Cubbyhouse Philosophy
Our centre philosophy has been developed via a combination of our attending parents and staff’s own beliefs, values, and life experiences.
Parents are invited to participate in the making of our policies as they are viewed as the most important model in the lives of our attending children.
We believe that parents act as a link between:
- Home and Before and After School Care
- Before and After School Care and school
- Before and After School Care and the broader community.
It must be noted however, that Management does reserve the right to hold the final decision on any policy or procedure under discussion.
Our Centre Philosophy
At our Before and After School Care Centre, we aim to provide a safe, healthy, caring and stimulating environment for school aged children and their families.
We achieve this by:
- Fostering a sense of belonging for children and their families.
- Establishing and maintaining a comfortable, warm and friendly atmosphere where each child or visitor is valued and respected.
- Maintaining a safe and clean environment through implementation of strict health and hygiene practices established by management, staff and parents. Ensuring that these procedures are implemented by children and any visitors to the centre.
- Developing a menu that provides children with a nutritious breakfast and afternoon snack.
- Providing a variety of quality fun activities within a recreational environment. We encourage individual interests and foster independence, by providing children with the opportunity to make choices, to share ideas, to develop trusting relationships with staff, and to care and respect others.
- Providing a creative and age-appropriate program to foster all developmental areas encouraging exploration, experimentation, discovery and creativity.
- Devising all programs to include children with additional needs. Wherever possible, a Special Needs Worker will be sought to work individually with additional needs children.
- Using positive communication, support and guidance to enhance self-discipline, by promoting pro-social behaviour and helping children to learn the skills of co-operation and negotiation. By encouraging socially acceptable behaviour and providing a positive role model, honesty and positive self esteem are enhanced, which will further enable children to redirect their energy in more constructive ways.
- Providing highly qualified team of professionals to manage the day-to-day routines of the centre.
- Establishing a “Culturally Sensitive” service which aims at incorporating an anti-bias approach, by accepting and appreciating every child regardless of race, religion, gender or ability and utilising multicultural items and equipment into all areas of the program. (ie: music/movement/drama, language, art/craft, gross/fine motor)
- Respecting and showing consideration for staff and parents personal values and beliefs.
- The diversity of skills and experiences of staff is a key aspect that enriches the service they provide.
- Encouraging parents to contribute their skills, ideas, experiences into the content of our program, quality control processes, committees, and social events.
- Involving the centre in the community by taking interest in other groups, and inviting others to share in our program. For the children to become aware of their local community and the facilities that exist, so they will feel confident and at ease when venturing forth.
- Keeping informed and furthering our child care knowledge by attending in-services; and reading current information provided by recognised and endorsed government agencies.
- Abiding by all relevant, up-to-date regulations and other lawful documentation referring to child care management.
- Recording and documenting any suspicions of abuse/neglect with copies given to relevant agencies in regards to the Child Protection Act.
