Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre has been re-awarded an Excellent Rating
Date re-awarded: 28 August 2019
Valid until: 27 August 2022
Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre has been re-awarded the Excellent rating by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), the highest rating a service can achieve under the National Quality Framework.
The Brisbane based service was recognised for its inclusive partnerships with children and families, practice and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth, positive workplace culture and organisational values.
Examples of exceptional practice at the service include:
- Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre has close partnerships with its local community. As the service is located close to Army Barracks, there are a number of military families who area part of the Everton Park Childcare and Development centre Military Parents visit the service regularly and explain to the children what they do. This investigation has led to a child at the service suggesting sending presents to military men and women service overseas. Children at the service sent pictures and families donated items such as magazines, sweet treats and other items to remind them of home. This resulted in a local service man calling from Afghanistan to speak to the children, thanking them for the gifts.
- The Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre, assisted a family who lost their home, car and belongings in a house fire. Families and community members dropped off bags of clothing, gift cards for groceries and bathroom consumables. The Cook at the service organised nutritious easy to heat up meals for the family. The service provided main meals for the family for two weeks until the meals were no longer needed. The service help raise $11,000 to help the family rebuild their lives.
- Following the director’s visit to a Forrest School in the United Kingdom, the service trialled the introduction of a ‘no toys week’, where all the plastic toys at the service were replaced with small loose parts in both the indoor and outdoor environments. The educators at the service observed very different outcomes for the children. Educators at the service noted that children engaged in more cooperative play and that there were less arguments in regards to the play equipment. During this time the educators developed a valuable child focused program guided by observations. Following reflection on the ‘no toys week’ trial period the educators have instigated the loose parts program on a permanent basis.
- The Everton Park Child Care and Development centre provides a bush kinder program within the services outdoor environment. The service is fortunate to be able to utilise their own environment, even though the service is located within an inner-city suburb. The environment also attracts a variety of natural wildlife which the children observe. The bush kinder program utilises a fire pit to allow cooking outdoors on the campfire, building of cubbies from natural materials, the installation of rope courses and children sleeping outdoors. Children are actively involved in the care and maintenance of the bush environment and with the assistance of the Outdoor Educational Leader, have designed and set up more challenging aspects in the environment, including rope courses and play elements built with large loose parts. Nature Play Queensland recognised the Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre for providing a bush kinder program within their service In April 2018.
As a leader in the sector, Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre created a number of opportunities to shares its practice and learnings with other education and care services including the establishment of a local directors’ network along with offering and conducting service tours, helping to ensure their positive impact reaches beyond the children and families who access their service.
About the Excellent rating
Services that receive ‘Exceeding National Quality Standard’ in all seven quality areas can apply for the Excellent rating. The Excellent rating is awarded for three years. After this time services have the option to re-apply.
More information is available on the ACECQA website.