What to Expect at Orientation in our Nursery Room

At Child’s Play ELC, we encourage orientation sessions for every new child that enrols. It’s important to us that we get to know you and your child and vice versa, parents like to get to know our educators before leaving their child with us. Orientation provides the opportunity for parents and children to get to know the educators, the rooms and is an introduction to the new routine.

Orientation helps reduce separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety is when children become very anxious to be away from parents, and it’s normal in young children starting childcare. In particular, babies can experience separation anxiety from parents when they start childcare as they don’t have a separate sense of self yet and are dependent on carers to look after them. Orientation sessions help ease this anxiety as they allow for babies to become familiar with these new faces and develop relationships and a sense of security being left in their care. 

At Child’s Play, we are a family run childcare centre so we’ve been in your position and we understand your nerves and your concerns.  We want to make sure you are comfortable sending your child to Child’s Play which is why we implemented orientation sessions for babies and have multiple channels of communication for parents so you can keep up-to-date with how your child is doing. 

Orientation for Babies 

Orientation for babies is a little different to orientation for toddlers. It’s actually more focused on the parent and what is expected of us as educators. Orientation sessions for babies focus on building up the child’s confidence to be left alone with someone else for extended periods of time. They are shorter to start with so we don’t cause too much distress. At Child’s Play, we will book your orientation sessions on the same day you are planning to be enrolled so that your child can become comfortable with the educators that work on those days. 

Transitioning to childcare with younger babies can involve a little more preparation than toddlers. Here are just a few for you to consider for when your child starts their orientation at Child’s Play ELC. 

Feeding your baby

If you are breastfeeding your baby, it’s important to think about how you will continue this routine. At Child’s Play, we encourage both the use of bottles for breastmilk or coming into the centre at a scheduled time to breastfeed your child. It’s important to us that we maintain your child’s routine. If bottle-fed, we will ensure to stick to your normal routine but also read your child’s patterns of behaviour to recognise when they are hungry. 

Packing for the day

It’s important to pack a few key things for your babies day at child care. We find that lots of parents have a special child care bag that will is used for all your child’s items that need to go back and forth to child care each day. Some things to pack include:

  • A change of clothes.
  • A special toy to soothe them if they get upset.
  • A coat and a beanie (if it is winter) or a legionnaire or summer hat (if it is summer).
  • A photograph of the family that can be kept at the service.
  • Any special bottles or feeding equipment they prefer.

Day 1

Even after attending orientation session the first day of child care will probably feel a little overwhelming for you and/or your baby. It’s important to remember that as parents you are allowed to feel upset too. Starting childcare is a big step for the whole family. Take some extra time out of your day to spend with your baby both before and after their childcare session. You can also call the childcare centre or check our KindyHub app to see how your baby is and what they are doing. We want to make the transition as smooth as possible and make sure you are at ease that we are taking care of your baby.  

Child’s Play ELC: A family orientated and family-run childcare centres

At Child’s Play ELC, we understand all of your emotions in sending your baby to childcare because we have been there before. We are a childcare centre that cares deeply for our families and tailor our communications to ensure each family feels valued. We provide childcare for babies through to kindergarten and have created an open space environment where children can participate in explorative play indoors and outdoors.  We are here to help you take that next big step and we want to make sure you are comfortable sending your child to Child’s Play ELC. So if you have questions please get in touch with our educators or if you are looking to enrol fill in this form