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CONTENTS SETTLE THEM WELL

2 HOW TO COPE WITH CHANGE

UNDERSTANDING THE TACTICS

3 SETTLING THEM EFFECTIVELY ROLE OF MANAGEMENT

1 A STRUCTURED ORIENTATION PROCESS IS A GREAT START

WHAT ARE THE NORMS

P 6

SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017

A STRUCTURED

ORIENTATION PROCESS IS A GREAT START

Settling into a new childcare can be challenging for both staff and children, but with appropriate

support and attention for children and their families the orientation should be a positive experience.

A positive orientation builds a foundation for a rewarding and engaged partnership between children,

their guardians, and the centre. This partnership facilitates the first step of childcare’s key purpose:

consistent quality outcomes for children as individuals and in groups.

For many children, childcare will be the first prolonged separation from their parents, and inevitably,

children (and their parents!) will experience a degree of anxiety.

Page 1

WHAT ARE THE NORMS


A STRUCTURED

ORIENTATION PROCESS IS A GREAT START

Parents, assisted by staff should collaborate to create a calm, positive, and ordered environment so

that children feel reassured and safe as they transition and adjust.

Even children who have been in care previously will still need time to adjust to the new environment.

The National Quality Framework guidelines are instructive on enrolment, orientation, and transition:

Page 2

QA6 6.1.1

6.3.2

“There is an effective enrolment and orientation process for families.”

“Continuity of learning and transitions for each child are supported by sharing relevant information

and clarifying responsibilities.”

Successful orientation and settling depends on:

1. Maintenance of rituals and procedures familiar

from a child’s home to ease the changes into

childcare and to engender a sense of association

and connectedness for the child.

2. Emphasis on the interaction between children

and professionals in an atmosphere that is warm,

friendly and welcoming. This builds trust, and

creates a positive attitude where children (and

their parents’) look forward to childcare. This is

crucial during children’s induction.

3. Adequate time to settle in and familiarise with

new surroundings, caregivers or educators.

4. Calm and structured activities to occupy the

child’s attention, and ensure that staff project

their composure onto the children.

SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017 Page 3

7. Adequate external support is on hand for

families from non-English speaking or low literacy

backgrounds.

8. Development of a mentor program or ‘buddy’

program to help school-age children, who

understand peer hood, to integrate.

Enrolment and orientation is just the beginning

of the settling process. The first few days of care

create a lasting impression on both children and

families.

Staff and centres should therefore be particularly

vigilant and attentive during this time, as these

few days will set the tone and shape the direction

for a child’s entire experience at the centre.

Further, if families feel the orientation process is

inadequate, the centre risks losing enrolments for

which they have worked hard to obtain.

Experience shows that high-performing childcare

centres have strong engaging orientation and

induction programs.

5. Information gathering from guardians on each

child’s abilities, history of care, and response to

parental separation.

6. Planning through an orientation schedule built

and used through time reflecting best practices

from previous experience. (A sample orientation

plan can be downloaded from the Kids Xap

website or by contacting Kids Xap.)

SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017 Page 4

Children contend with a constant stream of

new information, environments, activities,

expectations, rules, and people, to name but a

few of the things with which they interact.

Evidence shows that the more habitual and familiar

their surroundings and activities become, the more

protected and in control they feel, and the less

overwhelmed. This helps minimize episodes where

children become distraught.

HOW TO COPE WITH CHANGE UNDERSTANDING THE TACTICS


Behavioural cues that indicate difficulty adapting include:

1. Disassociation and withdrawal from their surroundings

2. Lose or appetite or disinterest in food.

3. Sleeping difficulties

4. Anxiety and clinginess to both parents and educators

5. Anger that manifests in tantrums

Page 5

Change is difficult for well-adjusted adults with highly developed coping mechanisms. It’s stressful,

and yet it coping with change is an essential life skill.

In this sense, educators and staff play a fundamental role in helping children learn how to successfully

adapt.

Some children manage change more easily than others. Childcare educators should be attentive to

how well children are adapting and intervene in cases where children are struggling.

Children who are shy or cautious will adapt more slowly than children with blithe or carefree

dispositions. Parents and educators can should focus on the positive aspects of change and encourage

the child to learn to differentiate between realistic and anxiety-driven thoughts.


Management can help by creating a collaborative and constructive partnership between the staff, families

& children:

Page 6

SETTLING THEM EFFECTIVELY ROLE OF MANAGEMENT

1. Establish processes that document activities and

progress so that future improvements can be

measured, and are based on historical evidence

rather than momentary impulse.

2. Demonstrate empathy toward children and

families by providing a flexible, consistent and

individualised approach to meet children and

families’ needs.

3. Provide regular support and guidance to staff

and carers. Structure time for staff to create and

implement processes

4. Work with parents to incrementally increase

hours of care so that children adjust to the new

environment gradually with parents nearby for

reassurance and comfort.

Page 7

Childcare centre managers and staff can:

1. Maintain up-to-date records

2. Manage staff and children

3. Keep track of administration

4. Handle enrolments and payroll.

5. Generate reports on centre progress


Kids Xap enables carers and educators to maximize time with the children. It simplifies processes

and automates administrative tasks.

Daily activities are chronicled by staff and are instantly available to parents and other carers. This

reduces anxiety in parents who feel informed and have a greater sense of control. Relaxed parents

are more supportive and effective in helping children to adapt.

Kids Xap’s intuitive user interfaces are accessible to staff, centre managers and parents at the childcare

centre, home or at work, from any internet enabled phone, tablet or computer.

KIDS XAP HELPS IN ORIENTATION & TRANSITION

6. Simultaneously view different aspects of management

7. View end-to-end aspects of the centre on a single platform

Simplify processes and manage your centre effectively, efficiently, and accurately whether you are

on-site or away.

Whether you’re new to the childcare industry or are already using another child care management

system, discover what Kids Xap can do for your business.

Page 8

Parents new to childcare may feel anxious (and possibly guilty that they are leaving the children)

and will be particularly observant, and perhaps unnecessarily critical during the orientation period.

They will scrutinize every aspect of your centre, so extra attention should be paid to addressing their

concerns as they become comfortable with the centre.

THE QUESTIONS RUNNING THROUGH

A PARENT’S HEAD:


Some questions they will be thinking, but may not voice:

• Are children spoken to in a warm and friendly manner?

• How are children supervised?

• What orientation process is available to my family?

• What will happen on my child’s first day?

• How will I be made aware of changes to the staff caring for my child?

• What activities will my child be doing?

Page 7SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017

1. Familiarise your child with the environment

and the people in the early learning centre

(children and adults) by coming in for visits

before commencing care.

PREPARING PARENTS

– ADVICE TO HELP CHILDREN ADJUST

• Do the toys, equipment and activities available offer my child choice and meet their interests

and abilities?

• How does the service cater to the individual needs of my child?

• Are there opportunities for my child to participate in activities where they can explore real-life

tasks such as packing away, self-help skills, mealtimes and cooking activities?

• What accident and emergency procedures are in place to ensure my child is safe?

The following tips help new parents and guardians acclimatize children before they arrive, with the

following preparations:

2. Ease your child into day care with short

stays to begin with.

Page 8SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017

3. Provide a favourite toy, blanket or comforter

to support your child when they are separating

from you or settling to sleep. This will help

your child feel more secure.

4. If your child is unsettled, short visits with you

at our day care centre help your child to gain

trust with an unfamiliar environment. These

visits can be made on a day when your child

is not booked to attend.

5. Interactions between childcare staff and

parents or staff and other children can produce

positive role models and be reassuring.

This experience helps establish trust in an

unfamiliar setting.

6. Talk at home about childcare. Mention the

names of centre staff and other children. Talk

about the things the child will be able to do at

child care that are fun and enjoyable.

7. Tell staff about your child; what they like to do;

successful ways of settling them to sleep, and

foods they like and dislike. This helps day care

centre staff to get to know your child.

8. When leaving your child say goodbye and

then leave. Hesitating after your goodbyes –

particularly if a child is upset – confuses them.

Reassure your child that everything is alright

and you will return later. Children soon learn

that you do return and in the meantime they

are happy.

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