Information for Parents Bright Start Educare

Whanau Teachers
The Bright Start teachers believe that children learn best when secure, trusting relationships are formed & nurtured. Before your child/ren starts their transition into Bright Start, they are placed into a whanau group with one of our teachers, whom you will have previously meet & visited. This teacher supports both you and your child during the ‘settling in' process, while gaining valuable insights into your child through conversation and information sharing with you. The more visits you have the more familiar your child will become with their whanau teacher and vice versa. Your child's whanau teacher is your first port of call about anything relating to your child. This teacher is also responsible for the planning, documenting and assessing of your child's learning & development during their time with us at Bright Start Educare. This information is presented in your child's Personal Learning Journal, which is available for you to view at any time.

Settling
On arrival at the Centre, place your child's belongings on their hook; lunch box, hot/cold food away, bottles etc... and spend a little time together. When you are ready to leave, say your goodbyes and ensure you sign your child in before you leave. The child/ren are carefully observed to monitor how they may be feeling, and support offered. The child/ren are able to choose what they want to do & where they want to be. If your child has not had breakfast, they are able to eat it at the Centre when they arrive.
Initially separation may be difficult and cause a little anxiety for both you and your child. The teachers will help your child to cope with this, and you can help by saying your goodbyes to your child, then leaving. A phone call to the Whanau Teacher (ph ) once you get to work will help you to settle also. We are also more than happy for you to phone at any time.
When your child has been attending the Centre for approximately six weeks your child's whanau teacher will do an evaluation of the settling process and this will enable you to see how your child is fitting into the new environment. It can take your child a minimum of three weeks to settle if they are attending full-time and longer if they are part-time. Sleeping is the very last routine that will settle.
Medical Authorisation
Teachers need authorization to give medicine to your child. Please fill in and sign the medication book (please ask a teacher for this) and place their medication either in the fridge or in medication box in the kitchen pantry. This includes all prescription and other creams, cough medicine. Medication forms are required to be written daily or weekly as the case may be. No medication can be administered without parental/guardian written consent. If your child has asthma, their asthma plan must accompany their enrolment form

Meals
Due to varied diets and brands of food available, all parents are required to supply the centre with formula or specially processed foods, for babies and toddlers. These containers should be clearly marked and staff will ensure that parents are informed when supplies are running low.
Morning/Afternoon Teas
Morning and afternoon tea is provided daily by the centre. We endeavour to provide a variety of nutrional choices which include a shared fruit platter as well as sandwiches crackers, cheese, toast, baking etc... A record of what has been provided on a daily basis is kept in the kitchen. We encourage them to eat at least one piece of fruit each day. We provide milk/water or Milo in the morning, with water at lunchtime and afternoon tea. During summer the teachers may make juice or water iceblocks. You will be given a dietary sheet and, if you do not wish your child to have certain food or drink, inform your Whanau Teacher by completing this form.
Lunch
The children sit together at tables on chairs and eat & drink. We offer their hot food and sandwiches first, then yoghurts, fruit etc... Children are supported to develop their independence and self help skills by being encouraged to feed themselves using spoons or forks. Perishable food must be named and placed in the fridge. Please place all such food here so that it can be heated or kept cold for later consumption. All other food is to be kept in a named lunch container and placed on the lunchbox shelf. Spoons, plates, cups etc are provided. Please advise your child's whanau teacher as soon as you are aware of changes to your child's dietary requirements

Breast Feeding
We encourage our breast feeding parents to make themselves comfy and to take your time while feeding your child at the centre. We are happy to call and let you know when your child is ready to be feed.
However, we do ask that you ensure an alternative feeding source is available at the centre in case of unforeseen circumstances or emergency (a bottle/formula/frozen breast milketc...)
Sleeping
A separate room is provided for sleeping children. Our infants are assigned a cot and have their own bedding that is washed weekly or more often as required. Stretchers are provided for those children who are progressing to sleeping in beds. Please discuss this with your child's Whanau Teacher. Each child has their own sleeping times and the settling, sleeping and waking times are recorded on the chart by the sleep room door. Children are physically checked every 5 mins during sleep. The Centre's Sleep policy is displayed in our policy folder.

Nappy Changing/Toileting Needs.
Parents/whanau are asked to provide disposable or cloth nappies as required. Children's nappies are checked regularly (at least 4x daily) and changed whenever needed. If your child requires specific creams to be used, please inform your child's Whanau Teacher. You will be given a medication form to complete documenting your requirements, and these creams will be named and kept in your child's nappy space. All checks and nappy changes are recorded, so please check if you are unsure of your child's toileting during the day. The Centre does have spare nappies and we ask that you replace these or we charge 50cents per nappy to cover costs.
If a toddler is in toilet training, please inform the child's Whanau Teacher so we can support this process during their time here. Cloth nappy users please supply a named bucket to place the used nappies in. Emptying the bucket and washing the nappies remains the responsibility of the parents/whanau. We ask that you take the bucket home at the end of your child's week to be cleaned and then returned, ready for the week ahead.
During the summer months the children are involved in many water based learning experiences. For hygiene purposes we ask that you supply a packet of ‘little swimmer nappies' for your child to use while participating.

Clothing
Please include at least two full changes of clothes and enough nappies for the whole day. Everything needs to be named so that things will eventually find their way back to the rightful owner. This includes all clothing, footwear, sunglasses, hats and other articles.
Please dress your child in clothing suitable for a day of play. The teachers are encouraging the child/ren to explore their world during their day at Bright Start and this cannot be fully experienced if the child/ren are dressed inappropriately to the activity. Aprons are available, but some children take considerable time to become accustomed to wearing these.
Summer A named, sunhat with a neck flap is required and preferable with ties. Children will need to wear their hat during all outdoor experiences. Children are to arrive at the centre with sunscreen already applied. We will then reapply it after lunch using the centre's supply of SPF30 sunscreen, though you are welcome to bring your child's own if you prefer. Children also need to be wearing clothing that provides good protection from the sun i.e. no shoestring singlets.
Winter A woolly hat, jacket and gumboots are needed. Please remember to put appropriate clothing in bags for weather conditions. Baskets and hooks are provided on the veranda for children's hats, shoes, gumboots and jackets. For crawling children a pair of waterproof over pants would also be a good idea.
Apart from comfort toys, which are welcomed, we would appreciate it if children did not bring toys to the centre. These can get lost or damaged and it prevents any distress if they are kept safe at home.

Wonderful Team
We have three wonderful teachers who are very passionate about teaching and can't wait to get to know you all. We all share similar thoughts and that is to ensure you and you child are a part of an enriched environment where you feel comfortable and have a sense of belonging. We want your time here to be enjoyable and memorable so please if you have any questions at any time we are all available to help you.

Thank you for your interest, feel free to call our staff to discuss any queries.