Philosophy

At the Golden Grove Homestead Community Children’s Centre we will provide a warm, welcoming, secure environment where all families are respected, supported, included and valued. We aim to provide a learning space for children where their individual voices, capabilities and potential are nourished and recognised.

For the Children
We will support all children’s secure attachment through primary caregiving and consistent and warm relationships. We will provide opportunities for open-ended natural environments for children to engage with. We acknowledge the importance of outdoor play and we will encourage and promote the natural connection children have to nature.
Routines and transitions are an integral and meaningful part of our day. We will, therefore, collaborate with children and their families so that our routines and transitions are carefully planned and negotiated and that they are flexible and responsive. We aim to establish an environment where diversity is genuinely valued and embedded into our curriculum in an inclusive way. We will plan and provide a range of physical/active and restful experiences throughout the day. We will provide an appropriate level of challenge, whilst children are encouraged to explore, experiment, play and take appropriate risks in their learning within a safe and secure environment.

For our Parents and Families
We believe that children belong first to a family and we acknowledge all families are unique. We believe families are the primary educators of the children in our care and we will therefore value and support them in their role. We believe in shared decision making with families to support the consistency between children’s experiences at home and at the service.
We recognise the importance of extended families, kinship ties, carers and guardians in children’s lives.
Partnerships with families contribute to building a strong, inclusive community within the service. We will provide opportunities for families to contribute to and participate within the centre in various ways.
We believe in exchanging information about the curriculum using various forms of media. We aim to provide meaningful documentation in a format that can be shared with the families that records each child’s participation. We will collaborate with families to ensure that learning experiences are meaningful and differences are honoured and celebrated.
We offer information regarding community service and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing.

For our Educators
We believe that our educators are the centre’s most valuable resource. Our educators are encouraged and supported to develop warm respectful relationships with children, create a safe and predictable environment and encourage children’s active engagement in the curriculum.
Our educators work collaboratively with each other and with families. Educators convey a mutual respect, equity and recognition of each other’s strength and skills.
We will provide educators with a safe and comfortable working environment with opportunities to share in decision making and we will provide ongoing professional development.

For the Community
We believe that the centre offers a valuable contribution to the community. We aim to further develop this partnership by; collaborating with other organisations and service providers to enhance children’s learning and wellbeing; to build and maintain links with relative community and support agencies, by accessing inclusion and support assistance (when needed) and building and maintaining links with local community and support agencies.
We recognise the importance of establishing and maintaining links with local schools, council, libraries and other organisations. We believe in being actively involved in and hosting community events in our local area.

We acknowledge and respect the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people of today.