BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

JULY 17, 2023

Whether your baby is six-weeks-old or six-months-old, it is a big step to leave them in the arms of a relative stranger when you go back to work, study or wherever else you’re needed.  

However, there are some amazing nursery educators out there, who genuinely love caring for babies and know how to make them feel safe, secure, happy and engaged in the hours between drop-off and pick-up.  

There are also some wonderful early learning environments, where your bub can feel at home and develop well; and to help you find the best people and place for your baby, we’ve sought advice from Kylie-Anne Kirkup, Senior Operations Manager at Green Leaves Early Learning.  

Kylie-Anne has lots of experience with little learners, and says your first priority is finding someone your baby can truly connect with.  

She explains that, “The most important thing an infant needs during their time in care is a relationship with an educator who is responsive and nurturing.”  

You’re looking for a care-giver who’s warm and friendly, with a real interest in your baby. 

The right person will also understand how important the first 1,000 days are for your child’s development, and they’ll want to build a trusting and secure relationship with your little one to help them develop well. 

Kylie-Anne says, “Asking questions around the educator’s experience in early childhood, training and their teaching philosophy are great ways to understand the person you will be leaving your baby with primarily.”  

As time goes by, you can form really great partnerships with all of the nursery educators, and because communication is a big part of this, it’s also helpful to ask, from the outset, how you’ll be kept up-to-date with your baby’s program and progress. 

You can also ask how you’ll be involved in decision-making when it comes to your baby’s learning, because this underpins a great partnership as well. 

When choosing childcare for your baby, the environment also matters, and you’re looking for a place with a healthy feel.  

It’s vital that the premises are safe, clean and hygienic, so when you’re touring a service, think about how well it’s organised and maintained, and how comfortable you feel in the surroundings.   

Although it’s natural for your baby and yourself to feel a bit overwhelmed when you enter a new environment, you’re looking for spaces that feel relaxed when you move through them.  

Kylie-Anne says, “Green Leaves’ environments are intentionally created to provide a sense of calm and softness,” which helps babies to settle in more easily and calms parents’ emotions as well.  

Of course, you also need to be sure that your baby’s basic needs will be met by the early learning service. 

During your tour and enrolment, team members will share practical information you need to know, and you’re also free to ask whichever questions you like.  

For example: 

• What do I need to bring from home (e.g. bottles, baby food, nappies, wipes and/or bedding)?  
• Where and when can I breastfeed at the service? 
• Who will be looking after my baby if their primary care-giver isn’t around? 
• What happens if my baby is unsettled or unwell? 
• What’s the usual schedule for feeds, play and sleep? 

Some services ask that families provide certain items for their baby, and this is totally fine. However, Kylie-Anne says it can be helpful to find a centre that supplies the ‘little things.’ 

She says, “Not having to worry about packing lunchboxes, cot sheets and nappies gives families more time to focus on settling their little ones into each day and can support a smoother transition from home to care.” 

It’s also important to ask your prospective service about their safe sleep policy and educators’ training around this. 

Babies are at risk of SIDS, and although this risk is low, you want to be sure that safe sleeping is an absolute priority at your future service.  

Kylie-Anne says, “In the infant room, parents need to feel confident that their babies are safe, and our Green Leaves centres are part of the Sleep Smart program, which has been specifically designed to train our educators in the importance of safe sleep practices in an early childhood setting.”   

There should also be a variety of engaging, age-appropriate resources for your little one to wrap their senses around.    

Visual stimulation is super important for your baby’s development, and Kylie-Anne recommends that you look for resources that will help their brain thrive by providing stimulating visual input.  

Fabric books, wooden toys and colourful playmats are all interesting for young eyes, and because babies can only see contrasting colours from an early age, Kylie-Anne says colours like red, white and black, in strong patterns, are ideal brain-boosters.  

She explains that, “Heuristic play is also important for infants, as it is a form of sensory play in which babies use multiple senses to explore objects.”  

“Babies will often use a combination of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste to explore objects and their surroundings. This creates a rich sensory learning environment and supports sensory motor development, as well as cognitive growth and development.”  

There are loads of different materials and experiences that support heuristic play, but as guide, you’re looking for things your baby can grasp or squeeze, or things that have different textures or actions (such as ‘rollability’).  

Your baby also needs lots of outdoor play each day.  

This helps them to develop in a physical and sensory way, and although some services have real grass and others have astroturf, Kylie-Anne says babies need to be able to move freely through a variety of different textures (like sand, grass and wood) and encounter different objects along the way!  

She says, “Babies should be exposed to a variety of objects in outdoor environments that are soft and hard, heavy and light, rough and smooth, wet and dry and so on, so they can continue making new connections through their senses to support healthy brain development.” 

“Having a variety of places to explore, such as platforms, bridges and tunnels, will also promote engagement and maximise learning and development.”  

At the end of the day, people, places and policies matter when choosing childcare for your baby.  

You’ll also be weighing up things like cost, convenience and availability when comparing different services, but feel is a big part of your final decision.  

You need to feel good about your choice, and although it’s very common to feel anxious when you actually leave your baby in care, things will get better!  

Quality nursery educators know how to ease infants (and parents) into childcare life, and as the days and weeks go by, you’ll see many upsides of early childhood education and care.  

We hope you have a great experience, and to find a baby-friendly childcare provider, like Green Leaves Early Learning, search KindiCare >>>