Wondering what to look for in an early learning campus? Finding the right one can be tricky and may even stir up anxiety in some parents. While this may come as no surprise to some, it does not have to be this way.
A childcare centre is a special place that should nurture and enhance your child’s development through play and socialisation. You will need to find one suitable for your child within your budget, and that can accommodate your working hours.
Little Scholars is a privately-owned and operated early learning provider with 14 campuses across South East Queensland. We offer you and your child the very best facilities, resources, and early educational play-based programs. Our curriculum is underpinned by a thorough and well tested early years learning framework. As a result, we believe that we can encourage, assist, and support the entire family through quality education and childcare.
Read on to find out some of the facets you should consider before enrolling your child in a childcare centre.
Every child needs a stimulating environment to interact and develop alongside other children. Try to assess whether there is extensive verbal and physical interaction between the kids and also the caregivers.
You should also check for age-appropriate toys that are in good condition. Finally, feel free to ask for a rundown of the daily activities, which might include talking, reading, dancing, singing, and more.
Most well-run childcare centres will spell out their health and safety rules for everyone to follow. Some to look out for are:
The childcare provider should seem genuinely interested in caring for children – pay close attention to how they interact with the other children when you visit. For example, you can ask whether they partake in sensory play.
The childcare centre needs to be a safe environment for your child. Here are some of the safety precautions they should be taking:
Many other safety measures can be taken to guarantee that your child is well looked after, so ask what specific steps each centre takes. If you’re looking for a childcare in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, at Little Scholars, your child’s safety and well-being are our utmost priority.
If you need to pick up your child but can not make it on time, try and call as soon as possible to inform the childcare providers that you will be running late or sending someone else. If you give them enough notice, they should try and accommodate you. However, it is essential to note that your childcare subsidy may be affected if your child stays past their allowable hours.
Having a good feeling about your childcare provider will add a layer of reassurance and peace to your day that you may not even have noticed missing prior. Being open and communicative with your chosen provider will allow you to guarantee the best possible experience for you and your child, and at Little Scholars, communication and relationship building is at the core of what we do.
It’s essential to pay attention whenever you visit a childcare centre, especially in regards to how the staff interact with the children. In an ideal situation, a childcare provider should be playing with the children on their level.
Young children are very receptive; they need affection, closeness, love, and interactive relationships with adults to thrive in later life. Therefore, you must pay close attention to ensure that your child’s caregivers are warm and responsive and can have healthy one-on-one interactions with children and others, allowing your child to become the best they can be.
A good childcare provider should have similar parenting philosophies as you on feeding, discipline, sleeping, and television watching. On top of this, they should have policies in place in case of an emergency, child safeguarding and more. The more info you can ascertain concerning these enquiries, the less likely you will be surprised later, and the more secure the childcare environment for your child.
Until your child comes to the age where they can talk, you will have to depend on what the childcare provider tells you about your child and their day. This is another reason why open and honest communication is critical.
Of course, you will want to know every detail of your child’s day, including the number of times their nappies were changed and if they took a proper nap (if only to know whether you are taking a happy or grumpy child back with you!). It’s best to communicate with the caregiver in person; however, you can always ask for a convenient time to call if this is not possible.
As a parent, it’s good to trust your instincts when something does seem quite right, and, sometimes, you may not be so pleased with a particular campus. In such cases, don’t lose hope; just look for other options. Your child deserves to grow under good and nurturing care, and there are plenty of great early learning centres out there!
As a busy parent with your child’s best interest at heart, finding a caregiver on the Gold Coast or Brisbane for your child’s overall growth is essential. Little Scholars provides parents with peace of mind by letting them know they’re leaving their children in safe hands. Our campuses are a home away from home where your child will grow and flourish. Contact us today.
Personalised service, extra-curricular programs, innovation and creativity. Healthy meals, happy educators and supportive administration. When looking for ‘the best childcare centre near me’ in far north Brisbane, the Deception Bay childcare branch of Little Scholars is head and shoulders above the rest.
So what’s the Little Scholars Difference?
The Little Scholars difference really comes down to you. The needs of parents and their children was considered above all else when it came to design, curriculum, innovation, meal planning and the million-and-one extras that give Little Scholars centres that special touch. This is a childcare program that has children and their parents firmly at the centre of all decision-making. This is a true best practice educational environment and you’ll be able to tell that on your very first tour of the Deception Bay childcare centre.
All the Little Scholars centres offer:
Interested in Little Scholars? You can arrange a personalised tour here.
All childcare centres must pass strict guidelines to do with quality of care and deliverance of a learning framework. As parents, it can be confusing to know which centres are best meeting those guidelines and perhaps exceeding them wherever possible. The wonderful thing about Deception Bay childcare is that parents are offered choice. This is the choice and the opportunity to give your child the best step forward in terms of their educational, social and emotional development. And at Little Scholars, the uniquely engaging and enriching programs on offer make them exceptional by anyone’s standards.
If you have the very best on your doorstep, you owe it to yourself to consider what life would be like if you were a Little Scholars family.
Are you currently searching “childcare centre near me”? Let us show you how incredible Deception Bay childcare can really be. Arrange your Little Scholars tour today!
When considering the pros and cons and googling ‘childcare near me’, look at your current situation and potential future situation then consider all scenarios. Could a new job be on the horizon, a new baby or a sibling attending school? These are just a few things that will impact the decision you make on childcare location.
Click here to find a Little Scholars Childcare near you or your workplace.
If you’re looking for a Gold Coast childcare centre, we know how important it is to find the right fit. At Little Scholars, we have two highly regarded childcare and early education centres at Ashmore and Nerang. In addition to the uniquely enriching and premium service Little Scholars provides, each of our Gold Coast centres have their own unique benefits.
At Little Scholars Ashmore, one of our two Gold Coast Childcare centres, we’ve taken advantage of the leafy surrounds and incorporated them into the centre. Vegetable patches, rainforest walk, gardens, sprawling lawns and sand play scapes aim to encourage children to nurture and explore the environment. There are so many wonderful areas for play, imagination and story time at Ashmore including large mature trees, huge timber decks and play equipment. No matter the weather, all children from zero to five years old, can enjoy the natural surrounds through the floor to ceiling windows in the centre. Other key features of Little Scholars Ashmore include:
If you’re looking for a home away from home for your children and a centre focused on good old-fashioned play, Little Scholars Nerang is for you. The layout has been intentionally designed to nurture the physical, emotional, cognitive and social aspects of children from 15 months to 5 years. With three flowing classrooms and a specially designed water park, loose part environment for construction and an art space, children can engage with whatever sparks their interest. Other key features of Little Scholars Nerang include:
Reviews by parents
But don’t just take our word for it! Find out what parents are saying about Little Scholars childcare centres.
“Beautiful centre and friendly staff!” – Jay Luckie [Nerang]
“Little Scholars Ashmore is an amazing centre with wonderful staff thank you all. My son Leo has learnt so much since starting and he has grown so much more confidence in himself. He loves coming to daycare all thanks to the Amazing Staff great job.” – Robbie-lee Ryder
“This is by far the best centre we have been to. My 8mo loves her carers and always comes home happy… the carers do so many activities with the kids and send photos home of their day! The facilities are clean and well maintained inside and out. So happy we chose little scholars Ashmore!” – Karmelle Boehme
“Wow this Centre has transformed into something so special. The children have such a wonderful set up both for their outdoor environment, with a private yard for the babies. I went to have a look at their brand new nursery that has just opened. What a beautiful environment for a baby to learn through their play. Just beautiful. This centre is fantastic and provides all meals and nappies.” – Kristy B.
Book A Tour Today
Discover for yourself why more families are choosing Little Scholars as their Gold Coast childcare centre. Make an appointment for a personal guided tour – the coffee’s on us!
Little Scholars provides the best early learning and care services that Redlands has to offer. We have two campuses in Redland Bay with world-class facilities, innovative curricular and extra-curricular offerings and the little extras mean that these campuses are far and away the best choice for families in the area.
Open from 6.30am to 6.30pm weekdays, this superior choice is located in a peaceful, green setting that speaks to a love of nature and effortless, functional design. The garden offers the chance for children to get their hands dirty and learn about gardening, life cycles, where their food comes from, vegetables, compost and even a working worm farm.
Little Scholars Redland Bay South is down the road and also has everything you’ve come to expect from the Little Scholars team and more. Our architecturally-designed campus has eight beautiful studios which each offer a world of learning and meaningful play for our Little Scholars. Surrounding our campus is a spacious veranda which has open-ended space allowing a flexible indoor/outdoor program that is led by the children, as well as a professionally-designed playground which is tailored to specific age groups, including the area’s largest fort. The moment you enter our doors you will feel at ease as it is our Little Scholars mission to create a calm and safe environment for every child and family, and to give your child a home away from home. We have created nooks throughout our campus so children can have quiet time, large open spaces to allow free play, the Redlands’ largest bike track, loads of natural gardens, exploration spaces, as well as real grass.
Your child can experience:
Looking for the best childcare centre? Redlands Bay Little Scholars welcomes you to join our family! Contact Little Scholars today.
When you work in Brisbane City, it’s often the case of having to drop your child at a suburban childcare centre early in the morning to get to work on time. Days are long, and the distance can be a tad inconvenient. Imagine being able to say goodbye to the hindrances of suburban childcare? Brisbane City offers quality early learning options and here are some great reasons why you should consider it.
Instead of spending your commute time sitting on your own in traffic, on a bus or train, think about how much more time you’d have to really connect with your children if they shared the trip with you each day. There’s nothing so chatty as a toddler in the car – Brisbane’s famous for its long commute times, use that time to talk to your little person!
There’s nothing worse than having to commute an hour or more to a sick child who needs you. With Little Scholars city campus in George Street, a mere ten minutes away from your office building, you can be with your child in no time. With very easy drop off and pick up, and a parent’s breakfast station (with coffee, we understand the importance of morning coffee!) you can pop them into their city childcare centre and even visit at lunch if you want to be sure they’re having a wonderful day!
When you work in the city, the commute time and horrible traffic means it can often be around 6 pm or later when you get to your children in the suburbs. Childcare in Brisbane City, on the other hand, will have you finishing at 5 pm and picking up your children at 5.10 pm; this means more family time and shorter days. Make it even easier on yourself and order from the Little Scholars Take Home Dinner Menu so you don’t have to worry about the children’s dinner when you get home.
When you’re so close to your children’s childcare in the city, it’s so much easier to attend special family days, for example, Little Scholars Father’s Day. You can even drop in for a lunch date to celebrate a birthday. Your children will be so pleased to see you, and you’ll no longer have to live through the parent’s guilt of not being able to attend. Using childcare in Brisbane City that’s close to your office means taking one hour of your time instead of two, three or more.
There are so many exciting things to do with children in the city; you don’t have to wait for the weekend to do them! Our Little Scholars Childcare Brisbane Campus, means you can finish work early, collect your children and take them to explore city favourites like QAGOMA Children’s Art Centre or the Queensland Museum. Work and childcare in the city opens the doors to so many fun opportunities and quality family time. Learn more about the best parks in Brisbane for toddlers and little ones.
Working in the city doesn’t have to be such a strain on family life; make it work for you and your family and consider the benefits of childcare in Brisbane City.
Find out more about Little Scholars’ city childcare in Brisbane or contact us to book a tour of our campus.
Whether you’ve been offered a new position with your dream company or you’re simply looking for the best ‘childcare near me’ in your area, there are a number of factors that require careful and deliberate consideration. Just because it’s urgent doesn’t mean you need to settle for the low bar of “childcare centre near me” – in every area across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, there are childcare centres that go beyond supervision and into education – so, no matter how quickly you need to find a centre, it’s worth comparing the options near you.
Selecting the best childcare Brisbane option for your family is not to be taken lightly. If you are hoping to ensure that your child or children receive the best possible care in the best possible centre, this is a decision-making process that you should begin as soon as you can.
You may be thinking of a childcare centre close to home or close to where you work (and there are benefits to both ideas). With that in mind, here is a brief guide to choosing the best childcare near your work or home.
Perusing a website is a great starting point to selecting the right childcare centre for your family but it doesn’t give you a complete and accurate picture of the philosophy, atmosphere and methodology behind an early education centre. You must visit the facilities to see the learning in action.
Your best option is to secure yourself an individual tour as opposed to being on a group. Questions and concerns can get lost in a crowd and a big group of adults can be a distraction to the children’s learning so you won’t get to see them properly engaged (or not, as the case may be).
You might want to ask the following questions on your tour of a childcare near you:
Other questions may naturally arise during the course of your tour. Pay careful attention to what the children are doing and how their educators are interacting with them. Consider how you would like your child to be treated and see if you can imagine them in this particular space.
We have 14 early learning campuses across the Gold Coast, Redlands and in Brisbane
Your child must have a CRN (customer reference number) with Centrelink in order for you to receive the Childcare Subsidy. You also must have completed your Childcare Subsidy Assessment. You can find further information on that topic here.
Once your centre has your CRN and you are registered with Centrelink for the childcare subsidy then you can leave it in their hands. Subsidy payments will be made directly to the centre according to the rate of subsidy you are eligible for.
Once you have chosen the perfect childcare either near your work place or close to home, there will be a range of enrolment steps you have to go through. A typical enrolment process will include:
It is vital to work with your child and their future educators to create as smooth a transition into childcare and early years learning as possible. This will be dependent on your child’s personality and their prior experience with learning outside of the home.
Your centre should (and make sure you ask this on the tour) have an orientation system in place wherein you spend some time with your child in their learning environment. You might stay for an hour and then leave briefly to see how they go. This is a process that should be tailored to your family’s individual needs – be wary of centres trying to force you out the door before you feel comfortable!
Beyond the orientation program, there are a few things that you could do to ease this transition process.
Finally, ask others for their opinion. Try local Facebook groups, friendship circles and family to see what they have heard about your chosen centre. Check for testimonials that speak in an honest, genuine way about how childcare has enriched the lives of families just like yours.
Choosing the best childcare centre near you is no easy feat. There are so many variables to consider and so little time to make big decisions in! After all, this is your baby. You don’t want to trust your beloved child to just anyone.
If you’ve Googled “childcare near me” talk to Little Scholars School of Early Learning before you settle on a childcare centre. Our commitment to Brisbane, Redlands and Gold Coast families is to provide more than “just supervision” – we go beyond “childcare” – we even go beyond the EYLF guidelines for quality early education.
We believe that these formative years are the building blocks for your child’s whole life and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. Yes, we offer childcare near you, but we offer so much more than that. Just because you urgently need a place for your child, doesn’t mean you need to compromise on care.
Your child doesn’t just deserve the closest childcare to you but the best one. Little Scholars provides the resources and opportunities for your child to flourish
A return to work after having children isn’t all that bad – in fact, there are some pretty good reasons why it could be the best decision you’ll make! Of course, as many mothers experience, mummy guilt will be in full force, but hopefully, these benefits will help you see past that guilt so that you can genuinely look forward to putting your career hat on again.
Just imagine being able to have real adult conversation and drink your coffee in peace – without it going cold. Being able to have a chat on an adult intellectual level is extremely refreshing. No doubt your children will be on your mind at some point in the day which is why you can login to Kindyhub to see what they’ve been up to!
It makes sense, less time with the children at home means your house is likely to stay a lot tidier and you won’t have to clean as often. If mess and clutter does appear, use some nice baskets to quickly throw the clutter into and deal with it on the weekend. Now that’s got to be a huge win, right?
It’s not uncommon for some mothers to feel they lose a bit of themselves when they are home raising a family. They go from being a career woman with ambition to a stay at home mum who finds it hard to focus on her own passions amongst nappy changes, playtime, tantrums and making meals. Of course, every woman is different but many women certainly do regain a sense of purpose and identity when they return to work.
There’s no doubt about it, returning to work after a long period spent at home with your children isn’t easy but, it can be made easier. If you work in Brisbane City, Little Scholars city childcare means you can enjoy quick lunchtime visits to curb the ache!
Looking at the same four walls at home day in and day out can be debilitating for some. Returning to work can mean having the chance to listen to your own music in the car (not The Wiggles), talking to different people every day, looking at different walls and looking out different windows. They say a change is as good as a holiday and returning to work is no different.
As a stay at home mum, having limited opportunities for intellectual stimulation can lead to discontent and restlessness. Although reading books, listening to podcasts or meeting up with friends can be a good way to give your brain a workout, they’re often not the same as getting back into work and doing something that you enjoy and do well.
Going from a stay at home mum to a working mum now juggling two roles, you may think that you’re failing in so many ways. The truth is, going back to work will have your children seeing another side of you and admiring the new you at the same time. You’ll truly become supermum in your child’s eyes if you order their favourite from the takeaway dinner menu, too!
As a mum, you’ll always be your own worst critic but when it comes time to return to work, why not look at the positives and remind yourself that you’re doing it for you – and a better you means you can be a better person for your kids.
Time to return to work? Contact us to arrange a tour!
Make going back to work easier for yourself and your little one. With convenient locations and speciality services Little Scholars will ease the mental load so you can enjoy your return to work.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
"*" indicates required fields
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
"*" indicates required fields
Fill in the form to join your local Pram Pals mums and bubs walk
