At Barfa Bear and Mama Bear we pride ourselves on our personal caring service we give to our children and their families. We really do feel like family here. The children in our care are loved and protected as if they were our relatives, and I believe that our families appreciate that extra TLC (Tender Loving Care) that we give their children.

This is a “family” business in every sense of the word. My parents, my brother and I own the Centres. They were built with great heart and soul, and we are very proud of what a great child care service it has become. We have been blessed with some amazingly wonderful and especially caring staff, who never cease to amaze me with their initiative, creativity and enthusiasm. They have become my family – my little sisters – and I love watching their professional and personal growth.

We have so much fun on a daily basis and throughout the year there is always something new to learn, and things to celebrate. Even special dress-up weeks like Pyjama Week or Polynesian Week are so much fun, and we like to take advantage of these by raising money for needy charities. The staff really get into it and the kids just have a blast. Birthdays are always so much fun and make the children feel so special to be surrounded by so many friends who love them.

Our Christian Celebrations are very important to us and we love inviting parents to our Centre. Our Easter Hat Parades are so colourful and a great opportunity for the children to show off to their parents exactly what they learn here and who their special friends are. Our Christmas functions are always huge, every year we cater for over 250 people!!! There is a great feast, a spectacular show from the children, a Christmas Nativity Play/Story from our Pre-School Cubs, and of-course lots of laughter, singing and dancing with our families. We also like to partner with our families as often as we can, by inviting them to our Mothers Day Picnic, Daddy Day Disco, Family Portrait Day, and other special events throughout the year.

We are all extremely proud to be Australian and celebrate our multi-cultural heritage in many different ways. Our children learn of our Aboriginal culture and people, the ANZACS, Australia Day pride and what makes each of us so uniquely special and lucky to be Australian.

Our Centre’s are not a baby-sitting service. Although we will provide the best possible care to your children whilst they are here, we pride ourselves on our emerging Early Learning Development Programs which cater for all our different age-groups. We have individual programs for our 0-2yrs (Bubba Cubs), our 2-3yrs (Teddy Bears), our 3-4yrs (Cubby Bears) and our 4-5yrs (Pre-School Cubs). Our local schools have provided us with some very encouraging feedback on our School Readiness Program, as they are so impressed with how well our Pre-School Cubs are emotionally, socially and academically prepared for “Big School”.

Annual Information Evenings are held for our Pre-School Cub families, so we can present to them what truly is expected of their little ones when they do go to Big School, plus insight into how we prepare their Pre-School Cubs through our School Readiness Program. Mid-Year Development Reports are also conducted, similar to a Parent-Teacher Interview, where each child is individually assessed based on their developmental age group. It is a great opportunity for parents and teachers to touch base and intimately discuss their child’s progress, needs and any concerns. At the conclusion of every year, your child’s Annual Journal will be presented to you, which comprises of observations, crafts, web-themes, photos and special incident reports to commemorate the amazing journey each child has taken over the year. Their progress is so wonderful to see!

Overall, you will not be disappointed with the service that you receive at our centres. We constantly work extremely hard to achieve a HIGH QUALITY CARE ACCREDITATION, which was received for Barfa Bear in 2007 & 2010, and for Mama Bear in 2010. We are always striving to improve further and keep abreast of new industry knowledge, trends, and training.

Most recently, we have commenced the introduction of the Early Years Learning Framework: Australian Child Care Centres now have an accredited curriculum which is specifically for your child’s social and emotional well being… “Being, Becoming & Belonging” is the quote of “EYLF”. It emphasises the importance of family involvement in the centre and the importance of feeding on the child’s interests. This is Australia’s first National Early Years Learning Framework for early childhood educators. The Council of Australian Governments has developed this Framework to assist educators to provide young children with opportunities to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for future success in learning. In this way, EYLF will contribute to realising the Council’s vision that:

“All children have the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation.”

EYLF conveys the highest expectations for all children’s learning from birth to five years & through transitions to school. It communicates these expectations through these 5 Learning Outcomes:

1. Children have a strong sense of identity
2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world
3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
4. Children are confident and involved learners
5. Children are effective communicators.

Your child’s care and development is of upmost concern to us. You have left your most prized possession in our care and we want you to know that we feel privileged that you want to join our family.

Warm Regards,
Eleni Wilson
Director