Our centre offers the QLD Government-approved ‘Free Kindy’ Program.

At Community Kids Waterford Early Education Centre, your child will benefit from the QLD ‘Free Kindy’ Government-approved program as part of our enhanced learning program. Our Kindergarten program will support your child’s learning, development, and well-being for now, at school and beyond. We tailor our Kindergarten program across:

• Numeracy
• Literacy
• Emotional and Social DevelopmentSelf regulation
• Healthy minds and bodies
  

The added benefits of our Kindergarten program include:

• QLD ‘Free Kindy’ Government-approved program
• Extended opening hours
• Open all year round (excl public holidays)
• Programs developed and delivered by our Early Childhood Teachers
• Exclusive music and movement program for self-regulation

“Let the child be the scriptwriter, director and the actor in their own play” - Magda Gerber

Nursery Space: 6 weeks – 2 years

Learning starts from before birth, and our Educators have created a welcoming and nurturing nursery environment where each baby feels safe to explore and discover new things - through their senses, their communication and cues (body language, facial expression and sounds) and through experimentation. On any given day you can see the nursery children engaging in all types of play including sensory play, music time, story time and more. Every day provides a brand new, exciting adventure for our babies to support their development, learning and wellbeing.

Toddler Space: 2 - 3 years

Our teachers and educators encourage the children to learn through play to help enhance their sensory-motor development. This happens through carefully planned music, dance, games, role playing and reading experiences.

On any given day the Toddlers can be seen developing their numeracy by building a tower, sorting objects, pointing and identifying shapes and patterns and participating in counting songs and games.

Children in our toddler space are encouraged to participate in group play. Group play is important as it helps our toddlers develop important social skills such as, turn-taking, developing self-confidence and emotional self-regulation. Our skilled team helps children through talking, planning and role modelling.

Kindergarten Space: 3 – 6 years

Kindergarten is a unique time for learning with peers and developing skills for later learning including confidence and curiosity, important skills for starting school. Our play-based program has school readiness at its core, encouraging active engagement in learning and supporting a range of positive developmental outcomes including resilience, independence, critical thinking and creativity.

The oral language supports literacy learning and a child’s oral language ability is the best predictor for later success in learning to read and write. Hearing the sounds within a language is the first critical step for all literacy learning. Our team supports our Kindergarten children's literacy development by engaging in rich discussions, reading, storytelling, dramatic play and experimentation all of which introduce new vocabulary as part of everyday conversations.

Throughout the Kindergarten year, children use their language to share ideas, ask questions, express themselves, and connect with peers and adults in social settings.

Social-emotional skills, including the ability to self-regulate emotions, are supported through group learning experiences. Our team supports each child’s social and emotional development by labelling and talking about emotions and supporting appropriate responses as together, they engage in new and challenging situations. Our goal in the Kindergarten year is to prepare children and families for a smooth transition to primary school.

Our centre chef prepares and cooks nutritious meals daily, catering to the unique dietary requirements of every child. We believe that by encouraging active participation (such as growing their own fruit and vegetables, preparing, and finally cooking!) children learn to appreciate and understand the importance of healthy eating across a wide variety of food.

Our centre offers seasonal whole food-based menus – created to delight the fussiest eaters.

Hi my name is Sarah, and I am the Centre Manager here at Community Kids Waterford. I began my career in early childhood education in 2005, and I started at Community Kids Waterford in 2019. I hold a Diploma in Children's Services.

I have been inspired to work in early education because I want to make children feel safe, secure and supported. I am passionate about helping children on their learning and life journey and to be able to witness their growth and development. 

There are many learning benefits of attending a dedicated early childhood education and care centre compared to learning at home. Children develop their curiosity, problem-solving, confidence and resilience at our centre, and we carefully plan play-based learning experiences around their interests and learning goals. Over time, you will see your child develop abilities such as language, motor movement, memory, concentration and social relationships all by partaking in these experiences - it's a truly incredible journey to witness!

At Community Kids Waterford, we have long-serving, multicultural team members who reflect our local community. Many have been with the centre for over five years. Our team is extremely passionate about creating a centre that is a home away from home for both families and children, where our team celebrates the diversity of all cultures. The centre is an extension of the home environment, and we work in partnership with families to ensure this is the case, understanding each child's individual needs.

We understand that starting at a new centre can be overwhelming and that is why from the very first enquiry, we make sure that we address all your questions one by one. We walk families through all the forms and administration that need to be done. This includes enrolment forms, Child Care Subsidy (CCS), explaining subsidies, government caps, centre schedules, our centre menu and more. In addition, we have an open-door policy that is always available for families and children.

Welcome to Community Kids Waterford!