Imagine the Potential of Every Child

Children’s Week (21-29 October, 2023) is a national celebration of children’s rights, talents and citizenship held on the fourth Wednesday of October in Australia (to coincide with Universal Children’s Day). Each year the theme of Children’s Week highlights a particular Children’s Right.

This year, the Children’s Week National Theme revolves around UNCRC Article 31:
All Children have the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

Learning through play is one of the most important ways children learn and develop. As an early education provider, we resonate deeply with this theme at Imagine Childcare. Our approach aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework, emphasising play-based learning and intentionality.

Play is an activity where children show their remarkable ability for exploration, imagination and decision making. While play is often described as ‘children’s work’, it is intensely enjoyable for them. At Imagine Childcare our spaces are designed to take children on a journey of wonder and discovery through play. Our playgrounds feature custom adventure forts, bike tracks, sandpits, cubby houses, and beautiful natural play areas and gardens.

The type of play children engage in and its purpose changes over the course of childhood. With this in mind, our purpose-built centres have spaces suitable for the age and development of the children in our care. From soft foam climbing resources for younger children, to playgrounds with rock climbing holds for children with developed motor skills – our exciting facilities encourage children to use their imagination and dream big!

Personalised Rest and Sleep Times

Rest and sleep are fundamental to a child’s well-being. We recognise the importance of regular routines and adequate rest for children in our care. Our approach to sleep and rest times is flexible and personalised to each child’s needs.

We collaborate closely with families, incorporating home schedules in addition to observing individual cues around needing rest. Children can also bring their own comfort items from home, such as dummy’s, teddy bears or blankets to use whilst sleeping or resting. Older children who do not wish to sleep, are provided with opportunities for restful and quiet activities.  This ranges from yoga, to completing puzzles and reading books in our cosy book corners.

At Imagine Childcare, we comply with National Legislations and ACECQA (The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority) recommendations and are up to date with the new sleep and rest legislative requirements that commenced from 1 October, 2023.

Child Safety is Our Priority

The wellbeing and safety of all children in our care will always be our priority. Furthermore, Imagine Childcare is committed to ensuring all employees understand that child safety and wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility.

Our Educators at Imagine Childcare all hold a current working with children check and relevant Early Childhood qualifications including first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training.

We maintain secure single-entry points, with key pad technology and our sign in and out kiosks provide families with a secure and convenient drop off and pick up system. Regular audits of our safety systems, staffing and play environments are also conducted to ensure the highest protection of children.

Raising Multicultural Awareness

We are deeply committed to celebrating diversity. Our curriculum reflects the rich tapestry of cultures within our local community, including our families and Educators.

It is important to us to work in partnership with our families and local communities to ensure that our learning programs are a collaboration of meaningful experiences that promote each child’s individual development. From multicultural activities and books to special celebrations like Diwali and NAIDOC week, we foster an inclusive environment where differences are respected and celebrated. For example, during a cooking lesson at Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Werribee, the children and Miss Tania made Indian ladi pav to eat!  Click here to see their post on Facebook.

At Imagine Childcare, we recognise the deep history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We respect and value their cultural rights and encourage the children and their families to express and enjoy their culture within our centres. Imagine Childcare is committed to creating an inclusive and culturally safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Our Educational Programs offer many opportunities for children to explore similarities and differences across a diversity of cultures, through the provision of a range of multicultural activities, books, toys and games for all children at our centres. This creates an opportunity for Educators to raise awareness and positively affirm differences and similarities via these multicultural resources.

All meals are included as part of our daily fee at Imagine Childcare.  This is a very convenient service for parents, but also presents us with another opportunity to raise multicultural awareness through a diversified menu.  We introduce different cuisines through a four-week rotational menu, that is also refreshed each season. You will find dishes like butter chicken, San Choy Bau and Spaghetti Bolognese to name a few.

Enriched Learning with Extra-Curriculars

At Imagine Childcare, we go beyond conventional learning. We enrich children’s learning and development with our extracurricular activities designed to inspire. By providing children with the opportunity to try a wide variety of new activities in our curriculum, this naturally extends their interests and amplifies their learning and development.

Our curriculum includes various extra-curricular activities like cooking classes, children’s yoga, language programs, community gardening, sports, and cutting-edge science and technology experiences. These activities are seamlessly integrated into our daily routines, enhancing children’s learning experiences and are all included in our daily fee.

We are proud of the warm, safe, fun and nurturing environment we have created at Imagine Childcare. From sandpits and bike tracks, to our custom adventure forts, your little one is sure to have fun exploring and learning through play.

We are currently taking enquiries for 2024 enrolments, so if you would like to find out more about becoming part of our Imagine family, call us on 1300 001 154.

If you wish to join the Children’s Week festivities, there are a multitude of events and activities organised at National, State, and Local levels. Discover how you can participate by visiting the Children’s Week Council of Australia’s website at www.childrens-week.org.au. Join us in celebrating the wonder and potential of every child!