1^st Sign of Quality:  Children’s Learning

1. The adults take an interest in what children are learning and doing with their family. They share information with parents on what children are learning and doing while in the service. You see that opportunities are available to discuss and agree on goals for your child’s learning.

√    ½    X

2. The adults support children to develop their capacity to think about thinking and learning. And the adults have expectations for children’s individual learning and achievement levels. Check if children are being encouraged to see themselves as learners and to develop personal strategies for solving problems and achieving new challenges. See if there are opportunities for children to plan, to try again, and strive for greater control of their learning. This can be in everyday activities like a 4-yr-olds attempt to break open an egg without getting shell into the bowl, or a 22-month-old wanting to master the skills involved in jumping from a step to the ground. Also in thinking activities e.g. thinking of answers to an increasingly complex problem.

√    ½    X

3. The adults have a broad base of knowledge and understanding in a range of subjects, and show children that they love knowing about and finding out about all sorts of things. They show this in their conversations with children, e.g. instead of making a general comment like “Look isn’t that a big bug?  It’s not one I like”  or “I don’t know why there are so many of these bugs around at the moment?”, the adult encourages fascination in learning about what it eats, its correct name, how it makes sounds, how long it lives etc. You may also tell this by how the adults answer children’s questions, if they extend with further insights or ideas, and what they do when they don’t know an answer or don’t know enough (e.g. do they ask others, take the children to the library, or do an Internet search?).

√   ½    X

4. Children are involved independently, in small groups or in helping an adult with everyday, practical living activities, such as tidying, washing a window, vacuuming, polishing, answering the phone and passing on messages, finding an item that’s needed at the supermarket and having a go at counting out the coins needed to pay for it, cutting up fruit for other children, picking fruit off the trees and storing it, weeding the garden, etc.

√    ½   X

5. The activities provided for children seem to be well suited to promoting their skills in a range of subject areas. In education key subject areas of interest to teachers are maths (number, space, shapes and measurement for young children) and literacy (enjoyment of stories, poems, using words and verbal play, recognition of letters and by age-4 starting to learn the sounds of letters and how to form letters and number shapes). Look at what the adults do and what they provide (such as finger puppets, activities for shape sorting and naming, letters for tracing, pencils with a pencil grip, counting games, etc). Check if the adults are promoting children’s development of skills in literacy and maths and any other subjects that you consider important (e.g. music, geography, dance, life sciences, social studies, drawing, sport, building and construction etc).

√    ½   X

6. The adults model, teach, and reinforce the social attitudes and behaviours you would like to see your child learn e.g. taking time to greet on arrival and to say good-bye on departure, showing appreciation and politeness, showing social consideration such as holding a door open for a child or adult.

√    ½   X

7. Behaviours of caring for and about one another (regardless of social, physical, ethnic, gender or other differences) are praised, encouraged, and facilitated by adults – e.g. you may see a toddler brushing an older child’s or adult’s hair, a Samoan child pushing a Maori child on the swing, the adult may draw a child’s attention to another child who needs help finding a toy. 

√     ½  X

8. Children are taught about and learn to care for their environment – e.g. you may see adults helping children to understand the behaviour of different animals and how to care for animals, about conservation and recycling (e.g. turning the water tap off after use), or about taking responsibility for keeping the environment clean and safe (e.g. putting rubbish in the bin, wiping up spilled water).

√    ½   X

9. Children’s developing independence and autonomy is supported appropriate to their age, ability, context and safety, e.g. 7-month-olds may be encouraged to begin to reach for the toy they want instead of relying on an adult to move it closer, 1-yr-olds may be praised for thinking to fetch their bib at mealtimes, 2-yr-olds may be given time and subtle guidance to achieve their desire to dress themselves “all my myself”.

√    ½  X

10. Children are supported positively in their development of gender identity - e.g. there are pictures, books, puzzles, and games etc that show both traditional and non-traditional role models. In centre-based settings there are both male and female teachers (see Appendix A).

√    ½   X

11.

√    ½   X

12.

√    ½   X

13.

√     ½   X

14.

√    ½   X

15.

√    ½   X

2^nd Sign of Quality:  Children’s Happiness

1. All adults and children enjoy being together. You see laughter and pleasure between adults and children and between children. 

√    ½   X

2. You observe that your child likes and responds well to the adult(s). So much so that after a few minutes your child may temporarily forget you are in the room because he/she is so taken by the adult. You are confident your child does not fear or hate any of the adults in the setting, even the adults not directly working with your child.

√    ½   X

3. The behaviour of other children in the service suggests to you that your child will get along with them and not be made to feel unwelcome. You are confident your child does not fear or hate any child in the setting.

√    ½   X

4. Children trust the adults and appear to be totally at ease and comfortable with the adults (e.g. frequently approach and talk to an adult, share their work with adults, talk about their feelings with adults, older children will help an adult if assistance is needed, younger children might take hold of an adult’s hand without prompting, infants who are distressed or shy toward a visitor quickly settle when they are comforted).

√    ½   X

5. Adults show great patience and enthusiasm for letting children talk and say what they want to say, complete an activity, or do a task even if it would be so much quicker if they did it for them.

√    ½   X

6. Adults do not lose their temper, they are rarely if ever short with children and never verbally or physically angry towards them or in their presence (unless of course they are play acting for a story like the Three Little Pigs).

√    ½   X

7. Friendships are nurtured. Friendship skills are explained and children are guided in making friends, being friends and coping with changing friendships and loss of friends (e.g. an adult will introduce a new child to other children in the service, encouraging other children to let the new child join in their play and supporting the new child to build his/her own friendships).

√    ½   X

8. Children’s privacy is provided for and respected. For example children have privacy when going to the toilet or having their pants changed. Matters of personal importance or potential embarrassment to children are kept confidential (e.g. a child may not want everyone else to know that she was the one who took paint onto the carpeted area and spilt it).

√    ½   X

9. The adults provide for children wanting to spend some time by themselves to think or relax (e.g. by making spaces available for only one child to sit and look at a book or a separate room where a child can play alone). The adults provide for children when they need emotional space by suggesting to them to do an activity alone or letting them choose to go to a quiet area where they will be undisturbed by other children.

√    ½   X

10. The adults regard physical contact and closeness with children as natural and essential. They show they are at ease with a child who wants to sit on their knee, hold their hand or have a cuddle. In play you may see children getting piggy-backs or being lifted up to reach a ball from a tree. You may see an adult with his/her arm around a child while reading a book. You will see children sometimes get a congratulatory hug when they have a personal achievement. Non-mobile babies especially are carried around and given lots of physical interaction and touch when they are not having floor play/exercise time.

√    ½   X

11.

√    ½   X

12.

√    ½   X

13.

√    ½   X

14.

√    ½   X

15.

√    ½   X

3^rd Sign of Quality:  Children’s Safety and Health

1. Children can’t access hazards or get themselves into dangerous situations. The location of the service does not put children at any increased risk (e.g. centre parking is available off-the-road, service is not located in a high-rise building or in or by a politically strategic building that could be a terrorist target).

√    ½   X

2. Where each child is, is known by the adult(s) responsible for the child at all times.

√    ½   X

3. The variety of and challenge in activities for children is not limited by adult fear of children getting hurt or desire to protect children because risk is well managed (i.e. adults ensure activities are challenging but not so challenging they are not safely achievable, they provide guidance and supervision, and the adults know each child’s capabilities and emotions to anticipate when a child does and does not need help). 

√    ½   X

4. Noise levels are within safe limits for children’s and adults hearing. When noise levels become high enough to negatively distract children’s concentration, influence their behaviour or upset them, children are taken away from the noise if it can’t be stopped (e.g. road works outside the centre) or the cause of the noise is dealt with (e.g. felt is stuck to the bottom of chair feet scrapping noisily on the floor).

√    ½   X

5. Adults show in their attitude and knowledge that they support breastfeeding for children up to age 2-years and beyond by children’s mothers or giving children their mother’s expressed breast-milk. For children over six-months, food is nutritious and meets their hunger and any special dietary needs or beliefs (e.g. vegetarian). Children can eat as much as they want or as little as they want. In services where children bring their own food, additional food is available for children who want it. Fresh, clean water is available at all times for children to help themselves to when ever they wish. At meal and snack times a second choice of drink is available such as milk and juice).

√    ½   X

6. Children are allowed and supported to be active. Physical activity is encouraged indoors and outdoors, and seen to be important for health (e.g. for Vitamin D, a substance the body makes when it is exposed to sunlight) and for safety (i.e. practise reduces the likelihood of accidents through inexperience and lack of muscle development and confidence). Babies for example, on warm days should be given time outside to kick around without their nappies on.

√    ½   X

7. Arrangements and facilities for children’s sleep are similar to what they are used to (e.g. sleeping in a group, sleeping alone), usual sleeping patterns are maintained (e.g. a midmorning sleep or lunch-time nap) and reflect family cultural practices for type of bed and bedding (e.g. sleeping on the floor, in a bassinette, cot, bunk, or bed). The adults do not have a problem with children having a favourite toy or cuddly or blanket from home with them.

√    ½   X

8. Sick children and sick adults with illnesses and diseases that can be spread to others do not have contact with well children. If a sick child is allowed to attend their centre then the child is cared for in a separate area of the centre. Personal hygiene habits, good hand-washing, potty and toileting practices are taught to children. Adults demonstrate sound personal hygiene and hand-washing practices. 

√    ½   X

9. A good standard of hygiene and cleanliness is maintained as needed in the physical environment (e.g. the floor is cleaned where a child has walked with muddy boots before toddlers and infants who are crawling can play on the floor). All surfaces are thoroughly cleaned at least once daily (e.g. floors, tables, door handles, around the top of chairs etc). Toilets and basins are regularly checked and cleaned as needed. Nappy changing pads and potties are cleaned after each use. Toys that are put in mouths, vomited on, walked on etc are disinfected before another child is allowed to use them. Cleansers and air-fresheners are used when needed and not in excess as it is important for children’s health that environments are not made too sterile.  

√    ½   X

10. Adults make sure that at all times children’s clothing (including footwear, headwear, clothing accessories such as face masks and gloves) is appropriate in terms of both safety and health for the activity children are doing, the temperature and weather conditions.

√    ½   X

11.

√    ½   X

12.

√    ½   X

13.

√    ½   X

14.

√    ½   X

15.

√    ½   X

4^th Sign of Quality:  The Physical Environment

1. The inside environment has a homely feel and a homely appearance if children are attending for more than 3 ½ hours daily (e.g. there are soft furnishings such as couches and cushions, some adult-sized furniture for children to use and not all school-like miniature furniture, quiet places for children to relax but still watch other children/adults, at least one room or major play space is carpeted, at least half of the wall space is not covered by educational print materials, there is some display of children’s artwork, photos of them and their activities). 

√    ½    X

2. In services with 10 or more children there are at least two separate rooms available for children’s play or in open-plan buildings room dividers are used to create separate enclosed areas for children to have opportunity to play in smaller groups.

√    ½   X

3. Children’s access to the kitchen and laundry areas is not closed-off. The adults ensure these areas are as safe as possible at all times (e.g. sharp knives are kept high beyond children’s reach, adults always turn the oven off at the wall when not in use, an adult is always available to follow children into these areas when children are getting a snack or a drink, cooking, emptying a bucket of water, fetching a cleaning cloth, folding clean towels etc). 

√    ½   X

4. The environment is not cluttered. There is sufficient space and clear pathways around tables and activity areas to allow for ease of movement. Activities meant to be noisy or encourage boisterous movement are well separated from quieter activities. 

√    ½   X

5. Not all materials and equipment are out all of the time for children to use. Some are rotated, some may be brought out at different times of the day, and some may be visible to children to request to use when they want it. Language is enhanced, the quality of children’s play and attention is enhanced and boredom is reduced when there is variety in access to and choices of equipment and materials.

√    ½   X

6. The total outdoor play space and the indoor total floor space is large enough for the number of children and adults so children are unlikely to be restricted in their activity or feel that they are crowded into the setting. 

√    ½   X

7. There are a variety of play structures, some have a single purpose like a slide, others are more complex allowing children to use them in different ways such as a sandpit with running water, tracks and cars, or a tea set with toy oven and pots set-up beside or in the sandpit. The outdoor area enables children to invent their own games, to use equipment in creative and imaginative ways, and to increase the level of physical challenge they set for themselves. (Note that the professionally designed brightly coloured clip-together play-sets that are in many playgrounds are no good for achieving any of the above).

√    ½   X

8. At least half of the outdoor area provides a natural environment. There is a grassed area large enough for all the children (e.g. for ball games, running races, picnics, play tents). There is at least one tree sufficient to provide some natural shade and of a height suitable for a child from about 3-years of age to sit in or climb. There is ground area (not just pots) used for planting such things as vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers and to support worm and insect life.

√    ½   X

9. The outdoor area provides contact with activities outside the fence (e.g. if the service is situated on or beside a farm the children can watch the farm animals, if it is situated within or beside a primary school the children can watch and talk to the school children and have visits to their playground and classrooms, if it situated on a street the children can see people going about their activities and vehicles going past). There are windows and areas from which children can observe the lively outside world.

√    ½    X

10. Insects, domestic animals and other creatures are included in and are a valued part of the environment (Note that these are important for children’s learning about the natural world and life sciences such as seeing a tadpole transform into a frog, how a spider spins its web, catches its prey and where it lays its eggs, caring for a lamb that grows into an adult-sized sheep and gives birth to and cares for its own lamb).

√    ½   X

11.

√    ½   X

12.

√    ½   X

13.

√    ½   X

14.

√     ½  X

15.

√    ½   X

5^th Sign of Quality: Family Values, Beliefs & Language

1. The adults are non-judgmental and accepting of diversity in families (including family lifestyles, parenting arrangements and parent gender, family structure, socio-economic status, religion, etc). There is no labelling or categorising of children based on ethnic, religious, social or political stereotypes. 

√    ½   X

2. You are confident the adults will follow through on your wishes for your child. For example, if in your family shoes and boots are taken off at the door and not worn indoors then you may expect the adults in the service to reinforce this by reminding your child when necessary and making sure that the child’s slippers are always handy. (Note: take care not to make value-based requests that include children other than your own).

√    ½   X

3. The adults check with you what language(s) you are happy for your children to be taught and to learn within the service (this may or may not be the predominant language spoken within your family). They do not make assumptions on the basis of your child’s ethnicity. 

√    ½   X

4. Certain ways of behaving, attitudes and skills are not assumed to be more desirable for children than others. The adults check with you about what you want your child to be doing, learning and achieving (for example is it okay for your daughter to play in the dress-up and play-house area most of the morning every morning? Is it okay for your child’s non-competitive behaviour to be positively reinforced or is a competitive spirit something you value?).

√    ½   X

5. The customs/practices valued within your family that the service should be supporting for your child are supported by it and the adults (e.g. celebrations important for your child and family such as birthdays or not celebrating your child’s birth date if this is against your family’s religious beliefs, Christmas, Chinese New Year, blessing food or saying grace before your child consumes it, etc.).

√    ½   X

6.  Parents/families can directly and easily contact the owner or person ultimately responsible (e.g. president of the centre committee) for running the early childhood to discuss any concerns or complaints (i.e. the owner, operator or manager of the service does not live in another city and regularly visits the service if he/she/they do not work at). And also, so that there is greater coherency between the way the service is managed and managements expectations of staff and family values, beliefs, and expectations. 

√     ½   X

7.

√    ½   X

8.

√    ½   X

9.

√    ½   X

10.

√    ½   X

6^th Sign of Quality : Parents’ Needs

1. You have a say in or can personally interview and select the adult(s) to be employed in the service or who work specifically with your child. In many centre-based settings this is usually not allowed for, in which case you should be given access to full background safety and education information on the adults working in the service (e.g. if an adult was accused of physically abusing her own children but not convicted or has a conviction say for fraud which is not likely to harm a teacher’s application for registration but may be considered relevant by parents).

√    ½   X

2. The service provides value to your child and family in relation to the financial and other costs of using it.

√    ½   X

3. The adults/the service provides the kind of experiences that you would otherwise be giving your child if you had the time (e.g. if you would likely take your child to a local toddlers music group or to a learn-to-swim class – your child will not miss out on these experiences).

√    ½   X

4. The service provides you with full details of costs and obligations, and you are happy with the costs and obligations. The costs detailed should include:

• up-front costs (such as an enrolment fee, attendance fees, membership fees and levies, expected donation payments, trip and activity charges, obligations for being involved in fundraising, raffle-tickets and books or other things it is anticipated that parents will buy when sent home with their child),
• service requirements (e.g. such as for families to supply a sun-hat, food, school bag, box of tissues etc), fines or additional charges (e.g. if you are a few minutes over the time your child was booked into the service), fee charges continuing when the service is not available or when the service is closed for holidays, and
• obligations for physical assistance (e.g. cleaning, washing, gardening, parent-helping in the programme, parent-helping on trips or providing transport, committee work or other requests for assistance such as for help in promoting the service).

√    ½   X

5. The adults have a “not a problem” attitude of flexibility in responding to your and to other parent needs.

√    ½   X

6. The adults do not seek or rely on parents for support for personal problems.

√    ½   X

7. Children, and especially your child, are not used for promotional or political purposes (e.g. taken to play in a shop window to promote the service to the public or  taken on a street march or a picnic on parliament grounds) during the hours they are usually in the service

√    ½   X

8.

√    ½   X

9.

√    ½   X

10.

√    ½   X

11.

√    ½   X

12.

√    ½   X