Stepping Stones Two Wells

11th May 2009

This centre is a stark contrast to Two Wells Community Children’s Centre (TCCC) in the way that the foyer was decorated. Unlike TCCC there seems to be an absence of community input and children’s decorations (even though this is a privately run ‘chain’ child care and TCCC is government run).When I arrived the director was very busy working with the children and asked for me to come and find her if I needed her. Presumably they were either short staffed or had few children.Later, another worker arrived. It turned out that it was the director from Ingle Farm Stepping Stones coming to assist with preparations for accreditation. Earlier the director had told me that accreditation would occur any day now.

This is what parents can see as soon as they open the door. The foyer area is a very large space with a great deal of room

on the walls in comparison to TWCCC. The table and chairs set up here seem to be for display purposes.

At the centre of the Parent Information wall is this set of notices. Interestingly, the venue for the CYWHS visit is actually Two Wells Children’s

Centre but they do not want to advertise the name of their competitor.

Local health care services. Two Wells and Virginia are lower down on the list.

The centre is having a family information night which may be worth attending?

Policy of the month is ‘anti-bias and exclusion.’

Photos framed showing the history of the centre including the house that was demolished so that the centre could be built!

The rooms in the centre are very similar.

This area is devoted to accreditation and each strawberry refers to a quality area being addressed. The book shelves hold NCAC pamphlets. The open folder holds the centre’s policies and is

perhaps more accessible here.

Inside the building there are safety gates at each end of the foyer.

MusicThe TV was not playing during the time I was here. Instead,

children’s nursery rhymes/songs could be heard playing from the sound system. The songs (such as This Old Man) were obviously from a CD sung by children with very strong American accents. Later the director came and changed the CD which was located behind the front desk to more gentle sounding lullabies. When I asked her about the change of music she said that the music is played via a sound system throughout the centre. It was now nap time throughout the centre so the music would help the children to relax and go to sleep. There seemed to be a very

structured routine for the centre as a whole rather than for each area (babies and toddlers). I later wondered if the music was also piped into the babies sleeping room as they would need to sleep

more often.

PamphletsThis display of pamphlets was very clearly organised. There was only one of each pamphlet available on the stand. If you wanted a copy you have to get one from the shelving hidden behind this shelf and the wall. If you were a parent browsing, you may not

realise this and avoid picking up what seems to be the last pamphlet. Also the majority of pamphlets were from the same

Napcan (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) series. There were also 5 PEGS on display (single

parenting, tantrums, sibling rivalry, feeding toddlers, starting school) but behind in the hidden shelves there were a few more

different PEGS (stepfamilies, grief and loss, after the breakup, thinking divorce, the internet).

Also located on the shelf behind the display shelves is this enrolment package for kids to attend TWCCC kindergarten. Perhaps it needs to be made available (ie not behind the front desk)for accreditation purposes but

its location was not easily accessible. It seemed hidden away to me. Stepping Stones provide child care only.

3 different language versions of the same pamphlet. The none English versions have a more explicit picture of shaking a baby.

Dental information for expectant mothers and about young kids.

Information for expectant mothers

There was quite a bit of emphasis on different cultures

including information and a map about China, different flags

of the world, a ‘We are the children of the world’ section

with nursery rhymes from Britain, France, Sweden, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico,

Australia and Scotland written in the native language and English. There was also an

English alphabet but with an indigenous theme. DSC01028

A wall space dedicated to the centre’s 4 goals (not 3!).

This small pamphlet holder provides a very limited number of commercial pamphlets, so they are not from NCAC or Napcan.

Every space is covered. However, in other child care centres even the front desk has posters stuck to it. These stickers look like they originate from the US.

The front door has directive information on it – How to enter, what to bring, how to collect kids etc

Language – culture - knowledge - talent

Information attached to the door about fee increases at Stepping Stones.

Interesting to read the routine of the centre rather than a routine for toddlers and one for babies. I got a sense from the foyer that a lot of emphasis is placed on routine, structure and organisation.

The obligatory NCAC posters also found at TWCCC

Behind the gates there is artwork by the kids which is entirely absent from the foyer area.

By the front door on the outside of the building is this sign linking Stepping Stones to the local community

This sign refers parents who have a child with developmental delays to playgroup program held outside Two Wells.

Health warnings placed on the door prior to entry into the centre.