How a little familiarity can create a stress-free child care transition

There’s no doubt that entering into an early education and child care arrangement for the first time has the potential to be a daunting occasion for the whole family.

Thankfully, there are ways to ease the strain. Indeed, when it comes to ensuring a smooth, stress-free transition, creating an early familiarity with the early learning environment is the key. This familiarity is always best developed in partnership with children and their families. That’s why at SDN, many of our centres always make it a point to meet with families and arrange 3-4 transitioning visits two-weeks prior to their child’s official first day of enrolment.

Our process involves the child coming in for a series of short visits (the longest up to a couple of hours), just so they can get acclimatised to the centre, the other children and the staff. Because these visits are one-family-at-a-time occasions, they also give each family time to know the facility and for our educators to get to know the child.

As a result, the first full day is generally a far less upsetting occasion. Instead of being an overwhelming ordeal as children struggle with the anxiety of separation from their families they tend to feel safe and secure in a space they’re already partially used to. Families, too, enjoy the peace of mind that comes from being entirely comfortable with the environment in which their child is being cared for.

Our transition process is also a great opportunity for us to cover the basic information that every family needs to know, such as what to bring, where to put the nappies, where to sign in, and who the staff are. It is also a time to cover important policies and procedures, making sure to include information on things like how we charge fees, who to contact about invoicing queries, and even where to look for lost property. It’s all part of ensuring that families are as relaxed and informed as possible before this exciting new phase of life begins.