BY BENJAMIN BALK, KINDICARE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 

Two early learning centres at opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum have shared top honours in the 2022 KindiCare Excellence Awards, being named the best in South Australia.

Stepping Stone Evanston Childcare & Early Development Centre and Nazareth Early Childhood Centre, both scored a Kindicare Rating of 9.5.

Lobethal Community Kindergarten was named the best Regional early learning centre in South Australia with a KindiCare Rating of 9.3.

The KindiCare app and Childcare Comparison Website, developed by founder and CEO Benjamin Balk to make the process of selecting a quality early learning centre more transparent for parents, has revolutionised the early learning search journey for Australian families.

The KindiCare Excellence Awards recognise the top performing early learning services across the nation based on their Kindicare Rating. The KindiCare Rating provides a unique score for every early learning service that is based on their current and historical assessment and ratings under the National Quality Framework from ACECQA, parent and community feedback and reviews, the stability and length of operation of the service as well as other characteristics known about a service – providing a comprehensive real time picture of quality and value for money that’s easy for parents to understand.

Stepping Stone Evanston Director Hayley Truscott attributes the centre’s success to low staff turnover and a team of educators who build strong relationships with families, based on honesty and trust.

“Our relationship with families is our most prized possession,” said Hayley. “We have a lot of families who come from outside the area because we have great word of mouth.

“We are really transparent and honest from the get go. It is so important that families know what is going on and if a child is feeling not quite themselves, we will always give parents a courtesy call. The staff feel what the parents would feel.”

Mr Balk says a common theme amongst the top rating early learning centres in this year’s awards has been the longevity of staff who feel valued and respected.

“Last week’s Job’s Summit has laid bare the workforce challenges within the early learning sector,” said Mr Balk. “It’s no coincidence that the top rated centres are able to offer great education and care by prioritising the wellbeing of their staff.”

The continual push to improve the learning experience for children has seen the centre place greater emphasis on sensory play. The outdoor yard areas are being renovated to replace astroturf with real grass and dirt, allowing both staff and children to benefit from a more natural environment.

“As a staff team we wanted more plants and dirt,” said Hayley. “The kids can get in and dig in the garden. The trees are small now but they will grow and provide shade and the children have an opportunity for messy play which is an essential part of their learning experience.

“Our backyard has one big tree and we let the children climb with mats underneath. There is a fear factor for some but it’s so important that they learn the skills to safely navigate risk. It is not just about climbing a tree but making safe choices.”

Nazareth Early Childhood Centre is located within the Nazareth R-12 College, enabling a seamless transition from the early years right through to graduation.

Early Years Director Natasha Walc says the Centre offers a unique program that extends beyond the Early Years Learning Framework to deliver a holistic Catholic education.

“The program is underpinned by respect for the dignity of each person,” said Natasha. “It is also supported by allied health professionals such as Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists which leads to improved outcomes for children.

“The educators here at Nazareth are highly skilled professionals who contextualise the Reggio Emilia principles to our community by encompassing the view of children as competent and capable beings.”

Mr Balk said that the 2022 KindiCare Awards this year recognised just over 2,000 early learning services nationally who achieved a KindiCare Rating of 9.0 or above. About 10% of services nationally were recognised with an Excellent Award with the top 2% of the nation’s best performing early learning services receiving the newly introduced Outstanding Award for achieving a KindiCare Rating of 9.5 or above.

“It is fantastic to be able to recognise the hard work and dedication of the childcare providers, educators and staff at these top performing centres nationally who strive every day to give the best possible start to learning for children across Australia,” said Mr Balk.

View the 2022 KindICare Excellence Awards South Australian Winners and Finalists >>>