We love and appreciate Mother Duck Lawnton. My girl’s really happy going there, she’s learning lots, and we really appreciate the relationships she has with her educators. They are wonderful people who clearly care for the little ones in their charge. Thanks for what you all do. 

Amanda - parent 

Wonderful and experienced educators. I know that I don’t have to worry while I’m at work about my little darling, he’s happy and loved. He’s often very dirty from a full day of fun when he comes home which is terrific. Our family will miss all the teachers so much when Kyle goes to school. You guys are awesome!! Thank you for everything over the past 4 years.

Mags - parent  

Thank you Mother duck for loving my children and providing a safe haven for them to thrive and make friends! We had a bad encounter with our other service but Mother duck has been absolutely amazing! Our children love their teachers and always enjoy coming! Thank you a billion times over! We can't wait to send our little bub also!

TeAorangi - parent

• Environments Carefully Created for Children

• Care and Attention for Each Individual Child

• Play-Based Learning to Prepare Each Child for Success

• Strong Relationships With Families to Create Communities

• Welcoming Centres Where Diversity is Celebrated

• Caring Educators Who Love Coming to Work

• Music program

• Yoga and sports programs

• Sustainability program

• School readiness program

6 weeks - 12 months

In the infant studio, the educators follow a flexible schedule that is responsive to the needs of the individual child. Parents are encouraged to share their home routine with the educators, as they understand how important routine can be to children of this age.

Educators work to form a secure attachment with the children, as well as building relationships with the families. Parents receive a daily log from the educators which covers their child’s feeding, sleeping and toileting patterns.

The focus for the children is on those basic first skills such as sitting, crawling and walking. Educators seek to develop language skills of the children with conversation, singing and reading.

At Mother Duck Lawnton, the focus of the educators is on reflective practice to ensure they understand all they can about children and their development; finding new and innovative ways to solve problems, engage in challenging tasks, and using information technology and print-based texts to find things out; giving children the gift of time to listen to their ideas and incorporate these into the curriculum; sustainable practices to teach the children how to be a valuable member of society; and teaching children skills beyond academics such as compassion, collaboration, empathy, kindness, grace and honesty.

The centre prides itself on the retention of their dedicated team of diverse, committed, early childhood educators. Many of the educators have been with the centre for more than five years.

Here at Mother Duck Lawnton, our play based learning program is not designed to discredit the importance of numeracy and literacy, but to recognise the importance of teaching children in ways that spark a lifelong joy and passion for learning.

Miss Kirsty - Nominated Supervisor, Mother Duck Lawnton 

I have been an early childhood educator for just over half of my life and there are many reasons I am passionate about the care and education of young children. When you walk through the door each and every day and are greeted with those contagious little smiles as they wrap their arms around you, or you observe a child master a skill that they have been working so hard on…..those little moments, are the reason why I do what I do.

Miss Marilyn - Educational Leader

Mother Duck’s own dietitian, Fiona Hinton, prepares the menus for the centre and has over 20 years of experience. Fiona specialises in real-life strategies and practical suggestions to convert nutrition advice into food kids will eat. Fiona has collaborated on several books, including one with best-selling children’s food writer Annabel Karmel, as well as training childcare staff in children’s nutrition.

Mother Duck Lawnton has a full time in-house chef who cooks fresh meals for children each day – morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. The children are supported to self serve, set up, and clean the meal spaces before and after meal times.