A PRIVATELY-OWNED childcare centre in Currumbin Waters has been ranked the best in Queensland and third in Australia at the inaugural KindiCare Excellence Awards.
A Head Start Children’s Centre scored a 9.84 out of 10 rating, coming third nationally to two centres in New South Wales and Victoria who scored 10.00 and 9.89, respectively, on the KindiCare app.
EVERY CHILDCARE CENTRE RANKED BELOW
The app’s rating system compared more than 16,400 providers and made its decision based on many factors including government audits and family feedback.
It’s also been recognised by Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) for exceeding in all seven quality areas of the National Quality Framework.
A Head Start Children’s Centre owner and founder Laurel Scanlan said there were three distinct signs parents and families should look for when assessing a service.
“These all have to do with its people, the physical environment and the processes which are integral to delivering a quality service,” she said.
“Many of our team members at A Head Start have been at the centre for more than ten years, which is special, considering that the childcare industry is known for a high staff turnover. We are like a family.”
Renee Haig-Greenwood, director of A Head Start in Currumbin Waters, has been a part of the team for 14 years and at the helm for three.
“When educators are happy in their working environment, they love their job, and are passionate about and resourceful in delivering quality education and care to our children,” she said.
“The fact we’re only small, with 100 families and 60 children per day, means we get to know every single family member and have a real sense of community.”
Ms Scanlan said the best childcare centres were nurturing, loving and homely, with a strong focus on play-based learning, natural environments and connecting with the community.
“Our outdoor area features plenty of shady areas, a native rainforest, a creek where the children can pump water, swings, a bike track, a covered sandpit with kitchen, and an abundance of natural resources,” he said.
Importantly, Ms Scanlan said A Head Start had developed and used its early learning system, Kindybook, since 2007, helping the centre to exceed in all seven quality areas of ACECQA’s National Quality Standard.
“It saves us so much administration time and helps us to keep our main focus on the children and improving our own service,” Ms Haig-Greenwood said.
Ms Scanlan said in addition to providing early learning services in Currumbin and Burleigh, the business offered nationally recognised Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) training to students across Queensland and specialist childcare recruitment services through.
“We founded Amazing Education and Training for high quality training and Amazing Recruit to service quality staff to the ECEC industry,” she said.
“We want to enhance outcomes for everyone involved in the industry, from children and educators through to directors.”
The KindiCare app is an online marketplace where users can find and compare more than 16,400 childcare services. This is supported by a unique rating system which combines government audits with families’ feedback.
All top ten centres in Queensland, as rated by KindiCare app, are privately owned and members of the Australian Childcare Alliance, the state’s peak body for the early learning sector.
Founder and CEO of KindiCare Benjamin Balk said the app delivered the market a simple to understand numerical rating that makes it easy to research and compare childcare services in their local area, just like they would do if they were researching a hotel.
"The Gold Coast performed really well compared to other regional areas of Australia. One of the reasons is that some of the largest childcare providers and businesses in the childcare sector are located in South East Queensland," he said.
"In the 2021 KindiCare Awards, three of the state finalists were all located in the Gold Coast Region."
See Every Centre in Queensland Ranked
