At every Cuddles Childcare Centre in the Perth area, we stay abreast of every new development and resource that helps parents and children. Recently, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) announced a great new resource for parents: Starting Blocks.
What is it
Starting Blocks is a website that is designed to help parents improve the quality of their children’s lives by giving them a great start. This is accomplished by teaching parents about how important it is to develop children in early childhood. According to Rachel Hunter, the Chair of ACECQA, “Children learn more in their first five years than at any time in their lives.”
Starting Blocks is designed to help parents navigate what can often seem like a maze of child care options, especially in the Perth area, and figure out which child care option is the most appropriate for their child’s development.
How it Helps in Decision Making
Ms Hunter is of the opinion that parents are most likely to use “word of mouth” information consisting of referrals and personal contacts when making a decision on a child care provider. While this can often be effective, she doesn’t believe it is enough to make a fully informed decision. She wants Starting Blocks to help provide parents, not only in Perth but across Australia, with an alternative source for information that can help parents make their decision.
Starting Blocks was created to help parents know what they should be looking for when trying to make sure that their children receive a care and learning experience of the highest quality. Starting Blocks has information that can help parents choose a child care centre or help them educate their preschooler at home. We feel that both of these options can be appropriate for Perth area parents, depending upon their individual family situations.
ACECQA research has found that many parents have no idea as to how greatly early learning can benefit children less than five years of age. Also, the research indicates that parents don’t fully understand the quality standards that the Government introduced to ensure that child care facilities are continuously striving for excellence and improving the educational experience for preschoolers.
According to Ms Hunter, all parents but especially new parents need to have access to information they can trust will help them make informed decisions for the care and education of their preschoolers.
Starting Blocks is designed to help not only those who are looking at child care options outside the home, but those who wish to educate their children at home, too. Most of all, it is about helping to ensure that each child’s individual developmental requirements are being fulfilled.
Starting Blocks: The Parents’ Starting Point
The name “Starting Blocks” comes from the intention for the website to be a starting point for helping parents to understand how important early education is to a child’s development. It has many links to help parents, not only with care choices, but also with parenting. Starting Blocks provides plenty of links to outside sources to help families with all aspects of parenting and child development.
Ultimately, the site is designed to help parents make the right decision when considering the many child care options in areas such as Perth. However, it all starts with realising how important early education is to your child.
Starting Blocks also provides information about how child care facilities are assessed using national quality standards. It is their intention to eventually rate all facilities, helping parents with their choices.
What This Means to Your Child
Every Cuddles Childcare Centre in the Perth area sees the Government standards as a mere starting point. We were already surpassing the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) before it was created. Our motto is “Learning Through Play” and we are among the very best at providing your child with numerous opportunities to learn, both through group playing and individual playing.
We have activities such as Messy Play, Jessie’s Art Time, Jolly Phonics, Junior Soccer Goals and Shake ‘n’ Bake. All of these help your children develop skills such as motor coordination, mathematics, reasoning and literacy.
To learn more, contact the Cuddles Childcare Centre in the Perth area nearest to you.
