Caring for our growing Mater families

03/Aug/2021     Mater Group

On 2 August Mater Early Learning will celebrate the ten-year anniversary of their second building which was opened in 2011 to support growing Mater families and the wider South Brisbane community.

The original building was opened seventeen years ago and had capacity to support 70 children but as demand for childcare services grew the second building opened to support an additional 180 children.

Manager Mater Early Learning Haritini Kouvidis and Educational Leader Allyson Henriquez have both been working at Mater Early Learning since the service began back in May of 2004 and said centre was a special place.

"When we originally opened, we only supported Mater families, but today we welcome anyone. Today, children from Mater families make up around 70 per cent of our cohort which is great to see," Haritini said.

"We hear such wonderful feedback from our families, they love the care their children receive here. I feel we have a really amazing team who are so experienced and passionate about what they do, it really comes across in the atmosphere of the centre."

Haritini said the team recently received a lovely email from Assistant Director of Clinical Services Janet See whose son Nicholas was cared for at Mater Early Learning when the centre first opened.

"Janet’s son was in our first nursery and cared for by myself she recently sent us a photograph to say he has graduated high school. It’s so lovely to hear this as we don’t often get to see the children we care for very often,” Haritini said.

Allyson said Mater treats us so well and we feel we are really part of the Mater community, we love seeing parents return with their second or third child to be cared for by us, and we enjoy seeing the parents around campus.

“I think the centre is a really positive and welcoming place, but we also have really strong policies and procedures which are aligned to the hospital and I believe that is what sets up apart as well.

“Our Educators really do go above and beyond for parents, they are actively engaged with their development, behaviour and learning and speak to the parents about their children and even make recommendations.”

To find out more about Mater Early Learning please call 3163 3444, email earlylearning@mater.org.au or visit, https://www.mater.org.au/group/about/mater-early-learning

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