Family Day Care Service in Northern Territory receives Excellent rating
Kentish Lifelong Learning and Care Incorporated has been awarded the Excellent rating from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
The Excellent rating is the highest a service can achieve under the National Quality Framework (NQF) for early childhood education and care.
ACECQA Board Chair Rachel Hunter said Kentish Lifelong Learning and Care Incorporated, which operates family day care services in Darwin, Palmerston and Katherine, showed exceptional practice across a range of areas.
“Kentish Lifelong Learning and Care Incorporated understands that by celebrating culture and diversity and supporting educators, you create an environment where children can thrive,” Ms Hunter said.
The service employs a cultural and heritage officer to provide a range of experiences and programs that bring members of the community together to celebrate and recognise the culture and tradition of the local Larrakia people. Activities include hunting and gathering in the mangroves, wood carving, bush walking, learning about bush tucker, spear making, storytelling and musical experiences with Indigenous elders, basket weaving and painting with Indigenous artists.
Kentish Lifelong Learning and Care Incorporated supports its educators to further their cultural awareness and bring new cultural experiences into the program. The service offers regular training opportunities, visits from the service’s resource officers and social and networking activities to support its rural and remote educators.
The service recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and marked the occasion by organising a conference for educators across the Northern Territory to hear from expert speakers.
“Kentish Lifelong Learning and Care Incorporated has worked hard to successfully implement a respectful and authentic Australian Indigenous program, and to engage and support educators and families,” Ms Hunter said.
“Congratulations to Kentish Lifelong Learning and Care Incorporated on their outstanding achievement and their contribution to the local community and wider education and care sector.”
Services that receive an overall rating of ‘Exceeding the National Quality Standard’ can apply for the Excellent rating. More information is available on the ACECQA website.
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