Our Philosophy

"A community caring for our children and families"

Our Mission:

At Cranbourne Day Care we aim to provide a flexible service, and collaborative learning environment, that is nurturing, safe, educational and inclusive to all children and families in our community; supporting children to achieve their optimal learning outcomes for life.

Our Vision:

We will draw upon the strengths, knowledge and diversity of our children, educators and families in a collaborative partnership, to develop curriculums that are ever changing and evolving, and reflect the interests, beliefs,values and needs of our community.
We will utilise current research, theories such as Socio-cultural Theory and Ecological Theory,and professional expertise as we strive for continual personal development and critical reflection of pedagogies.
Our practice will be guided by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VELDF),The Early Years Learning Framework(EYLF), The National Quality Framework (NQF), The Out of School Hours Care- My Time, Our Place (OSHC), Early Childhood Australia- Code of Ethics, The Victorian Teaching Profession’s Code of Conduct, and The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child.
We will strive to ensure our children are connected with, and respect the environment and Traditional Owners of the land, by embedding Indigenous perspectives and sustainability practices into our daily curriculum.

Our ideals will be supported in the following ways:

Our Children:

We believe that each child is unique and precious and that they are intrinsically connected to their families and community. We recognise, respect and highly value each child’s individual voice, and endeavour to promote and celebrate their own family culture, interests and abilities. Through meaningful, reciprocal relationships with children and families, our educators will strive to develop holistic understandings of each individual child, so that we may nurture their strengths and interests, underpin and scaffold development, and support their emerging self awareness, identity and cultural competence. We believe that children are knowledgeable, capable beings, and empower children to make decisions about aspects of their learning environment and care. We will facilitate the acquisition of resilience, and encourage children to challenge themselves and take calculated risks with educator support. We continue to work towards a genuine anti-biased and equitable program, through a true understanding of each child’s developmental needs and the use of relevant teaching techniques tailored to individual children’s learning styles. Our educators role-model respect, empathy and responsive relationships, as they build secure trusting bonds, and support children’s sense of belonging and purpose within the service and their community. We believe that the rights and safety of the child are paramount above all else, and will be a passionate advocate for all children.

Keeva - aged 3 - “I like coming and putting my foot in the hole and getting up the tree, it’s fun being so tall.”

Wyatt aged 10 – “ I love how there is so much fun thing’s to do”

Our Families:

We recognise that families are the most important influence on a child’s learning and wellbeing, and we draw on that knowledge through open and honest communication and ongoing respectful relationships. We welcome, value and invite authentic ongoing family involvement in the program,acknowledging the diverse and positive learning opportunities this presents to all children.Our educators understand the significance of their role in sharing and keeping families well-informed about their child’s day to day experiences and learning, using varying individual means of communication, as we develop collaborative partnerships. We value and embrace the uniqueness of each family culture and reflect this in a welcoming environment that is familiar to all.

Benjamin - aged 5 - “It’s special doing things here with my Daddy at the sausage sizzle.”

Emma’s family - “We have been a part of this centre for 19 years, all the staff are family to myself and all of my five kids.”

William’s family - “It’s a place that I can send my children and know they are safe and well looked-after. Also a centre where I can be open and honest with the staff about anything concerning my children.”

Addyson’s family - “It’s a safe and supportive environment for our kids and every staff member is friendly and easy to speak to. It means we can go to work without stressing about how our kids are feeling or what they are doing.”

Our Educating Team:

Our Cranbourne Day Care educators are dedicated professionals who bring their own uniqueness and diversity to our service.We draw on their own knowledge, culture and professional experience to provide children and families with a nurturing and supportive team of early childhood practitioners who elevate children’s wellbeing, development and cultural competence. Our educating team are committed to on-going professional learning and are supported by our educational leaders and management to engage in professional development and reflective practice.

Alison – "Educator for 33 years with CDCKC – “the warm family like environment, that trickles down from management to all our teams, children & families makes CDCKC a lovely place to work. We’ve been instilled with a strong emphasis on togetherness & nurturing the children we are so lucky to educate”

 

Our Community:

Cranbourne Day Care has a deep, natural, connection to its community. With upwards of 50 years of partnerships with local families,we proudly embrace the strength and knowledge that is enriched through community engagement. We work alongside other professional support agencies to promote opportunities for each child to develop to their fullest potential,whilst also providing flexible and accommodating support for families when needed. We respectfully acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of the land, and will strive to continue to build respectful relationships with Elders, past, present and emerging, valuing their knowledge and culture. Through these connections and relationships, children can further develop an awareness of the world they live in, a sense of belonging in their environment, and their own unique identity.

Our Curriculum

The foundation of our curriculum is built from the growing understanding and responsiveness to each child’s interests, strengths and developmental needs; and is informed by a wide and eclectic view of professional theories. This is acquired through collaborative partnerships and meaningful engagement with our children and families,as well as an integrated team approach to programming. We recognise that children are competent and capable learners,and gain insight for future curriculum programs through large blocks of child-led play and shared sustained thinking with peers and educators, using a socio-cultural approach to learning and documentation. We acknowledge the value of flexible, spontaneous learning opportunities, purposeful outdoor play, and believe that children have a right to connect with nature daily, through programs that embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the curriculum. We undertake sustainability practices within our service, and promote these in our community to help protect the environment for our children’s future. Intentional teaching techniques, critical reflection and the cycle of planning are fundamental to an effective curriculum that supports the development, learning,health and wellbeing of all our children in an inclusive, equitable way.

Bill - aged 5 - “I like coming because I get to play bikes and because I get to make lots of stuff too. And I know the heart goes BOOM BOOM and my brain is in here.”

Contributors:

This philosophy has been proudly developed with input from the educators, children, families and management at our Barn, Cranbourne Drive, Duff St, Oroya Grove, Mundaring Drive, Schoolie Central and Sladen Street Centres. (2021)

References:

Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments (2009), Belonging, Being and Becoming, The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra:
Commonwealth of Australia.Arthur. L, Beecher. B, Death. E, Dockett. S & Farmer.S (2012). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (5th edition). South Melbourne: Cengage.
Department of Education and Training. (2016).Victorian Early Year Learning and Development Framework (pp. 1-39). Melbourne: Department of Education and Training.
Staines. J, Scarlet. R. R. (2018).The Aboriginal early childhood practice guide (1stedition). Erskineville, NSW: MultiVerse Publishing