What does childcare at Sandcastles involve?
Childcare involves not only ‘caring' for your children but supporting their learning and facilitating the development of knowledge and skills as well. Throughout their time at our centres, children are provided with developmentally appropriate learning experiences to support their growth and development. From babies to preschoolers, children's needs are met through staff providing appropriate learning experiences based on individual and group needs and interests.

What is my role as a parent?
We recognise parents as the primary carers and educators of their children. Our carers encourage parents to spend time within the centre to help establish and maintain positive relationships, and open and honest communication channels, to ensure children's needs are met on a daily basis.
Our aim is to work in partnership with families to achieve continuity of care for children, this is essential for in order to provide high quality childcare. Interaction/communication between children, staff and families is characterised by warmth, responsiveness, positive support and respect for each other. We value children as competent and capable learners, collaborators and decision makers who are actively involved in the learning process.

Our centres have an ‘open-door policy'. Parents are welcome to call us at anytime or visit their child during the day, and they are asked to give feedback on policies and procedures throughout the year, i.e. through surveys and at parent nights. Any changes to policies and procedures are outlined to parents in advance via newsletters and notices. Parents are invited to share their ideas and insights on learning programs for children.

Any parental involvement, however small, is always welcome and appreciated. We also recognise that parents should have the option of not being involved (beyond a minimum level of communication with staff each day) if that is their preference.
Our centres have a Parent Committee to provide input and ideas to the service and to help us cater for the differing needs of families within the centre.

Are the children ‘just playing' or do you also educate my child?
At Sandcastles, care and education is intertwined with our play-based learning programs. From your child's first day in care we observe and plan learning experiences based on their interests, needs and developmental level, at the same time meeting your child's physical and emotional needs.

Child Portfolios
As part of the care and education program the centre uses Child Portfolios to document evidence of each child's learning and development. They are a collection of observations, evidence of children's work/achievements and anecdotes of your child's experiences while in care. Child Portfolios become a story of your child's life at Sandcastles, showing skills developed over time, telling stories of play situations, of interactions and friendships being made, your child's interests, likes, dislikes and other events or activities while in care.

These portfolios are used to plan experiences and make appropriate provisions to meet and extend upon the individual needs and interests of your child. They are available to parents at all times. Parents are encouraged to view, discuss, comment on or add to them at any time in consultation with your child's Room Leader. Child Portfolios are private and confidential and are available only to appropriate centre staff and parents.

Programming for Children
Children's programs are planned by the room staff to include play-based experiences for children across all developmental areas to support the development of the whole child. Staff members work in partnership with families and their children to create a program that provides meaningful learning experiences. We implement the NSW Curriculum Framework and an ‘Emergent Curriculum' which combines contemporary and traditional ways of thinking about and planning care and education programs. We also use The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.

The learning program evolves over the week to include information provided by families, children's ideas, spontaneous learning opportunities, staff ideas and teaching strategies. Staff ensure the learning programs in each classroom: