About Little Gems Childcare Centres
Located in and around Brisbane, Little Gems Childcare Centres are owned and operated by hardworking brother and sister team, Cherie and Luke and their families. Luke, a father to 3 young boys and a little girl and Cherie, a mother of 4 herself, has worked in childcare for over 23 years and knows the importance of establishing a secure, safe, and nurturing environment where ALL children can feel included, valued, and have a positive sense of well-being. Each Little Gems Childcare Centre aims to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, and prides itself on meeting and exceeding the highest national quality standards and practice. Whether it’s our Albany Creek, Maryborough, Jimboomba, Helensvale, Lowood or Nerang childcare centre, come along and book a tour and see how your child will not only learn, share, laugh and grow but – THRIVE in a Little Gems childcare setting.
The Little Gems’ Philosophy
At Little Gems, we believe we are at the very start of a child’s journey of self-discovery. We aim to encourage this journey by providing an environment where each child feels love, security, a sense of belonging and time to “just be”. We believe it is important to allow children time to learn through play. Play based learning allows children to discover, investigate, explore, problem solve, imagine, improvise and make mistakes. Play encourages children’s imaginations, allowing them to come up with their own ideas, solve problems, improve social relationships, and build a sense of belonging. Children are offered a relaxed and less structured environment to increase their willingness to explore and learn on their own terms rather than as dictated by a set curriculum. A safe and challenging environment is provided where educators are active participants. We believe that each day in a child’s life is an opportunity to grow and develop, as they learn something new.
Children are unique individuals with different interests, strengths and abilities. They learn in their own time, at their own pace and in their own way. At Little Gems, we encourage children to be active in their own learning process. As such, all our childcare facilitators observe, listen and participate to enhance their learning environment. A program is tailored to the individual needs, levels and interests of each child. Whilst playing and learning together educators use intentional teaching methods by encouraging, questioning, extending and reflecting on experiences shared. We scaffold the development and education of each child as an individual who is then able to develop their own identity and qualities, but still contribute and interact within a large group setting. We believe the process is often more important than the end product.
We aim to provide a loving, nurturing, safe and secure environment that feels like a home away from home where families and children feel a strong sense of belonging. We welcome all backgrounds and cultures, and value each family’s input and knowledge. Family involvement allows us to connect directly with the child’s life, which allows them to feel comfortable and confident to try new things and grow and develop to their full potential. We encourage each child’s individuality, which increases their self-confidence and positive self- image.
At Little Gems we know the importance of being outside in nature investigating and exploring. We aim to help children develop a love of nature and the environment and use natural materials and sustainable practices wherever possible. Our outdoor and indoor areas engage children in experiences which promote play and learning by stimulating the senses.
Our Service Principles
At each Little Gems Child Care Centre, we believe that:
• We foster all children’s imagination and the ability to make connections with our community and others in a supported environment.
• Each child’s individual learning journey is approached with a scaffolded perspective which is based on their interests.
• The program is designed to captivate their interest and offer a deeper connection with the Early Years Learning Framework.
• We embrace advancements found in the industry to ensure technology is used to enhance sustainability, connect ability, and develop a greater sense of identifying how to obtain information to assist in understanding their world.
• The social nature of learning occurs through the culture of Little Gems which we offer a nurturing and unique human social quality to foster relationships which have a family feel.
• Establish and maintain connections with our community to assist children in understanding the meaning to their world.
• Collaborations with educators, families and children to create a positive learning approach in a child’s early learning development.
We believe that building strong positive relationships with families is important to us at each Little Gems location. The door is always open and we look forward to working in partnership with you and watching your children grow and develop.
Your child is a “little gem” and as such we will ensure that all children feel included, secure and valued in a nurturing atmosphere of respect and trust. At each of our locations – the environment and the experiences within them are of the highest quality. Each individual child’s cultural diversity, learning needs and social interactions are important in creating a happy, safe and productive place to learn. It’s a place where your “little gem” will shine!