Like any other new parent, the idea of sending our beautiful baby girl, Sofia, off to childcare was a daunting one. The warm and wonderful team at Goodstart took our worries away.
Picture :: Wayne Pearson
Nothing can prepare you for the moment you lay eyes on your baby. It’s a love I never knew existed until Sofia arrived — and from that moment, I turned into a fierce lion, ready to protect her at all costs.
I was filled with wonderful stories from Hayley about her boys’ time at Goodstart and I had visited their beautiful childcare centres in the past, but I’ve been so nervous about the idea of dropping Sofia off for the day. To calm my nerves when I planned to go back to work when Sofia was three-months-old, I started doing
my research because if I was leaving her with someone, I needed to trust them 100 percent. We took Sofia on not one, but three tours around our local Goodstart Early Learning Centres to prepare for the big day, and you can feel the effort, dedication, care and personal touches the directors put into each one.
We went in knowing absolutely nothing and left armed with all the information and confidence to send our baby girl to one of these brilliant early learning centres. During the tour, I asked the Centre Director, Jodie, about 14 billion questions, so I thought I’d share her answers with you in the hope it makes any other new mama’s transition to childcare that little bit easier.
WHAT AGE CAN I START SENDING MY CHILD TO DAY CARE?
At Goodstart, we look after kids from six weeks of age through to school age. We also have a specialised kindy program for four-year-olds to school age.
Picture :: Wayne Pearson
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE SPACE INVITING AND FUN?
The nursery rooms are filled with natural light and plenty of soft elements to make them homely. We have diffusers throughout our spaces, with soothing scents to reassure and comfort the babies, and the nursery rooms are rich with opportunities for sensory play. Everything is kept to an extremely high standard of cleanliness, including wearing specific shoes or shoe covers in nursery areas to make sure it’s always safe for babies to crawl around and explore. As the kids get older, they move on to the outdoor playgrounds, indoor craft stations and are encouraged to continue doing what makes them happy!
WHAT’S THE STYLE OF LEARNING AT GOODSTART?
We’re a play-based learning centre, which means we follow whatever your child is interested in. They lead the learning every step of the way and we work to support their passions! During your child’s first year, their brain doubles in size, so we offer stimulating, age- appropriate experiences to continually support their learning and development.
Picture :: Wayne Pearson
WHO MAKES UP THE GOODSTART TEAM?
All of our educators are fully qualified in early childhood education and care, and are first-aid trained. And above all else, our team members are warm, kind and open to any questions you may have. We encourage you to pick up the phone for a chat anytime.
WHERE DO THE BABIES SLEEP?
Every child has the same cot each visit, made up with fresh linen that’s washed onsite every day so they have familiarity and fall into a routine with us.
WHAT DO THE CHILDREN EAT AT GOODSTART?
For babies, we work extremely closely with the family to make sure we’re giving them what they need; and as they get older, they enjoy fresh meals that are prepared each day by our fully qualified cook onsite. We celebrate all religions and beliefs and reflect these choices as well as any allergies in our food preparation.
Picture :: Wayne Pearson
As the team at Goodstart told me, there’s NO such thing as a silly question — so if you’re ready to get a feel for your child’s day care, book a tour at any of the 50 Goodstart Early Learning Centres around SA. I promise it will help put any worried mama’s mind at ease.
