Community Kids Valentine Early Education Centre

5.0 /5
14 reviews

Childcare and preschool in Valentine, NSW

Welcome to Community Kids Valentine. Our daycare and early learning centre is a convenient choice for local families in Valentine, Tinigra Heights, Floraville, Croudace Bay and Newcastle. Community Kids Valentine offers long day care and a preschool program for children aged 2 to 6 years, with extended hours to suit busy families.

Our purpose-built childcare and preschool centre in Valentine offers innovative early learning programs in a safe, nurturing environment. Our outdoor environment is a shared space featuring a dirt pit, mud kitchen, sandpit, sensory garden, cubby house, and a large moveable obstacle course to challenge children’s gross motor skills. Both of our indoor spaces offer natural resources, interactive whiteboards, and interest-based learning programs. We are proud to have a dedicated team of longstanding educators, with tenures ranging from 3 to 12 years. Our small centre size allows educators to form close, meaningful connections with each child. We have a Bachelor-qualified Early Childhood Teacher delivering a Government-approved Preschool program that prepares children for school. We run a Bush Kinder Program for children aged over 2, and host fortnightly excursions for children aged under 2. Our centre also hosts emergency services visits throughout the year to enrich children’s learning.

Why you’ll love Community Kids Valentine

Surrounded by nature

Spacious outdoor environments

Longstanding educators

Nappies and wipes provided

Government-approved Preschool program

Local school connections

Family communication app

Extended/flexible hours

Incursions/excursions

Bush Kinder program

ELLA language program

Sensory play

Meet our Centre Manager

Jade

  • Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
  • Working towards Bachelor of Education
“Our centre’s small size allows us to create a homely and connected environment, enabling children to form strong bonds with their educators. “

I began my early childhood education and care career in 2014 and started working at Community Kids Valentine in June 2021 after transferring from another G8 Education centre. My passion for early education stems from the inspiration I received from my own teachers during my childhood. They ignited my desire to become an educator, enabling me to inspire and support children every day. I find immense joy in watching children grow and learn, putting into practice the little things I teach them. It is incredibly rewarding to shape young minds.

I enjoy collaborating with families and carers to provide the highest quality care for each individual child. We use our extensive knowledge to support and guide each child in their academic, emotional, and physical journeys through our dedicated programs. Children at our centre socialise with all age groups, building confidence in their social and emotional development and well-being, all while being cared for by trained and compassionate professionals who know how to nurture each child’s interests.

The team at Community Kids Valentine is a close-knit group of ten permanent staff working across two rooms. Our centre’s small size allows us to create a homely and connected environment, enabling children to form strong bonds with their educators.

I look forward to welcoming your family to Community Kids Valentine early education centre.

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Our innovative early learning programs

At our early learning centre in Valentine, our experienced educators and teachers continually seek innovative ways to enrich your child’s education. Guided by the Early Years Learning Framework, we offer a variety of engaging and diverse learning experiences, including:

Sustainability

We open your child’s mind to the outdoors, raising their awareness of the environment and the importance of their role in protecting it. By engaging them in hands-on activities, we foster a sense of responsibility and appreciation for nature.

Community engagement

We foster community engagement through our Bush Kindy Program, which runs weekly and rotates days throughout the year to include as many children as possible. We host visits from emergency services throughout the year, providing valuable learning experiences for the children.

STEM

We encourage your child to ask questions, experiment, and problem-solve, all while engaging their natural curiosity. By fostering this inquisitive mindset, we help them develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Inclusion

We create a sense of belonging for your child to ensure they feel heard and empowered to make choices, fostering their independence. We celebrate each child’s unique strengths, helping them to thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Age-appropriate Early Learning

ck-centre-page-toddler

(15 months-3 years)

Toddlers

Our toddler room is set up with intentional play-based learning in mind. Within the curriculum framework, play enables your toddler to develop fundamental skills for life-long learning. It also creates the perfect environment to socialise and form friendships. Our activities enhance language skills and promote collaborative group play, laying a strong foundation for their future learning experiences.

  Next: Preschool
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(3-5 years)

Preschool

In our Preschool room, our curriculum is tailored to accommodate your child’s individual learning and development needs, which helps boost their enthusiasm, motivation, and willingness to learn. Through structured learning experiences, our Bachelor-qualified Early Childhood Teachers are committed to helping your child gain the necessary skills for a successful transition into school and beyond.

Previous: Toddlers  
ck-kindergarten-program

NSW Government-approved Preschool program

At our early learning centre, your child will benefit from the NSW “Start Strong” program as part of our enhanced learning program. We tailor our preschool program across numeracy, literacy, emotional and social development, and self-regulation. Led by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher, our preschool program will support your child’s learning, development, and well-being for now, at school and beyond.

The added benefits of our preschool program include:

  • Extended long day care opening hours
  • Open all year round (excl. public holidays)
  • Programs developed and delivered by our Early Childhood Teachers
  • Exclusive music and movement program for self-regulation

Communicating with families

We prioritise clear and consistent communication with families to foster a strong partnership in supporting each child’s development. We ensure families feel informed, involved, and confident in their child’s early learning journey.

Our families love hearing about their child’s progress and the experiences they’re having day to day. We share these moments through centre newsletters, our Xplor App, one-on-one meetings, and at various centre events.

Fees

The Child Care Subsidy can reduce your daily out-of-pocket fee by up to 95% depending on your family’s entitlements.

  • Nursery0 – 2 years

    $151.00
  • Toddler2 – 3 years

    $150.00
  • Preschool3 – 5 years

    $148.50

Child Care Subsidy Estimator

Discover how much child care subsidy you may be entitled to by entering the fields below.*

1-4 days = full day session; 5 days = 10 hour per day sessions

CCS Estimator results

  • Estimated subsidy

    $0.00
  • Total fees

    $0.00
  • Out-of-pocket cost

    $0.00

*This estimator provides an estimate only and is based on the following assumptions:

  • Accuracy and currency of family income information entered;
  • Family CCS entitlements include 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. Please note your family may be entitled to less than 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight – if you are unsure we recommend you use the comprehensive CCS estimator in the link below.
  • Where 1-4 days of care is selected, full day sessions apply (being full operational hours of the centre, which can vary between centres)
  • Where 5 days of care is selected, 10-hour per day sessions apply (ie, 50 hours p/w to optimise 100 hours of CCS subsidised care across the fortnight)

Where a family’s CCS entitlements include less than 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight, please use the comprehensive CCS calculator as a guide via the link below.

For a more complete subsidy estimation, check out our comprehensive CCS calculator here.

Calculate my subsidy

Frequently asked questions

A centre tour is a convenient way to experience the childcare centre of your choice and meet with our qualified educators at a time that is suitable for your family’s schedule. Click here to book a tour online.

On the day of the tour, you can observe practices and interactions within the centre environment. You’ll be able to see all the rooms and playgrounds, ask the team members any questions you have in mind, and get all the information you need to make the best decision for your child.

Our Family Support Team will add your child’s name to our waitlist if one of our childcare centres is currently full in your child’s age group. We will then contact you as soon as a place becomes available.

We also do monthly check-ins to review availability, and you will receive a text message confirming whether you’re still happy to remain on the waitlist each month. If you would like an update at any point, you’re welcome to reach out on our Web Chat or give us a call.

Our Family Support Team can also help you find more G8 early learning centres near you, with the same offerings at the Community Kids centre you are interested in that have immediate availability.

It’s common for a child to experience separation anxiety when they first start child care. When you’re getting ready to start child care, you can help your child overcome anxieties by visiting the child care service together for a Stay and Play session, and easing into new routines at home.

Read more tips about how to make the transition easier for your child.

Most of our child care and early education centres offer nappies and wipes, sunscreen and hats, as well as nutritious meals prepared by our in-house cook. Some centres also provide sheets and formula, so you may not need to remember to pack them.

For nursery children, be sure to bring: nappy rash cream, dummies, bottles and teats, comfort toys or blankets, three spare outfits and spare socks.

For toddlers and preschool or kindergarten-aged children, it’s best to bring: spare underwear, water bottle or sippy cup, sun hat, closed-toe shoes, two spare outfits and spare socks.

Plus, anything else your individual child may need, such as breast milk, a sleeping bag, a comforter or medication.

It’s best to speak to your centre of choice for a full list of everything included.

Community Kids uses Xplor Home as our family communication app. It is the best and easiest way to keep track of your child’s day.

After you enrol your child with the centre, you can utilise Xplor Home to book child care days, manage your account, receive the photographs that capture your child’s learning, learn about your child’s progress, as well as keep up-to-date with upcoming centre events and important information.

If your child shows signs of an infectious illness when they arrive at the centre or becomes sick during the day, you may be notified that you need to make alternative arrangements or pick up your child from the centre and keep them home until they are no longer infectious. While we understand that this can be inconvenient, Community Kids is committed to maintaining a healthy environment and reducing the risk of infection for all children.

Under the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), families are allowed 42 absence days per child, per financial year. These can be taken for any reason, including public holidays and when children are sick, without requiring families to provide documentation.

Contact us

We look forward to welcoming your family.