Philosophy

Moreton Downs Early Education has been established to provide families within our broader community the highest level of quality care and education.  We believe that the family unit is the most important basis of our society.  At Moreton Downs Early Education we have established and maintained a comfortable, warm and friendly and homely atmosphere where each child is valued and respected.  The staff of Moreton Downs Early Education practise an foster early childhood education and learning.  We have collaborated with parents, staff and relevant resources agencies to develop a philosophy that is effective for all uses of the centre. It is our intention to improve the quality of life of families who use our centre.

We believe and support a sense of belonging for all children and their families and encourage partnerships through open lines of communication.  At the centre we promote our open door policy and value all contributions of family and community input.  This input is a valuable and important resource when developing policies, programmes and the general running of the centre.  Moreton Downs Early Education is unique.  We offer large outdoor playground areas, large spacious inside play areas, we provide a nutritionally balanced menu and all staff are considerate of families needs, interests and beliefs.  We pride ourselves on being a family orientated centre that has a comfortable, friendly and welcoming atmosphere . We will ensure that we provide high quality care through following centre practices, policies and procedures that are always current and sourced by relevant and recognised authorities

We recognise that the family unit can be represented in many forms.

No family or child will be discriminated against with all staff respecting each family’s values, attitudes, religious and cultural beliefs.  We encourage parents to contribute their skills and ideas.  We believe in creating a home like atmosphere to establish an environment where the children feel just as much at home as being in the centre.
We value the importance of the early years. During a child’s life there are some predictable sequences of learning and development but every child will develop at their own rate.  Every child is accepted for their uniqueness and individuality and will develop at their own pace.  Your child’s health, safety and well being is important and we will ensure your child is protected following Child Care Regulations and protective authorities

Programs at Moreton Downs Early Education have been developed and prepared with the intention of children developing in an overall holistic manner.  All programs focus on physical, intellectual, social, emotional and linguistic development specialized for individual children.  All children are given equal opportunity to participate in a stimulating environment via play experiences.  Play provides activities in which skills can be practiced and repeated as many times as needed to gain confidence and mastery in a non threatening environment.

We emphasize that play is an important element in the program.

We  recognise children with additional needs and the importance of developing an inclusion program whenever possible with additional workers.  Children are cared for and guided in a positive way.

The centre offers a hygienic environment where children feel safe and secure.  This is maintained through the implementation of strict health and hygiene procedures recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council.  We encourage staff, parents, visitors and children to use these procedures.

The centre has developed a nutritious menu, which provides the recommended daily requirements that are needed for all children whilst at the centre.  The centre is a member of Nutrition Australia and uses this information to regularly update menus.  Parents are requested to give suggestions into seasonal menu changes and all additional dietary requirements for children are followed.

Early childhood education and care is recognised as an important profession with respect to our future generations.  We acknowledge the rights of all children and encourage them to interact in an acceptable and positive manner.  The centre maintains a positive guidance policy where children’s behaviour is guided and directed.

The centre provides a high quality team of professionals to manage day to day routines.  Staff are encouraged to participate in professional development and continue their studies in the interests of up to date information and maintaining high quality care and education. The centre networks with other services and child care professionals to maintain knowledge of the childcare profession. All staff are trained in First Aid and hold a current Blue Card.

The centre has anti bias, social justice, inclusive practice and equity policy and appreciates as well as supports all cultural diverse backgrounds.  The area is incorporated into the programme and through centre practices.
The centre recognises that Australia is a culturally diverse society composed of people from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds.  Therefore we aim to help foster within each child awareness and acceptance of other cultures through integrating cultural experiences into the program.  The program actively attempts to counter much of the misinformation about different cultures that leads to racism. The centre recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the first people in Australia and respect this. The centre will encourage, support and embrace Aboriginal and Torres Strait culture.

We endeavour to enrich the lives of children by promoting the Learning Outcomes identified within the Early Years Learning Framework.

We will provide the children of this centre with opportunities to maximize their potential and develop a foundation for future success in learning.

The centre encourages self evaluation of performance as well as family evaluation of the centre to establish a plan for continuing improvement to make a dynamic and unique centre.

We invite an active role and approach in developing the centre’s philosophy with staff and families.  We believe the philosophy is valued more if they have been invited to participate in its development review.