When it comes to early years care, there’s a lot of ground to cover. It’s important to make sure your organisation is doing everything it can to provide the best possible care for children.
Below are 10 best practises we recommend every early years care organisation should be following. Take a look and see how your care organisation measures up!
Develop an Inclusive, Welcoming and Supportive Environment
Making your early childhood organisation inclusive, welcoming and supportive is a commitment that should be at the heart of everything you do. It starts with your attitude and the way you approach new families.
Promote an inclusive practise that encourages all children to be, belong and become. This means celebrating diversity and difference, and creating a space where everyone feels welcome and respected. Staff should be aware of their own attitudes and behaviours, and be open to learning more about inclusion.
This commitment to inclusion should be evident in all aspects of your organisation, from the way you use existing space and materials to the way you train your staff. Quality inclusive play is possible with a little imagination and some creative thinking.
Promote a Sense of Belonging and Social Wellbeing
When you’re looking for the best early years care for your child, you want to ensure they feel comfortable and welcomed in their new environment. The staff at these organisations should be promoting a sense of belonging and social wellbeing in all the children in their care.
This starts with creating a positive environment where all children feel safe and accepted. Staff should be attentive to any signs that a child is feeling left out or isolated, and work to create opportunities for them to connect with their peers.
It’s also important to foster a sense of community among the families of the children attend these organisations. Parents should feel welcome to come in and chat with other parents, and participate in activities that help build relationships.
Provide a Safe and Hygienic Environment
It’s important that every early years care organisation provides a safe and hygienic environment for the children in their care. This means following proper infection control procedures, ensuring good hygiene habits are in place, and providing a healthy food and nutrition programme.
In addition, it’s essential to have a safe play area for the children to explore and learn in. The staff at Spring Forward Family Centre are dedicated to providing a safe and healthy environment for all of the children entrusted to our care.
Encourage Positive Behaviours Through Positive Reinforcement
An important part of setting children up for long-term success is to encourage positive behaviours in early years care settings. Positive behaviour support strategies have been proven to be highly effective in preventing and addressing challenging behaviours. At Spring Forward Family Centre, we strongly believe in a strength-based approach which promotes development and belonging for all children.
Positive reinforcement activities are used to teach social cues of acceptable behaviour. These activities are seen as rewards or incentives which guide children to engage in desired behaviours that align with their values, beliefs, and interests. For example, we run a behavioural chart system where kids can earn rewards such as extra play time or an extra book at lunchtime when they display appropriate behaviour. We also use verbal praise, sticker charts, visual reminders and more to reinforce positive behaviour.
These types of activities can help create a sense of belonging for each child and encourage them to be successful now and into the future.
Acknowledge Parents as the Primary Educators of Their Children
At Spring Forward Family Centre, we understand and acknowledge that parents are the primary educators of their children in Australia and should be respected for this. We believe that families should have a choice on the type of early years care they want for their children. This is why we Ensure that our services are tailored to meet each family’s individual needs and values.
Part of this means listening to and understanding each family’s expectations and ensuring our services reflect these in a meaningful way. This includes listening to what families want for their child, helping them make informed decisions about their educational experience, and building strong partnerships with families.
Additionally, at Spring Forward Family Centre, we are committed to being sensitive and respectful to each family’s unique culture. We strive to create an environment where every family’s beliefs, values, customs and languages are respected.
Foster Creativity and Learning Through Play-Based Activities
As parents, we all want what’s best for our children and that includes setting them up for success in their educational future. Setting them up with creative learning activities is a surefire way of encouraging development in their early years.
Creative play helps kids explore and make sense of the environment around them by letting them take risks and learn from their mistakes in a safe space. So, it is important to give your little ones the opportunity to explore their limits and reach new milestones through play. Make sure that there are inclusive spaces for independent exploration with ample resources for them to learn from such as books, art materials, toys, and more. Kids are not just learning when they are playing; they are also developing problem-solving skills, expressing themselves, building self-confidence, fostering positive relationships with others, and discovering new interests that can last a lifetime.
Ensure Natural Resources Are Used Appropriately
Developing sustainable practises in early years care is incredibly important. As a community, we must eventually hand our planet off to the next generation, and we must be sure we’ve done our part to keep it healthy.
To this end, it’s essential for all early years care organisations to promote sustainable practises when it comes to natural resources and environment. This can look different for everyone, depending on the location of your centre and other factors. In Australia, for instance, you should make sure you’re consciously reducing your water use and minimising waste whenever possible.
If you’re not sure where to start with promoting sustainability in your organisation, why not discuss with parents how they incorporate sustainability into their home lives? This can provide some really great role-modelling behaviours! Additionally, you could consider starting an environmental committee that meets periodically to discuss ways of promoting green behaviour in the centre.
Encourage Communication Between All Stakeholders
When it comes to providing the best early education services, one of the most important things to get right is getting everyone on the same page. This means setting up respectful and positive communication between parents and carers, while engaging stakeholders to get the necessary info they need to provide high quality early years care.
To develop effective partnerships with everyone involved in providing early years care, it’s essential to have common goals and undertake collaborative planning. In Australia, encouraging communication between all stakeholders should be an ongoing priority for every organisation in the sector – from educators, support staff, and parents/carers – to ensure that every child’s needs are met.
This will help create a positive environment for children to learn, grow and develop into their full potential. It is also important for organisations to keep up-to-date with any changes in the industry and best practises that arise from these discussions to ensure that they continue providing high quality service.
Prioritise Nutrition, Safety and Physical Wellbeing
As parents, it’s important to ensure that not just the education of our little ones is taken care of, but that they are also surrounded by a safe and healthy environment. According to research, 90% of all children in Australia attend pre-school and this should be emphasised in all early years care organisations.
To ensure the healthiest start for our children, the food served should meet all nutrition guidelines to ensure the children have access to healthy meals. In addition, physical activities should be promoted within an early years setting, such as outdoor playtime or organised sports activities. The focus should always be on developing healthy habits from an early age and teaching children about making healthy life choices.
Finally, safety must always be a top priority when providing care for young children. Childcare centres should employ practises such as up-to-date safety inspections, staff training and ensuring that appropriate policies are in place that put safety first in all situations with no exceptions.
Ensure Staff Welfare and Professional Development
Providing staff with training and development in Early Childhood Education & Care is essential for creating a successful early years care organisation. Not only does it provide your staff with the knowledge and skills to properly look after children, but it also reinforces the importance of Early Childhood Education & Care as a profession.
To ensure your staff are properly supported, you should provide them with the resources and support they need to undertake relevant courses, network with other early years professionals, and understand the relevant legislation. Additionally, ensuring your staff welfare by implementing policies around paid overtime can help ensure that their rights are respected and that their workload is manageable.
Lastly, developing transdisciplinary professional partnerships between specialists in different fields can help your organisation benefit from research-based evidence of best practise models as well as structured team collaboration. All of these measures can help ensure that your staff has the tools they need to provide the best possible care for children in their early years.
Conclusion
So, what are the 10 best practises that every early years care organisation should be doing?
- Putting the child’s needs first
- Having qualified and experienced staff
- Offering a diverse range of programmes and activities
- Promoting healthy lifestyles
- Supporting parents and families
- Encouraging positive relationships
- Providing a safe and secure environment
- Promoting early childhood education
- Developing partnerships with the community
- Focusing on continuous improvement.
