunity to see how the others run their rooms.

What is the most rewarding aspect about your role?

Being an early childhood teacher allows you to build relationships with many children. The joy, antics, and spontaneous moments add a little colour to your everyday teaching life. I always tell people how every day in my career is different; you never know what to expect. I love to challenge myself to build each child up in their own particular way, be it working on helping them improve their ability to join in play or ask for help, or inspiring them to take an interest in science. It always warms my heart to witness little moments of success in each child. As an ECT, I live for these moments.

As part of the Early Edition magazine, Childcare Queensland is running profiles of early childhood educators from member services to highlight the excellent work that they do for the sector and most importantly, for the children.

Educator in profile

14

They have a strong relationship with you and your team and really value the service you are providing to them and their children. Raving fans don’t just happen; they are created. As owners and directors, you can train your parent base to become the ideal raving fan. They aren’t just someone who is happy with your service and talk about it. They are customers who are so happy that they simply cannot stop selling you on your behalf.

Services who understand the value of developing parents who are raving fans gain a number of benefits from learning this process:

1. Increase in profits:

Every parent who becomes a raving fan reduces the costs involved in conversion rates, ie, sales costs. Phone calls, newspaper advertisements, time talking to enquiries, networking, it all adds up. A raving fan saves your service money because other parents are doing the selling and conversion for you and this in turn, increases your profit.

2. Increase in branding:

When there are a group of parents who are raving about the services you offer, word gets around. As you know, the first reference point for recommendations in the child care industry is often other parents. Parents on family social media pages are always asking for recommendations for child care services and advice is freely given. Raving fans strengthen your branding in the market place reinforcing you as a market leader.

3. Free marketing:

Think of raving fans as free marketing. Walking, talking and networking free marketing. Remember a raving fan is someone who can’t stop selling for you. They talk about you and bring you up in conversation. It’s free word-of-mouth marketing. Learning the skills on how to educate your parents as raving fans is the key so that the right messages are being delivered to the public. As trained customers, they are delivering your message free of charge to the public saving you time and money.

4. Support:

Raving fans will always be the first to support your service. With a great relationship with this clientele, you know you will have support in fundraising efforts and parent helpers. Not only will they help you, they will want to help you. They are almost part of the team and want to see you succeed.

5. They feel valued as clients:

A parent who feels valued and that their needs, and the needs of their children, are being considered is much easier to work with when conflicts or issues arise. They are going to be more open to working with you and create win / win situations for them as parents, their children and the service. They also feel comfortable providing you with open and honest feedback. Feedback is the breakfast of champions and gives you and your team the opportunity to grow in positive ways to increase your delivery in the market place.

Raving fans are the parents who promote your centre with enthusiasm and can’t stop talking about you to others.

5 reasons why you want raving fans in your centre

Kate Osbourne, Leisure Seekers



COME &

SEE ME

10 Points to help manage your day

1. Communicate with individual children using a holistic, positive approach. Be sure to address each child at their developmental level. Every child is individual and distinct.

Taking a holistic approach to communication ensures that you are using all available methods of communication to interact with an individual child or a group of children. As we know from experience, the person receiving the message does not always receive the same message as you intended to deliver. Educators need to have close relationships with each child in their care and therefore must choose to communicate widely to meet these individual needs, using verbal messages, visual cues, body actions, facial expressions, pictures and other choices to ensure that all children are receiving the message intended. Positive communication that is delivered with kindness and respect will increase the impact of the message and inspire and encourage the children to communicate openly and with confidence. Communicate with children – and ensure your face is reflecting what your words are saying.

2. Learn how to relax- the challenges of our role will always be there but when you approach each day with a calm resolve the day flows smoothly and the children respond commendably.

A calm mind is essential to a positive mindset and a happier classroom. It is difficult to model tranquillity and express happiness in our classrooms if our minds are in a tangled mess. When you, as an educator, are stressed and anxious you are often sending a negative message to the children in your care. Their reactions to that message can range from extreme negative behaviour to withdrawal. Children will respond by relating your behaviour to a similar experience they have felt or witnessed in the past. This is certainly not the best way to start your day or to engage the children in a happy and productive environment. Don’t be too hard on yourself and expect that you have to be a “Super hero”. It won’t happen. Know how valuable you are and acknowledge the important role that you are playing in the classroom. Peter Parker had to be bitten by a scientifically modified spider to become Spiderman and gain his

super powers. Try not to measure yourself against others, be comfortable with your life, having expectations that you can attain yet travelling slowly enough to analyse problems that arise and put them through the “level of importance” test.

3. To be supportive of other staff, our families and children. When we provide support to others it is the start of meaningful relationships with others which is the most important part of our role. Being supportive involves actively listening to others without being judgmental.

A dedicated educator of children in their early years is immensely valuable for their dedication, commitment, care, education and support they provide not only to the children, but to all with whom they come into contact with during their day. Educators listen intently each day to many parents, hearing their concerns, sharing in their highs and lows and reassuring them as they go out to fulfil their role in the universe. Educators dedicate their love, thoughts and deeds to the children in their care as they gently encourage and lead them through the most important years of their lives, preparing them for the wonders and difficulties that they will encounter. With colleagues educators demonstrate patience, encouragement, share knowledge and comfort when times are challenging. This builds a strong team with interrelationships that can span a life time. Some days we may not feel as though we have any more to give of ourselves and the rewards may appear to be minute or fleeting. During these times it is important to remember why you chose to be an Early Childhood Educator and most will say it was to make a difference in the lives of the children and their families. Without expecting the positive reinforcement of your actions, be assured that you are making a difference and you may never see the wonderful long term outcomes of your work but you have planted and watered the seeds.

4. To enjoy learning. It is impossible to get others excited about learning if one isn’t excited about learning themselves.

“If we succeed in giving the love of learning, the learning itself is sure to follow” John Lubbock.

Every day we should be open to learn something new. In ECEC services practices and theories have changed considerably over the years and we have learned to adapt and to adopt change. Instilling a love of learning in the children in our care can be something that an educator may struggle with as they engage in their busy day. However, don’t forget the simple joys in looking at the complicated bigger picture. The joy you celebrate with a child as they create a piece of art, learn to walk, write their name or take a calculated risk is modelling the love of learning. With technology available to us today, we are all learning as we research a question asked by a child. No longer can we say we don’t know because we can find out and most times this can be instantly. Learning something new is now even more exciting and something that we can share easily with the children.

5. Manage time efficiently.

Oh! How often a day slips by and all of our good intentions flew by with the ticking of the clock and we have accomplished very little! Managing time efficiently means that you have a plan, you have priorities, are prepared and you anticipate outcomes. If you commence your day without intent and have not reflected on previous practices and outcomes for yourself and the children, there is very little opportunity to be efficient on the run. As you progress through your day, determine not to be distracted by low priority tasks, make jottings onto your planner – for today, tomorrow or in the future. Prioritise these tasks. Communicate with your co-workers as they no doubt have something to add to the plan. We must be flexible with routines whilst encouraging the children to recognise the personal value of a completed task. With every step of your journey, self-discipline and focusing your energies on what you want to achieve will overcome time wastage and with that will come work satisfaction and self-assurance.

Gwynn Bridge, CQ Chief Executive Officer

16

6. Ensure the environment offers a variety of areas that are interesting, stimulating and appropriate for the age of children that you have.

The phrase that the “environment is the third teacher” motivates us to think outside of the normal classroom activities to the indoor and outdoor environments in which the children use to learn through their play. Each environment must provide a safe and healthy play space. Think back to some fond memories you have of your play as a child. Many I am sure will be in the room with no roof – in the outdoor environment. The move to reconnect children with nature has brought with it much excitement as children are now offered stimulating play where they can grow edible gardens, have worm farms, care for small animals and generally experience an overall greening of the environment. What can I do as an educator, if our playground is tired? Think sustainable, low cost, recycled, safe and stimulating. Put the intrigue into the environment with bushes to hide behind, material draped, tires filled with herbs and flowers and very soon the magic will develop. In the indoor environment offer an uncluttered space where children can move easily between areas of interest. Ensure the environments are safe for the children who use them. Families and friends are wonderful resource agencies for old kitchen utensils, household products and garden pots and plants.

7. Have a repertoire of songs and rhymes for spontaneous moments and transitions.

“In the good old days” oh how I hate to say that! – Educators learned during their Diploma studies, a sound selection of transitions, songs, rhymes, circle games and activities to settle, soothe and stimulate etc. We seem to have lost these skills in recent times and we need to ensure that all educators set themselves a task of having a solid collection that they can pull from their memory data bank when needed. In the meantime, source the ones you are comfortable with and have them printed in a folder that you can access quickly. Speak to the more experienced educators in your workplace that have this repertoire and ask

that they share some of their knowledge with you. Very soon you will be confident to use them as they become more familiar. Remember to sing, chant and enjoy rhymes and rhyming words – and don’t be ashamed of your singing voice – children are not judgmental! The children love rhymes and will soon make up delightfully silly sentences that rhyme. Learning nursery rhymes is a strong foundation for memory development.

8. Allow for a flexible routine that caters for individual interests and needs

There appears to be some confusion at the present time with flexibility and routines. We need a routine as certain things do occur naturally for most children during the day e.g. sleep, meal times and children need to have an idea of the timeline of “what’s next” in their day. However some children may be hungry prior to the regular meal time and this is where flexibility in the program works. Hungry children should be permitted to eat – maybe a small snack if your service provides meals or if they bring their own packed lunch, they could choose something to eat from their lunchbox. When children have not finished an activity and it is lunch time, flexibility in the program will allow for the children to have their lunch and leave the activity to return to. Sometimes this does cause concern when things have to be completed by the end of the day but remember that some projects may go on for weeks, so restructure your environment to allow for this to occur. Remember, be calm, relax and manage your time efficiently. If you are too structured and a slave to a routine, stress will generally follow.

9. Always have your mind, eyes, ears open when working with children.

As an Educator you really need to be like the Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood – big ears, big eyes

and thinking on the run! When in charge of children and responsible for their wellbeing, educators cannot allow themselves the privilege of switching off. In the classroom and outdoor environment by being vigilant

you will hear the amazing conversations between/amongst children that will lead you to scaffold on their learning, plan for intentional teachings or further plan an experience for specific children. You may also hear about issues of concern, child protection issues, awareness of adult issues etc. on which you will need to further act. You must see that all children are engaged, safe and not placed in a position where danger could occur. You must be mentally active to pre-empt the next actions that you must take and to recognise the next actions that a child or children may take. Recurring word – Supervision.

10. Be positive, have a sense of humour, laugh, smile and have fun – it’s therapy for us all.

Bringing a positive approach to your day will help you to respond to situations with more flexibility and with more creativity. It can make us more open to different ideas and new experiences, and we are better able to deal with challenges when we have positive emotions. A day in ECEC is a brilliant place to be. Sitting in an office you don’t get to use play dough to make scary spiders, sing funny songs about balancing elephants, get cuddles from the many little people around you, sit on the floor and build a cityscape for the dinosaurs to explore or get out into the fresh air to play in the mud kitchen. Being happy is contagious and it is wonderful to spread it amongst all of your colleagues, children and families. Laugh easily, joke, plan surprises, play and make learning fun. There are times when we are not quite at the point of “hyper happiness” but as educators it is also important to remember that at times we are also actors/actresses because it is vital that children are not exposed to our negativity or moods. Breathe, be positive and keep on having fun.

“Never underestimate the power to change yourself.

Never overestimate your power to change others” H. Jackson Brown Jnr.



COME &

SEE ME

Any assessment of programs, practices, policies and procedures can be daunting. There are some simple things to remember in preparing for your service’s National Quality Standard (NQS) assessment and rating visit that will streamline the process and maximise the opportunities to showcase the quality programs and practices that are occurring in your service every day. The A B C D E F G example is a good place to start.

A - Authenticity

Quality assessment and rating is an opportunity for services to gain valuable feedback and ensure families have access to comparative information about their children’s education and care.

The authorised officer will be looking for examples of typical, authentic practice when visiting the service. They will be looking to see how quality practices are embedded across the program and the service. Chances are, any processes and practices put in place just for the purpose of the visit will be easily identifiable.

B - Be prepared

By undertaking a thorough, open, honest and critically reflective self-assessment, there should be no surprises in the assessment and rating visit. Using the information to develop and implement a comprehensive quality improvement planning process will ensure that you are well placed to meet the NQS and regulatory standards. In addition, breaking down the areas identified for improvement into a series of manageable and achievable steps will substantially increase the service’s likelihood of success.

C - Collaborate

To build ownership and commitment, it is important to involve children, educators, management, families and other key stakeholders in identifying and prioritising strategies and goals for improvement. Collaborating in quality improvement planning, implementation and preparation for the assessment and rating will build understanding of philosophy, values and beliefs that underpin your service’s quality programs, practices and procedures. It will also help to ease tension and clarify expectations for educators, staff, children and families.

Engaging in respectful conversations about how your service’s and educators’ practices have evolved and support quality outcomes for children, is one way of demonstrating the process of critical reflection (Element 1.2.3 of the NQS) and continuous improvement that informs quality practices (Element 7.2.3 of the NQS).

D - Deliver

Deliver a program that is informed by the approved learning frameworks and meets the National Quality Standard and related regulatory standards.

E - Empower

Importantly, be empowered. This is your opportunity to showcase the strengths of your service, so think about what you would like the authorised officer to observe, discuss and sight while at your service.

If you know your children, educators, families and community well and you are implementing a comprehensive quality improvement plan informed by a thorough self-assessment, you will have every reason to be confident in the assessment process.

F - Frameworks

Data from the quarterly snapshot shows services generally find it more difficult to achieve a rating of ‘Meeting’ or ‘Exceeding’ in the standards in Quality Area 1. In particular, services are less likely to meet standard 1.2 which relates to educators being focused, active and critically reflective in designing and delivering the program for each child.

To build understanding, skill and confidence it may be timely to revisit the principle of ongoing learning and reflective practice, outlined in the approved learning frameworks*.

The educators’ guides, Educators Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework and Educators Guide to the Framework for School Age Care also unpack the notion of reflective practice. The Framework in Action is another useful resource that includes educators’ stories and models for practice.

G - Government support

Ministers agreed to operational changes to the assessment and rating process which are being rolled out to speed up the process of assessment and rating. For more information, see the National Quality Standard Assessment and Rating Instrument, the assessment and rating information sheet, FAQs and Mythbusters pages on the ACECQA website.

In addition, the Australian Government is rolling out the Long Day Care Professional Development Programme to assist services to implement the NQF.

Rhonda Livingstone explores the trend data and research, and provides ideas to assist services in the National Quality Framework assessment and rating process.

The A,B,C,D,E,F,G of assessment and rating

Rhonda Livingstone, National Education Leader, ACECQA

* (Early Years Learning Framework, page 13, Framework for School Age Care, page 11).

18

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Use your LDCPDP and Book Now! Did you know you can use funding from the Long Day Care Professional Development Programme (LDCPDP) for registrations at the 2014 Childcare Queensland Conference? Did you know you can also claim travel and accommodation costs?

Book now to make sure you and your team don’t miss out on the best value for money childcare conference in Australia:

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2014 ConferencePEOPLE, PURPOSE AND PASSION

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Associate member directory

Company Contact Location Contact No Website

Accountants

Bentleys Chartered Accountants Patrice Sherrie Brisbane 07 3222 9777 www.bentleys.com.au

Architects

Jardine Architects Greg Jardine Brisbane 07 3229 9322 www.jardinearchitects.com.au

Banks

ANZ Business Bank Lyn Lange Brisbane 07 3228 3157 www.anz.com

BankWest Gary Douglas Brisbane 07 3004 9745 www.bankwest.com.au

Suncorp Business Bank Greg Harnell Rocklea 07 3249 1231 www.suncorpbank.com.au

Brokers

Benchmark Lincoln Bridge Robina Town Centre 07 5562 2711 www.childcare4sale.com.au

Graeme Pettit Graeme Pettit Benowa 0421 289 818 www.harcourts.com.au

Queensland Childcare Sales Linda Harley Pacific Paradise 07 5450 5497 www.queenslandchildcaresales.com.au

Consultancy/Management

Absolute Support, Training & Resources Darlene Wadham Twin Waters 0488 666 455 www.absolutesupport.com.au

Affinity Education Group Fiona Alston Biggera Waters 07 5500 9417 www.affinityeducation.com.au

All Kids Childcare Services Pty Ltd Lisa Clayton Murrarie 07 3129 6500 NONE

Churches of Christ Care Cathy Kennedy Brookfield 07 3327 1681 www.cofcqld.com.au

EYLFmadeeasy.com.auBrenda Abbey, Pam Maclean

Mooloolaba 07 5444 5660 www.eylfmadeeasy.com.au

Guardian Early Learning Group Helen Baker Spring Hill 07 3832 7933 www.guardianchildcare.com.au

Impressions Childcare Management Jeanine Scull Carindale 07 3393 9185 www.icmanagement.com.au

Kids and Adults Learning Annette Cunado Northgate 1300 783 880 www.kal.net.au

Maximise Childcare Consultancy Conny Reardon Paddington 0438 783 784 www.maximiseconsult.com.au

NumeroPro Diane Girvin Gold Coast MC 07 5592 5800 www.kidsoftmanagement.com.au

Total Childcare Solutions John Wall Geebung 07 3632 1127 www.totalchildcaresolutions.com.au

Food & Nutrition

Little Tummy Tucker Too Pty Ltd Dinah Pheros Red Hill 07 3217 6649 www.littletummytucker.com.au

Yummies for Little Tummies Natalie Lawson Sumner 07 3161 8063 www.yummiesforlittletummies.com.au

Insurance Services

The Guild Group Peter Jarrett West End 07 3230 8500 www.guildgroup.com.au

Legal

Porta Lawyers Giovanni Porta Geebung 07 3265 3888 www.portalawyers.com.au

20

Company Contact Location Contact No Website

Payment Solutions

Ezidebit Pty Ltd Ryan Brough Newstead 07 3124 5500 www.ezidebit.com.au

Playground Equipment / Surfacing

Ausplay Surfacing and Shade Matt Ware Wacol 07 3879 4444 www.ausplay.net.au

Sure-Play Pty Ltd Julian Thomas Brisbane Market 07 3277 0914 www.sureplay.com.au

Software / IT Support

QK Technologies Pty Ltd - QikKids Sean Murphy Morningside 1300 367 770 www.qikkids.com.au

Staff Recruitment

Randstad Education Maeve Cawley Brisbane 07 3337 5230 www.randstadeducation.com.au

Superannuation

Childcare Super Mark Low Brisbane 0418 199 279 www.childcaresuper.com.au

HESTA Super Fund Michael Scanlon Brisbane 07 3112 2332 www.hesta.com.au

QIEC Super Natalie Fone Milton 07 3238 1267 www.qiec.com.au

Toys & Resources

Educational Experience Tracee Byrne Newcastle 02 4923 8264 www.edex.com.au

Modern Teaching Aids Natalie Toh Brookvale 02 9938 0411 www.teaching.com.au

Training Providers

Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCCO)

Narelle Cossettini Fortitude Valley 07 3257 1972 www.accco.com.au

Careers Australia Karin Lesage Burleigh MDC 07 5593 4386 07 5593 4386

Charlton Brown Trevor Ganley Fortitude Valley 07 3216 0288 www.charltonbrown.com.au

Evocca Workplace Training Paula Brand Loganholme 07 3827 5300 www.evoccawt.com.au

Valuers

GD Trivett & Associates Pty Ltd Darren Trivett Fortitude Valley 07 3216 1011 www.trivett.net.au

Herron Todd White Simon Fox Brisbane 07 3002 0900 www.htw.com.au

Other

Gold Coast Inclusion Support Agency Jo Goodwin Mermaid Beach 07 5595 8999 www.lccq.org.au

Gold Coast Institute of TAFE Maxine Griffiths Coomera 07 5581 8280 www.gcit.edu.au

Physi kids Kayleen Tolley Cannon Hill 0414 559 997 www.physikids.com.au

QLECS (Qld Lutheren Early Childhood Services)

Maryann Sword Milton 07 3511 4079 www.qlecs.org.au

Rochele Painting Jeremy Festa Albion 07 3262 8337 www.rochelepainting.com.au


3459 QLD Childcare Magazine Ad_OL.indd 1 9/04/14 11:04 AM

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Early Edition Winter 2014