When Should You Start Your Childcare Search?

When Should You Start Your Childcare Search? Aurora Early Education Rowville is holding an Open House on July 5th from 10:30 am-12:00 pm. We invite our Rowville community to come visit us, meet our educators and explore our environment! Our Open House is part of our mission to build deeper connections with our families and extended community. It will also be a wonderful time for families who are newly looking for childcare to ask questions that will help them navigate the world of childcare. At Aurora, we are committed to the holistic development of children. This includes ensuring that families within the Aurora community have access to information and advice that will help them make the best decisions for their children. One of the first decisions that many a parent has to make is when and where to begin childcare. Many families find it reassuring to start looking for care in the middle of their pregnancy. We explore why getting a head-start on your search for care is important. It allows you time to explore different centers No important decision should be made in haste. When first thinking about what childcare center to send your child to, it is important to start with some preliminary research. This will involve

asking other parents their opinions, and in today’s digital world, checking online ratings and reviews. Visiting the childcare centers you shortlist can also be extremely helpful in your decision process. Most centers offer tours, which allows families to visit the centers, talk to the staff and gain an insight into how the center approaches care. At Aurora, our tours involve visits to our rooms, outdoor play spaces and the opportunity to have an extended chat with some of our educators. This gives families a chance to ask us any questions they have. Most high quality child care centers have a significant amount of families on their wait list, who are waiting for spots to open up. Once you have narrowed down on a few childcare centers that you have been impressed by, you can waitlist with them in advance. Most centers will allow you to book a space for upto a year ahead. So, if you have loved a centre, reserve a space with them to ensure that they will have the spot for you once you’re ready for your little one to start care. It allows you time to build connections As you ponder about the ‘when’ and the ‘where’ of childcare, it is also important to consider the ‘who’. The people, the teams, and the overall community surrounding your child plays very significant roles. We all know how developmentally beneficial it is to get involved in the community, similarly, getting involved with the childcare center’s community is just as valuable. Exploring and choosing a childcare center early allows you to begin building connections with the childcare community. Many centers have events for their current and waitlisted families that allows families to get to know educators and ask questions. Building a connection with a childcare center early also allows families to get to know other families who are part of the center. Building relationships with other parents can be comforting and important as you begin the parenting journey yourself! When looking for care in mid-pregnancy, it can be comforting to know who the other parents are and their experiences with the childcare center. Children can get along better this way and

parents can form an alliance based on good trust and appreciation for the childcare center. What should you look for when visiting childcare centers? Expecting parents should consider what unique offerings each center has to guide their decision making. Aurora offers a combination of Eastern and Western Philosophies to guide individualized learning programs enriched with mindfulness. Our centers also offer extensive activities to support connections to the community, exciting daily specialist programs supporting holistic learning and a multi-age setting to provide your child with an optimum learning environment. Following our philosophy of ‘Love and Play’, we urge Aurora’s children to engage in learning activities involving and surrounded by nature, music, and art. And, we use them to build on their interaction with the environment; to achieve sustainability, senior citizens; to establish inter- generational care, as well as reconciliation; to construct respect between cultures. Essentially, to ensure your child’s full potential is being met, it is important to start thinking early, explore all your options, do your research, and see a potential to build a trusting partnership with the facility in your journey to finding the perfect childcare center for you. Are you interested in visiting Aurora Early Education? Aurora Early Education Rowville is having an Open House on 5th July 2020! Register your interest on our Facebook page here. Or, give our Rowville center a call at (03) 9755 7444!