Building confidence for starting kindy: A guide for parents

19th November 2025

Starting kindy is an exciting milestone for both children and parents. In the months leading up to that first day, there are many simple, joyful ways you can help your child build the confidence and skills they need to thrive in their new learning environment.

Why early preparation matters

Kindy is a wonderful time for your child to develop the social and emotional skills that will help them build friendships, navigate new experiences, and feel confident in their learning journey. The good news? You can start nurturing these skills at home right now, making the transition smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.

Building independence skills
Practicing everyday tasks helps children feel capable and confident. In the months before kindy starts, try:

Lunchbox mastery: Let your child practice opening containers, unwrapping snacks, and using utensils independently
Self-care routines: Encourage them to wash their hands, put on their shoes, and zip their backpack
Morning routines: Establish a consistent pattern of getting dressed, eating breakfast, and packing their bag so the rhythm feels familiar
Celebrate small wins: Each time they master a new skill, acknowledge their achievement with enthusiasm

Nurturing social and emotional skills
These skills form the foundation for positive relationships and emotional wellbeing:

Name those feelings: Ask "How does that make you feel?" and validate their emotions, helping them develop emotional awareness and vocabulary
Practice sharing and turn-taking: Use simple games and everyday activities to build patience and cooperation
Model kindness: Practice using words like "please," "thank you," and "can I have a turn?" until they become natural
Build empathy: Talk about how friends or book characters might be feeling to help your child understand others' emotions
Encourage problem-solving: When challenges arise, ask "What could we do?" to empower them to think through solutions
Praise the effort: Focus on persistence and trying rather than just outcomes, building resilience for new experiences

Reducing separation anxiety
Saying goodbye can be difficult, but these strategies can help ease the transition:

Practice goodbye routines: Create a special hug, wave, or phrase you'll use each morning, then practice it at home
Read kindy stories together: Books about starting school help children visualise their day in a positive way
Visit beforehand: If possible, explore the kindy together so the environment feels familiar and welcoming
Talk about the reunion: Remind your child that you'll always come back, and discuss what you'll do together after kindy
Keep goodbyes brief and positive: Long, emotional farewells can increase anxiety - a warm hug and confident "See you soon!" works best
Trust the teachers: Your child's educators are experienced in supporting children through this transition

Building social confidence
Help your child feel comfortable in group settings:

Arrange playdates: Spending time with other children helps them practice social skills in a comfortable environment
Visit playgrounds: Local parks provide opportunities to play alongside peers and navigate shared spaces
Talk excitedly about kindy: Share what they'll experience - new friends, fun activities, outdoor play, and learning adventures
Read social stories: Books about friendship, sharing, and kindness reinforce positive social behaviours

Remember: Every child settles at their own pace

It's important to remember that every child is unique, and there's no "right" timeline for settling into kindy. Some children skip through the gates on day one, while others need a few weeks to feel fully comfortable. Both experiences are completely normal.

Your child's teachers understand this and will work with you to support your child's individual needs. They've guided countless children through this transition and know that patience, consistency, and understanding help every child find their confidence in their own time.

Some children may have teary mornings for the first week, others might take a little longer - and that's ok. What matters is that you and your child's educators work together to provide reassurance, maintain routines, and celebrate small steps forward.

The week before kindy starts
As the first day approaches:

Talk positively about what's ahead without putting pressure on your child
Ensure they're well-rested and maintaining regular mealtimes
Pack their bag together
Label everything clearly so belongings can be easily identified
Prepare yourself emotionally too - your calm, confident energy helps your child feel secure

You've got this!

Starting kindy is a significant step, but you're not taking it alone. Your child's teachers, the C&K community, and other parents are all part of this journey. Trust in your child's ability to adapt, celebrate their courage in trying new things, and remember that with your support and their educators' guidance, they'll flourish in their own perfect time.

The skills you're building now - independence, emotional awareness, social confidence, and resilience - will serve your child not just in kindy, but throughout their entire learning journey. We are so happy to be along for this exciting journey!

Workforce is the key to building child-safe environments: Joint Statement from Not-for-Profit Early Childhood Education and Care Providers to changes to National Law

18th November 2025

Link copied! 😊

As leaders of some of Australia’s largest not-for-profit early learning providers, we welcome the National Law changes being considered by the Victorian Parliament this week as a positive step forward for parents and the early childhood sector.

We welcome increased government funding to Regulatory Authorities.

However, safeguarding children is not just a regulatory obligation – it is an imperative shared by our values driven organisations. We are committed to high quality early childhood education and care. We know that quality and safety go hand in hand and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to child safety and wellbeing, and our commitment to working with governments across the nation to drive improvements in quality and safety.

This legislative reform is an opportunity to put in place the foundations of an early childhood system that knits together, strengthening child safety in quality early learning. It’s critically important that we get the foundations right – starting with supporting early childhood teachers and educators in our profession.

Children’s safety is so important, we should resist anything which compromises that objective, however well-intentioned. Children are not safer if experienced teachers and educators leave the sector. We are concerned some elements of the bill will make it harder to retain experienced teachers and educators, particularly in crucial leadership roles.

We call on the Victorian Parliament to reconsider the trebling of personal fines on educators and nominated supervisors. Under the bill, ECEC educators, among the lowest paid but most critical workers in our economy, could face fines of up to $34,000, well in excess of what they may face for similar offences if they occurred in a school. Fines must be proportionate to the offence, with heavy fines reserved for the most egregious offenders and for providers who have not created safe environments.

We are calling on the Victorian Parliament to ensure the National Educators’ Register gives providers access to employment history of prospective employees. We have the duty of care to children and families and need the information to make the right choices about our workforce. As high quality, not for profit providers, we are on the frontline, day by day, looking for full information to be able to safeguard children.

It is also clear that more is required to build a system that knits together to create improved child outcomes and end the postcode lottery parents face. We look forward to those broader national conversations to build that joined-up universal national system – from service planning and approvals, to supporting professional development and growth in the experience and knowledge of our workforce, to how funders and regulators work with providers to achieve shared goals.

As purpose driven providers we invest funding and fee income in programs for children, we commit to the following:

Listening to Children: We recognise that children are often the first to disclose harm. We train and resource our staff to listen carefully and act on any concerns raised by children in our care.
Embedding a Culture of Vigilance: Child safety is at the heart of every decision, policy, and practice in our services. We are committed to fostering environments where vigilance is second nature and where every adult understands their role in protecting children.
Strong Governance and Accountability: Our organisations embed robust, transparent governance frameworks that ensure accountability at every level. We invest in and demand rigorous recruitment, induction, and supervision processes, and zero-tolerance of misconduct.
Ongoing Professional Development: We make substantial investments in professional learning to ensure our teachers, educators and staff are equipped to recognise, prevent, and respond to signs of grooming and abuse. This includes rigorous and ongoing mandatory child protection training.
A Culture of Speaking Up: We are committed to creating psychologically safe workplaces where staff feel empowered and supported to raise concerns without fear of reprisal.
Sector-Wide Reform: We support the government in their stewardship role to provide oversight, drive continuous improvement, and ensure that quality and child safety are not compromised.

Families place significant trust in us as providers, and we must uphold it through consistent action, transparency, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Today, we ask governments and legislators to stand shoulder to shoulder with us and the very many experienced and committed early learning professionals who know that investing in our workforce is the surest way to keep children safe.

View this Statement as a PDF

For media inquiries please contact media@candk.asn.au

The Benefits of a Quality Kindergarten Program at C&K

13th November 2025

Link copied! 😊

Is your family wondering whether attending kindergarten is the right choice for your child? While not mandatory, attending kindy offers extensive benefits and opportunities for learning and growth. Read on to understand why attending kindy is highly recommended amongst early childhood professionals.

What is kindergarten?

In Queensland, kindergarten is a part-time educational program for children in the year before they start prep at school. It is delivered by a university-qualified Early Childhood Teacher (ECT), and is typically offered for 15 hours a week, over 40 weeks a year. To make kindy accessible to more families, the Queensland Government is funding Free Kindy for eligible children – that’s 600 hours to explore, play, and learn, for FREE.

What are the benefits of kindy? What do children learn?

There are numerous benefits to be gained from attending a government-approved kindergarten program at C&K. Our program develops your child's physical, social, cognitive, language, and emotional abilities, and plays a key role in ensuring a smooth transition to school. This looks like:

Learning in a small classroom environment. Groups consist of the same children, the same age as your child, led by the same educators each day. Each group usually has no more than 22 children, allowing for meaningful interactions and strong friendship bonds in an environment that isn’t overwhelmingly busy. Children become familiar with following a daily schedule, transitioning between activities, and understanding classroom expectations.
Building independence and confidence. Children are encouraged to develop life skills, preparing them for the challenges they will encounter in a school environment. What might seem like small tasks, such as learning how to open and close their own lunchbox or apply their own sunscreen, are major steps toward building your child’s autonomy.
Developing early reading, literacy, and numeracy skills. Learning opportunities are skillfully planned by your child’s ECT to introduce these concepts through play, keeping children engaged, curious, and excited about learning.
Strengthening social and emotional skills. Children learn to express their feelings, understand others' emotions, and navigate social situations with guidance from their ECT. Through group activities and collaborative play, they develop empathy, learn to share and take turns, and build emotional resilience.
Enhancing physical development and coordination. Both fine and gross motor skills are developed through purposeful play activities, such as drawing, building, climbing, and playing ball games. These activities help children develop the coordination and body awareness they need for tasks like writing, using scissors, and participating in sports.
Fostering creativity and imagination. Kindy provides dedicated time and resources for artistic expression, dramatic play, and creative problem-solving. Children explore various materials, engage in open-ended projects, and are encouraged to think imaginatively, which helps them develop conviction in their own ideas and creative abilities.

What if traditional kindy hours don’t work for my family?

Want your child to experience kindy but need more than 15 hours of care a week? Select C&K kindergartens offer an extended hours program. The extended hours program commences from the end of the core kindergarten program, and continues the children's learning into the afternoon until 6pm or later. Holiday programs are also available.

Don’t have a kindergarten with extended hours in your area? C&K childcare centres also offer government-approved kindergarten programs led by an ECT. Most centres are open from 6:30am to 6pm (depending on location) and provide flexible booking options, with wrap-around care before and after the core kindy program.

Ready to enrol?

Find your nearest C&K centre to book a tour, or complete an enrolment form to join our waitlist.

Every child belongs: C&K Deception Bay North kindergartens journey to inclusive learning

11th November 2025

Link copied! 😊

At C&K Deception Bay North Community Kindergarten, inclusion is more than a value - it’s a way of being.

In recent years, the team has undertaken extensive professional development in neuroscience, attachment theory and inclusion support. Their growing expertise has shaped a kindergarten community that not only welcomes children of all abilities but actively celebrates them.

“We’ve seen an increase in children with diverse learning and developmental needs, including those with trauma backgrounds and neurodiversity,” Co-Director/Teachers Liz and Lisa share. “Rather than seeing this as a challenge, it’s become our passion. Every child deserves to feel safe, supported and capable.”

Building safety and trust from day one

The journey begins even before a child’s first day. Families are invited to ‘Stay and Play’ sessions where children can explore, connect and build confidence in their new environment. Educators use this time to get to know each child’s strengths, interests and support needs - the foundation for an individualised Educational Support Plan that guides the team’s approach.

These plans are developed in collaboration with families, therapists and the C&K Central inclusion team, ensuring each child’s learning journey is supported by consistent and responsive strategies.

Understanding behaviour as communication

The team draws on attachment and trauma-informed practices, guided by the principle “Be curious, not furious.” This means viewing behaviour as communication - an opportunity to understand what a child needs rather than a challenge to be managed.

Through careful observation and tools such as behaviour tracking, the educators identify patterns and triggers, adjusting the environment and strategies to help children feel secure and regulated.

A community of belonging

This thoughtful, evidence-based approach has earned C&K Deception Bay North kindy a strong reputation in the community. Families speak of the kindergarten as a safe place where children rediscover confidence, and where educators take the time to understand and celebrate every individual.

Close partnerships with families and professionals have led to successful outcomes for children transitioning into school, with strong foundations of trust, resilience and belonging.

As they prepare to welcome new families for 2026, the team continues to reflect, adapt and grow - ensuring that C&K Deception Bay North remains a place where every child truly belongs.

Vaughan Reed

Read more about Vaughan Reed

Joined C&K April 2024

Qualifications
LLB (Hons), CertCoSecEss, CertGov&RiskMgt, GAICD

Experience
Vaughan Reed is the General Counsel and Company Secretary at C&K and has over 25 years' experience in leadership and corporate roles, and over a decade in legal and compliance roles across the education and aged care sectors. Previously, Vaughan held senior positions at Affinity Education Group and Oak Tree Group advising in large-scale transactions. He began his legal career at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and has a background in property and leasing law, contract and corporate law. With a strong foundation in corporate governance and strategic legal advisory, Vaughan brings a pragmatic and collaborative approach to supporting organisational integrity and growth.

Free Kindy - What is it and is your family eligible?

23rd October 2025

Link copied! 😊

If you're preparing for your child's kindergarten year in Queensland, you've probably heard about Free Kindy – but what exactly does it cover, and does your family qualify? Whether you're considering a C&K sessional kindergarten or a C&K childcare centre with a kindy program, understanding how Free Kindy works can help you make informed decisions and budget effectively for the year ahead. Keep reading for a breakdown of everything you need to know.

What is Free Kindy?

Free Kindy provides eligible children with 15 hours per week in a Queensland Government-approved kindergarten program for up to 40 weeks per year – completely free. That’s 600 hours to explore new environments, make friends, build confidence, play, and have fun learning in preparation for Prep.

Who is eligible?

Kindy is free for children turning 4 by 30 June, in the year they attend kindy. See the table below to determine which year your child should attend kindy.

Year born	Kindy year
1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021	2025
1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022	2026
1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023	2027
1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024	2028
1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025	2029
1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026	2030

Eligible-age children who are Australian residents, children of families on Refugee and Humanitarian visas or temporary resident visas that are exempt from state school fees are all eligible to claim Free Kindy funding.

Does Free Kindy apply in childcare?

Yes! If your eligible child is enrolled in a C&K childcare centre where they participate in a government-approved kindergarten program, you will receive 15 hours per week of free kindy for 40 weeks per year (up to a maximum 600 hours per year).

When is kindy NOT free?
There are several situations in which fees for kindy may apply.

When your child attends a kindy program for more than 15 hours per week. This is common if your child attends a childcare centre or kindergarten with extended hours. If you are eligible to claim the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), the CCS and Free Kindy can be claimed together to reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

Some sessional kindergartens offer programs that run for more than 15 hours per week. If this is the case, fees will apply for the additional hours. CCS cannot be claimed at sessional kindergartens.
Children attending kindy who are younger than the eligible age in the year they attend, and children on visas that are not fee-exempt, will be charged the non-eligible fee. These fees are different for each kindy and are available to view on the kindy's webpage. The non-eligible fee is updated every year in December for the following year.

What if my child attends more than one kindy or childcare centre?

Free Kindy can only be claimed at one centre. If your child is enrolled in two childcare centres or two sessional kindergartens, you will need to nominate which centre you wish to claim Free Kindy at.

If your child is enrolled in an approved kindergarten program in both a sessional kindergarten and a childcare centre, the sessional kindergarten will receive the Free Kindy funding for your child.

Fees will apply at sessional kindergartens or childcare centres when another centre is receiving Free Kindy funding for the child.

What if my child is attending kindy for a second year?

If your child will benefit from delayed entry to Prep and is attending kindy for a second year, they will still be eligible to claim Free Kindy as long as they are an Australian resident, child of a family on Refugee and Humanitarian visas, or a temporary resident visa that is exempt from state school fees.

Are there any other fees?

At C&K branch kindergartens, a one-off, non-refundable enrolment fee of $100 is required when you complete your enrolment to confirm your place. This is not covered by Free Kindy funding and is issued to cover administration costs. However, it can be waived if you are an eligible concession card holder.

C&K affiliate kindergartens may also charge an enrolment fee and/or membership fee. Fees may also apply for excursions/incursions. Please see the kindy’s centre webpage for more information.

Further questions?

The C&K Service Support team are here to support you with any fee or subsidy-related questions. We're also happy to help you with any questions specific to your family's situation. Please complete our contact form with as much information as possible, and we'll get back to you, or give us a call on 1800 177 092.

C&K Teacher wins prestigious award for innovative approach to learning in an age of instant gratification

17th October 2025

Link copied! 😊

Rebecca Bowen, Teacher/Director at C&K Oaks Beach Community Kindergarten in Bundaberg, has been awarded the prestigious Merline Muldoon Memorial Award for Innovation in Teaching at the 2025 TEACHX Awards.

Rebecca, who has dedicated 27 years to early childhood education, was recognised for her thoughtful approach to rekindling natural curiosity in an age of instant digital gratification.

In 2024, Rebecca observed that many children in her cohort demonstrated minimal inquisitiveness and a reluctance to explore their world – instead seeking instant answers and immediate resolution.

Rather than accepting this as the new normal, Rebecca embraced her own natural curiosity, and transformed her practice to challenge this change, and profoundly impacted children's learning.

"Winning this award is so exciting. To me, it’s an important recognition of the need to explore and evolve pedagogical approaches in our pursuit of success in an ever-changing world," Rebecca said.

Drawing on research-informed slow pedagogies, Rebecca and her team implemented an innovative framework prioritising depth over speed and wonder over instant answers.

The approach included creating a "Curiosity Cube" with intriguing objects for independent discovery, extensive educator modelling of curiosity through wonder questions, and a "See, Think, Wonder" framework encouraging reflective observations.

Extended investigations allowed children weeks to explore concepts deeply, with one oil and water experiment evolving into rich discussions about ocean conservation and environmental stewardship.

The results have been transformative, with children developing critical thinking skills, deeper questioning abilities, and creative thinking capacities.

"This work challenged us to reflect on our understanding of digital-age children and curiosity—we needed to meet children where they are, not where theory suggested they should be," Rebecca said.

C&K CEO Dr Sandra Cheeseman commended Rebecca on this well-deserved recognition.

"Rebecca's work is a terrific example of C&K's commitment to high-quality early childhood education, as well as our values of putting children first and striving for excellence in everything we do," Dr Cheeseman said.

"This award not only shines an important light on the extraordinary work happening every day in our sector, but it is also a powerful recognition of the professionalism that defines early childhood education. It's during these formative years that we shape how children think, question, and engage with their world – celebrating pedagogical expertise in these spaces is critical."

"Rebecca’s dedication to understanding and responding to the unique challenges facing today's children demonstrates the profound impact that thoughtful, research-informed practice can have on young learners' development."

About C&K

The Creche & Kindergarten Association Limited (C&K) is one of Queensland’s largest early childhood education providers, with a legacy spanning 117 years.

C&K is a not-for-profit organisation directly operating 182 Kindergartens and Childcare Centres across the state. C&K’s sphere of influence and state-wide network is expanded and strengthened by an additional 143 community kindergartens and independent childcare centres who choose to affiliate with C&K because of the strength of our reputation for quality education and care, and for the support and advice of our highly experienced educational advisors.

About the TEACHX Awards

Commencing in 2009, the TEACHX Awards exemplify significant teacher contributions to schools and early childhood communities across Queensland. Presented by the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT), the awards attract thousands of nominations for registered teachers who have achieved exceptional outcomes. To be nominated for a TEACHX Award is an achievement in itself.

Building confidence for starting kindy: A guide for parents

Share article:

Workforce is the key to building child-safe environments: Joint Statement from Not-for-Profit Early Childhood Education and Care Providers to changes to National Law

Share article:

The Benefits of a Quality Kindergarten Program at C&K

Share article:

Every child belongs: C&K Deception Bay North kindergartens journey to inclusive learning

Share article:

Vaughan Reed

G'day Little Queenslanders - Cairns

About Event

Events

G'day Little Queenslanders - Redlands Coast

About Event

Events

G'day Little Queenslanders - Townsville

About Event

Events

Free Kindy - What is it and is your family eligible?

Share article:

C&K Teacher wins prestigious award for innovative approach to learning in an age of instant gratification

Share article:

Building confidence for starting kindy: A guide for parents

Share article:

Workforce is the key to building child-safe environments: Joint Statement from Not-for-Profit Early Childhood Education and Care Providers to changes to National Law

Share article:

The Benefits of a Quality Kindergarten Program at C&K

Share article:

Every child belongs: C&K Deception Bay North kindergartens journey to inclusive learning

Share article:

Vaughan Reed

G'day Little Queenslanders - Cairns

About Event

Events

RSVP To Event

G'day Little Queenslanders - Redlands Coast

About Event

Events

RSVP To Event

G'day Little Queenslanders - Townsville

About Event

Events

RSVP To Event

Free Kindy - What is it and is your family eligible?

Share article:

C&K Teacher wins prestigious award for innovative approach to learning in an age of instant gratification

Share article: