Choosing childcare brings many questions, and clear guidance helps. This section explains your ECE options, what quality looks like, and your rights – so you can choose well and know what to do if a service isn’t meeting your expectations or legal standards.
Packing a lunch‑box can feel overwhelming when you’re trying to meet ECE food‑safety rules and still send food your child will happily eat. This guide gives you clear, practical tips that remove the guesswork and help you feel confident your child’s lunch is safe, nutritious, and fully ECE‑ready.
Parents and teachers will discover the seven essential skills children need before starting school. This article shows how everyday experiences help children build the confidence, independence and readiness they need to thrive in their first year of school.
If you are worried that an early childhood service is not meeting minimum standards, this page explains exactly how to raise a concern and who to contact at each step. It also links to protections for complainants, relevant agencies, real case studies and a list of services that have had their licences downgraded.
Six Signs of Quality Early Childhood Education. What is quality? Actual quality is about what a parent and child experiences and how they see their
The personal characteristics of the person or people you are leaving your child with are important to consider when making your choice. Are you returning
A checklist to help parents assess whether an ECE service supports breastfeeding, nurtures infant wellbeing, and creates a truly family‑friendly environment. A supportive ECE environment can make it easier for families to continue breastfeeding, strengthening the parent‑child bond, supporting healthy brain development, and protecting infant health.
Childcare. When you leave your child with another person/s this is childcare. Nearly every family at some time uses some form of care for their child. Childcare is what
Home-based. By Dr Sarah Alexander. Home-based childcare is also known as In-home care and as family daycare. Home-based ECE is when someone looks after up to 4 children at
Teacher-led Centres. By Dr Sarah Alexander. Professionally staffed, teacher-led centres are those that you can leave your child at – these centres are both childcare
Parent-led centre means a licensed centre at which parents are involved in caring for and teaching children. Parents are also involved in the management and
Montessori Rudolf-Steiner and Kindergarten. By Dr Sarah Alexander. Montessori Montessori early childhood centres or schools are different to walk into from most kindergartens and other
Space and Overcrowding. By Sarah Alexander. When you walk into an early childhood centre or home-based education setting you are likely to feel either one
Arranging childcare. By Dr Sarah Alexander. Most families at some time make personal childcare arrangements. It is actually very common for families to combine personal
Many parents wonder when the best time is for their child to start early childhood education. We explain why starting later doesn’t disadvantage children and the factors that matter most for a smooth transition, from secure attachment to supportive settling‑in, and highlights the different pathways families can choose, including Playcentre.
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