Our Philosophy

"Children are like tiny flowers; they are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers"

Friedrich Froebel founder of the first kindergarten.

Deakin and Community Childcare Co-operative provides a nurturing and stimulating environment for children to develop physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

We understand that children are individuals with unique interests and abilities. The structure of our curriculum creates the opportunity for children to learn new skills and knowledge, and strikes a balance between child-initiated play and adult-supported experiences.
We are guided by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework and the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia that describes childhood as a time of ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming.
We encourage children to learn the importance of caring for the natural environment by providing practical experiences to foster children's understanding of environmental sustainability.
We value diversity throughout our curriculum and facilitate acceptance, understanding and knowledge of difference in its many forms. The children that attend the centre come from many different family backgrounds, including LGBTI, migrant and refugee, those with disabilities, and single-parent families. Each have differing needs and we work together to benefit the children and their families.
We recognise the unique position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our culture and history, and particularly the Wurundjeri people on whose land our centre is located. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging, and note that this land was never ceded.

We work with each child in collaboration and consultation with their parents. We actively seek participation from families to inform and enrich our practice.
We recognise the paramount importance of child safety and work within the Victorian Child Protection Protocol to ensure children's health and wellbeing are safeguarded whilst they are at the centre.
We recognise that our staff are our greatest asset, and we support our staff with ongoing training and a supportive work environment so that they can fulfil their own professional potential and offer the very best in early childhood education.
We strive towards providing a service of the highest quality for the children in our care, their parents and for our local community, by linking with and contributing to the network of services available for families.
We are committed to the principles enshrined in the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics and those of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

We strive to provide a nurturing, stimulating and secure environment for all the children in our care.
We understand and value the importance of play and aim to provide enriching experiences that encourage and promote learning.
We are guided by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework and the Early Years Learning Frame work for Australia that describe childhood as a time of Belonging, Being and Becoming. Both documents provide staff with principles, practices and learning outcomes that support their work with the children.
Each child is an individual with unique interests and abilities. Our curriculum provides children with opportunities to learn new skills and knowledge with a balance between child initiated play and adult supported experiences.
The children that attend the centre come from many different backgrounds and have differing needs. We welcome diversity and throughout our curriculum facilitate acceptance, understanding and knowledge of difference in its many forms.

We welcome parental involvement and actively encourage participation, ideas and suggestions from families.
Our staff will help children learn the importance of caring for the natural environment by incorporating into their practice experiences to foster children's understanding of environmental sustainability
We recognise that the safety of children is paramount and work within the Victorian child protection protocol guidelines to ensure children's health and wellbeing are safeguarded whilst they are at the centre.
We recognise that our staff is one of our greatest assets and offer ongoing training to enable staff to gain greater knowledge, skills and qualifications.
We strive to provide a service of the highest quality for the children in our care, their parents and to our local community by contributing to the network of services available for families.
We are committed to the principles enshrined in the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics and those of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child.