Cuddly Bear Child Care and Kindergarten Heathmont

 Our centre philosophy has been inspired by The Ecological Model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Our model, however, places our community at the centre of all that we do. All people influence and are affected by the environments that surround them. Our model illustrates the strong network of community, services and programs that support children’s overall learning and development. Each community member placed at the centre of our model is unique, active, and engaged in their own learning and development journey within their local context, which is shaped by their family, culture, and experience. 

We follow the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Victorian Early Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) as per our programming policy. The aim of this document is to extend and enrich children’s learning from birth to five years , and through to the transition to school.

We are committed to providing a developmentally age appropriate and educational program, which caters for each child’s individual needs, abilities and interests. Our program will continue to develop as we use the relationships children have with their families and communities, working in partnership with parents, to ensure each child’s knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of our programs.

We encourage children to take ownership over their learning journeys, through choices in experiences, interests and routine. We use conversations, actions and play as the basis for teaching which involves the children in teaching by seeking out ideas, opinions, thoughts and questions. 

We encourage children in promoting their independence and self-help skills by assisting within the routine and involving the children in interest-based projects to further enhance their learning and knowledge. We value children and family input and encourage family involvement in order to gather a comprehensive and holistic view of the child.

We know that children learn effectively through play and Educators who are diligent in their responsiveness to each child support this. Applying strong intentional teaching practices will provide the children with an authentic and meaningful learning environment that challenges, supports and nurtures a child’s development.