Cuddly Caterpillars (Baby Unit)
Our Babies room offers a nurturing, calm and safe place, where our friendly educators support parent choices and individual child needs. With constant reassurance and warm interactions, we guide them to explore the purpose built indoor and outdoor spaces, where they are involved in interactive and play based learning.
Parents are asked to provide the following items each day their child attend:
- Water bottles or drinking cups
- Sun hat (bucket or legionnaire)
- Formula or breast milk. Alternative milk i.e. cow’s milk is supplied by the centre, along with any weaner foods.
- Disposable nappies (minimum 4 each day) these will be clearly labelled with your child’s name and be placed in the nappy baskets within the change facility. If your child is in full time care at the centre, you may leave a packet of nappies for daily use.
- Change of clothing (labeled) in a clearly marked bag (non plastic) including socks and jumper for cold days and gumboots and water proof jackets for rainy days.
- Comforters – dummy, teddy, blanket.
- Families are kindly asked to donate a piece of fruit daily for Crunch & Sip.
Routines
We endeavour to follow your home routine where possible, however sometimes this may need to be adapted for best practice. These routines will be discussed at your settling session and placed into a personal profile for all educators to follow. The personal profile will be revised every 2 months to match your child’s developmental needs.
Baby bottles
All formula must be provided to the centre in a pre-measured sectioned container. The containers must be labelled with; the child’s name, name of formula, amount and use by date.
Please make sure every bottle, cap and lid is clearly labelled with your child’s name.
Staff will rinse used bottles and place them in your child’s bag at the end of each day. Please ask the educators on collection for any remaining unused bottles before leaving the centre.
If your child is on full cream milk, please ensure you have the correct empty bottles for your child’s daily needs.
Sleep time
A cot room is available and all cots comply with the Australian Standard (AS2172). All sheets and blankets are provided by the centre and washed regularly in our centre laundry. The centre follows the SIDS & KIDS safe sleeping routines and will be placed on their backs. SIDS brochures are available in the foyer.
Nappies
If you would like your child to have nappy cream applied, a medication form must be completed before any creams can be used.
Daily Diary
A daily diary is completed with information about what your son/daughter has eaten and drank during the day. A section is to be completed at home and returned daily so educators can work in partnership with families. This will ensure each child’s personal needs are met.
Personal items
We discourage parents from bringing food, lollies and toys to the centre. To avoid the loss of personal items, which are brought into the centre, please make sure they are clearly labelled with your child’s name. Each classroom has its own lost property box for all unlabelled items found.
All unclaimed class items will be moved to the foyer stand at the end of each month, then donated to St Vincent’s charity shop on the 20th of each month.