Our Service Philosophy

At The Channon Children's Centre:

We believe ...

in recognising Australia's First Peoples and promoting greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being. We envision an understanding and deep respect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ histories and cultures and their connections to Country and in striving for forgiveness, healing and unity. We acknowledge the Widjabul Wia-bal People of the Bundjalung Nation as the traditional custodians of the land where we live, work and play.

The children …. We believe:

All children have the right to experience quality education and care in a safe and healthy environment, be it physical, emotional or social.
In respecting and responding to the individuality of each child, while also encouraging co-operation, kindness, generosity and respect for others.
In embracing individual differences as what makes each person unique. We believe in growing and learning together.
In viewing children with differing abilities as valuable and capable contributors and in acknowledging and celebrating differences.
That having an experience of “belonging” is vital for children to develop a sense of security, wellbeing and positive self-esteem.
In providing a positive approach to guiding behaviour. We believe this builds children’s confidence and self-esteem and is based on the development of caring, equitable and responsive relationships between educators and children.
In enhancing children’s emotional development and social relationships through thoughtful and sophisticated approaches to conversation, discussion and promotion of children’s language and communication and by promoting a sense of community within the centre.
In supporting children to develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating.
In supporting children to have a strong sense of identity through developing their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, adaptability, resilience and sense of agency.

The staff…. We believe:

That each educator brings unique gifts to share and that all educators bring fundamental personal qualities to the learning environment such as respect, warmth and a passion for learning.
The behaviour and decisions made by staff at the centre is guided by ethical considerations and is founded in respect for, and the valuing of children, families, educators and staff, and the extended community.
In following the child safe standards to ensure a safe environment for our children.
That collaborative leadership and teamwork are aspects of a positive work culture and are built on professional and respectful conversations about practice.
In nurturing a culture of organisational growth and continual reflection and sustaining a powerful commitment to professional learning and high-quality practices in our early childhood service.

The families…. We believe:

In honouring the histories, culture, languages, traditions, childrearing practices and lifestyle choices of our families and local community and we welcome children and families sharing aspects of their culture and spiritual lives.
That building positive partnerships with families contributes to building a strong, inclusive community within the service.
That shared decision making with families supports consistency between children’s experiences at home and at the service, helping children to feel safe, secure and supported.
In providing parents/caregivers with the necessary information, support and opportunities to connect with support agencies as required and to establish a plan for a successful transition to school.

The program…. We believe:

In providing a safe, healthy, natural, loving, creative, respectful environment where children and adults can have fun learning together in an atmosphere that celebrates life.
That play is the core of our programme. We aim to offer a supportive and nurturing environment that encourages children to grow in self-awareness and confidence.
In providing a rich range of learning experiences appropriate to each child’s developmental level and based upon their interests and ideas and which stimulates curiosity about the world.
In supporting children to construct their own understandings and be supported to understand their own limits through appropriate risk taking.
In creating a nurturing environment in which all children can participate and succeed and in creating an inclusive environment that recognises the unique contributions made by each child and their family.
In overcoming barriers to inclusion so all children can participate meaningfully in the programme.
In valuing early childhood education and care as the foundation for lifelong learning.

The environment…. We believe:

In surrounding children with the natural environment that includes plants, trees, edibles gardens, sand, rocks, mud, water and other magical and wondrous elements from nature, supporting spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery and connection with nature.
In creating and encouraging awareness of environmental responsibility and implementing eco-friendly practices that involve staff, children and families.
In striving for a sustainable environment where we support children to connect with and care for Country.
In supporting kindness and compassion to ourselves, to others, to animals and to the earth.

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