About

‘Abacus’, as the name implies, is an educational, colourful, creative and fun environment which opened in January 1998.

Abacus Child Care Centre is situated in a tranquil, attractive internal block with lovely views of the Tamar River. The Centre operates a ‘Family Grouping’ model whereby all ages of children have the opportunity to mix together throughout the day. There are separate areas for groups and individuals to have some space (such as the ‘secret garden’) but involvement with different ages is encouraged. The program is planned to incorporate a wide range of indoor and outdoor experiences offering a fairly flexible program to suit both the individuals and the whole group.

We provide long-day care, sessional care on a regular basis and, if vacancies occur, casual care. 

We also offer Outside School Hours Care which includes:

• Before School Care to Trevallyn Primary School and
• After School Care and Vacation Care based at Trevallyn Primary School although available to children from other schools.
• Abacus services are approved under the Education and Care Services National Law and operate with the National Quality Standard.

Please take the time to read the following information and talk to the educators about any queries or concerns. Your involvement through suggestions, comments or participation is always welcome.

Our philosophy is to provide the highest quality education and care to enhance the development of the children and to provide an environment to support families and their diverse and changing needs.

We believe that:

• Every child is unique and should be respected.
• Parents/Guardians are the prime care-givers and that we will work in partnership with them to complement the care they provide.
•  Children deserve consistently high quality education and care.
• The rights of the child are paramount.
• The program should provide opportunity for both play and early/middle childhood education in a meaningful and enjoyable environment.

Our goals and values include:

• Providing a safe, stimulating and secure environment.
• The development, implementation and regular review of policies to guide our work and to ensure consistency and stability in the program.
• The provision of experiences which enrich the learning and development of each individual child encompassing Belonging, Being and Becoming (LDC) / My Time, Our Place (OSHC), as characterised through The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.
• Ensuring that the program highlights the importance of play-based learning.
• The continued development of written programs which are planned, implemented and evaluated to meet the needs of the individual children and the group as a whole.
• The employment of professional staff who have a commitment to on-going professional learning and self-appraisals.
• The employment of suitably qualified and experienced educators with a sound knowledge of early childhood / middle childhood development.
• An environment which fosters a positive attitude and effective communication between all concerned.
• The opportunity for parents to have a commitment, offer support and be involved with the program to whatever extent they wish.
• The provision of an environment which provides high health and safety standards.
• An environment which promotes and fosters high nutritional standards.
• An environment which promotes sustainability through water conservation, recycling and the use of natural resources.
• The development of an understanding and respect for key social issues such as:     
  • peace
  • diversity
  • gender equity
  • integration of children with additional needs
  • multiculturism
  • environmental awareness
• An ongoing commitment to the National Quality Framework as a tool for ensuring that ongoing high quality education and care is provided.
• Adherence and promotion of the ideals of the Australian Early Childhood Association Code of Ethics.