About Us
Learning and Care
As a parent or carer of a young child, you are the main influence on your child’s development. Early childhood learning and care services exist to help you with this important role.
Learning and care services offered by Children’s Centres operate under the National Quality Framework (NQF). The NQF aims to raise the quality of services across Australia through its National Quality Standard. The standard includes the Early Years Learning Framework, a curriculum framework to guide staff in developing quality learning and care programs for children.
Long Day Care
Long Day Care is offered from Monday to Friday from 7am until 6pm and provides child care for babies, toddlers and children under the age of 6 years in a play based program using the national curriculum document, The Early Years Learning Framework.
Our service is available for a minimum of 2 days and children are integrated with the Department for Education preschool program.
We offer two sessions within our LDC program
7am – 6pm (11 hours)
8am – 5pm (9 hours)
Preschool
The Department for Education provides 15 hours of universal preschool access for children in the year before they start school. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as well as children who are or have been ‘In Care,’ are eligible for 15 hours of preschool starting from age three.
Beginning in January 2025, we will offer two different preschool sessions:
Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday.
Our operating hours are from 8:15 am to 3:45 pm. Before and after preschool care is also available for children (please refer to the fee schedule for details).
On days when children are not attending preschool, they can participate in our Long Day Care Program.
Preschool programs are play-based and are taught by qualified Early Childhood Teachers using the national curriculum document, the Early Years Learning Framework.
School Transition
Throughout your child’s time at the Children’s Centre, visits to Keithcot Farm Primary School, and from the school are very much a part of the curriculum.
Children transitioning to Keithcot Farm Primary School have several visits to the school prior to their formal commencement. This is organised during session times towards the end of their eligible year of the 4 year old program. A staff member visits with the children, to ensure they are feeling comfortable and secure. The school will contact you about the arrangements, as you will be required in some instances to collect your child from the school.
For children attending other schools, the school of your choice will make contact with you as required.
Health and Wellbeing
Children’s healthy development is vital for their learning and wellbeing and lays the foundation for a happy and healthy life. Families have access to a range of SA Health services and programs through Children’s Centres including:
- Health promotion materials and activities on dental health, healthy eating and physical activity and health, child development and parenting information.
- Child and Family Health Services, such as maternal health nurses and child health checks.
- Primary Health Care Services, such as speech pathology, occupational therapy and nutrition groups, young mother’s groups, fatherhood programs and Aboriginal health programs.
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, including therapy for children and parents and The Incredible Years program.
- Allied Health Program: In some Children’s Centres occupational therapists, speech pathologists and other allied health staff provide an allied health program to build the skills and knowledge of staff and parents to support children’s development.
Activities include
- developmental screening
- staff development sessions
- parent consultation
- parent and child group programs
- short term intervention for children
Other Health Services
Click here to view a list including other Health Services/Family Support that might help you or someone you know is available.
Dental Clinic
Modbury GP Plus Dental Clinic
77 Smart Road
Modbury SA 5092
Phone: (08) 7425 8700
Hours: Thursday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
This is an SA Dental (public) clinic, please request an appointment for children.
Health Services - Family Support
For more information please contact us about the range of parenting programs and family services at our centre.
Parenting programs
As a parent you have the primary role of guiding and nurturing your child’s development and helping them grow and learn. Children’s Centres support you with this vital role by working with other organisations to offer a range of parenting programs.
These programs focus on parenting skills and child development and include early literacy, behaviour management, food, nutrition and exercise, and caring for children’s developmental, learning and health needs.
Family services program
In some Children’s Centres, Family Services Coordinators are available to connect families with services and support families to learn more about parenting and child development
Family Services Coordinators do this by providing:
- Group programs for children on social and emotional wellbeing.
- Group programs on parenting, relationships, social and emotional wellbeing and trauma.
- A referral point for many issues affecting families.
- Counselling to help with parenting issues, feelings and behaviours
- Targeted Playgroups for parents and carers including Aboriginal families, dads and grandparents, new arrivals, refugees, teenage parents, foster carers, family day care educators, first time mums and children with disabilities.
Support for parents and carers
Parenting is a rewarding yet challenging role. At times every parent needs help. The following is a list of other services that might help you or someone you know.
Aboriginal Health Service
The Aboriginal Health Service provides advice for Aboriginal people of all ages about health services and programs including links to community groups and health care centres.
Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue helps with depression and anxiety.
Child Abuse Report Line
The Child Abuse Report Line is a 24 hour report line. Phone 131478
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services provides confidential therapy services for children, young people and their families who are having difficulties in emotional, behavioural and/or social areas of their lives.
Child and Family Health Centres
To make an appointment at your local Child and Family Health Centre phone 1300 733 606
Disability Services
Disability Services provide a range of specialist community and accommodation services to people with disability, and their families and carers.
The Domestic Violence Helpline
The Domestic Violence helpline provides a free 24 hour helpline offering counselling, support, information and referrals. Phone 1800 800 098
Drug and Alcohol Information Service
The Drug and Alcohol Information Service offers a 24 hour confidential telephone counselling service. Phone 1300 131 340
Financial Counselling
UnitingCare Wesley Bowden financial counselling service helps people to effectively manage their own financial affairs.
Health Direct
Health Direct is a 24 hour call centre for non urgent health advice. Phone 1800 022 222
Housing SA
Housing SA provides housing and accommodation options including emergency and crisis accommodation, accessible and community housing, and public housing and rental assistance.
Medicines and Drug Information Centre
The Medicines and Drug Information Centre provides information on using medicines in pregnancy, while breastfeeding or for children.
Phone (08) 8161 7222
Parenting SA
Parenting SA offers parents support in all aspects of parenting and provides information about resources available.
Parent Easy Guides
Parent Easy Guides contain simple, easy-to-read information on many of the issues faced by parents from birth through adolescence.
Parent Helpline
The Parent Helpline provides telephone information, counselling and support from 7:15am – 9:15pm, 7 days a week. Phone 1300 364 100
Raising Children Network
The Raising Children Network provides a complete resource for parenting newborns to teenagers.
Quitline
Quitline provides help to quit smoking. Phone 137 848
Women’s and Children’s Health Network
The Women’s and Children’s Health Network provides practical health and development information for parents, carers and young people.
Community Engagement
Children’s Centres have a Community Development Coordinator who is available to support and encourage parents and families to actively participate in all aspects of the centre.
Community Development Coordinators also partner with other agencies to plan and organise a range of programs including:
- Playgroups for parents and carers including Aboriginal families, dads, step-parents, grandparents, foster carers, family day care educators, refugees and newly arrived families and children.
- Parenting programs: child development, early literacy, song time, music and movement, baby massage, support groups and cooking.
- Community events: family fun days, community lunches, school holiday programmes cultural events, celebrations and BBQs.
- Personal development: literacy, career pathways, skill development, volunteering and adult education.
- Parents and Community: centre volunteer program, a Parent Advisory Group, engaging parents in the community.
At the Children’s Centre we value your contributions and encourage you to be actively involved in your child’s learning. If you have some spare time and would like to spend it at the Centre please do not hesitate to do so. You may like to share some of your special talents with the children (art, craft, sewing, musical, cooking), play a board game with a small group of children, read a story, support children on the computer or spend some time playing with your child and getting to know his/her friends.
We also have an active ‘Governing Council’. Meetings are held approximately once a month at the Children’s Centre. At these meetings we share information about what the children have been doing at the Centre, learning programs and new developments within the Department for Education. Financial reports are shared including details of what the money is being spent on and the allocation of funds for special projects. Many decisions are made ranging from reviewing Policies and Procedures to the reviewing of fees etc. These meetings are a good avenue for parents to suggest ideas about what they would like to see happening. If you can spare some time to attend a meeting or would like to hear more about what’s happening at the Centre and would like to be involved with decision making and policy development, please speak to a staff member and/or come along to the next scheduled meeting.