Kinder Haven Essendon Fields

Spacious and resource-rich environments

Our Essendon Fields early learning centre is designed to be a home away from home that encourages every child’s exploration. Our brand-new, resource-rich early learning environments have been carefully designed to immerse your child into a world of exploration, curiosity, and learning.

Each learning space extends onto our beautiful outdoor environment, which encourages endless ways and opportunities for play! Our spacious outdoor environments are specifically designed for children to engage in various activities, including ball games, bike riding, climbing and sand play. In our natural outdoor spaces, children can safely develop their strength, balance, and self-confidence through play. Our large and bright indoor spaces are decorated with plenty of natural resources to inspire children during their play-based learning experiences.

Dedicated and passionate team of educators

A team of passionate early childhood educators and teachers make up the heart of our Essendon Fields child care centre. We know each child has unique talents and interests. Our experienced educators are passionate about helping every child succeed in discovering their identity and become confident, happy and resilient learners.

Delicious and healthy meals prepared on site

Our Essendon Fields childcare centre provides children with nutrient-rich, fresh and seasonal whole foods created to please even the fussiest of eaters. For variety, our menu rotates every four weeks, with our cook catering to the unique dietary requirements of every child.

Here at our Essendon Fields early learning centre, we believe that by encouraging active participation in food preparation (such as growing & harvesting the fruit and vegetables, preparing, and helping cook the meal) – children learn to appreciate and understand the importance of healthy eating.

We look forward to partnering with you and your family to provide information, support, and high-quality early education and care in your child’s formative years. Contact our Family Support Team to start your journey today.

Play is essential to every child’s learning and development. It enables children to make decisions, learn, take risks, and have fun. At our Essendon Fields early learning centre, our experienced team plan play-based learning activities in line with national standards. The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is designed to engage in your child’s interests and allow them to experience each day in a new way, supporting their learning in the lead-up to primary school.

Our Early Learning Curriculum also provides children with:

• Real Life experiences: Children participate in fun and exciting experiences such as woodworking, harvesting the veggie garden, and basic cooking skills.
• Music and movement programs: Our weekly dance and music programs for all age groups have been designed to help develop fundamental skills that help support children’s self-regulation, memory and concentration.
• Community engagement activities: We often have visits from local community librarians, local police, and other community services in Essendon to help familiarise the children with their local community. 

Daniella Bovalina

I started my career in Early Childhood Education and Care in 2004 and I hold an Advanced Diploma in Children’s Services.

I believe working in early learning makes me feel proud to work in a sector that gives back so much to its community.  As an educator and centre manager you are able to work in an environment where play is a part of the learning and the observing of one’s development is so prevalent in the day to day routine of the centre.

Our centre has a beautiful family feel as you enter the building, with the pleasant cooking smells and the laughter from educators and the sounds of children engaging and mixing with the peers brings a journey of life and excitement. We are situated in a corporate business zone where parents are welcomed to come for lunch and visit their children.

I love dancing to Tik Tok with my children and always treating people the way they would like to be treated.

Essendon Fields Kinder Haven provides early education and child care for children from nursery age through to kindergarten. Each room has been planned and set up to deliver the best early learning experience for your little one.

Nursery 1 (8 weeks – 12 months) and Nursery 2 (12 – 18 months)

Our Nursery rooms provide:

• A homely, safe and secure environment for children to learn through play.
• Qualified and supportive educators who genuinely care about children’s wellbeing and growth.
• Activities designed to grow physical and cognitive development, including tummy time, sensory play, music, singing, rhymes and reading.
• A continuation of your family’s home routine including sleep and feed times.
• An open-door policy for families that allows them to drop in for a visit any time of the day.

Toddler 1 (18 – 24 months) and Toddler 2 (24 – 36 months)

Our Toddler rooms offer:

• Play-based activities including music, movement, memory and construction games that are planned to support sensory-motor and cognitive development.
• Enhanced social skills and self-confidence through group play.
• The continuous development of language skills through reading and open-ended questions.
• Real-life and play-based experiences that allow children to engage in basic literacy and numeracy concepts.

Pre Kinder (3 – 4 years) and Kindergarten (4 – 5 years)

Our Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten rooms provide:

• An approved Kindergarten program delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher, aimed at further developing literacy, numeracy and social skills.
• Compared to traditional Kindergartens, we’re open longer from 6:30am – 6:30pm, our program runs 52 weeks of the year and offers up to 5 days per week.
• Interest-based learning placing children at the helm of their early education experience.
• Play-based opportunities to further develop social skills and emotional development.

A centre tour is a convenient way to experience the centre of your choice and meet with our qualified educators at a time suitable to your family schedule. Kinder Haven also offers the virtual tour option in all our centres. Click here to book a tour online.

On the day of the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to observe practices and interactions within the centre environment. You’ll be able to see all the rooms and playgrounds, ask the team members any questions you have in mind, and get all the information you need to make the best decision for your child.

Kinder Haven’s Family Support team will add your child’s name to our waitlist if one of our centres is currently full in your child’s age group. We will then contact you as soon as a place becomes available.

We also do monthly check-ins to review the availability, and you will receive a text message confirming if you’re still happy to remain on the waitlist each month. If you would like to get an update at any point, you’re welcome to reach out on our Web Chat or give us a call.

Our Family Support team can also help you find more G8 early learning centres near you, with the same offerings at the Kinder Haven centre you are interested in that have immediate availability.

It’s common for a child to experience separation anxiety when they first start child care. When you’re getting ready to start child care, you can help your child overcome anxieties by visiting the child care centre together for a Stay and Play session, and easing into new routines at home.

Click here to read more tips about how to make the transition easier for your child.

Most of our Kinder Haven child care and early education centres offer the following:

• Nappies and wipes
• Sunscreen and hats
• Nutritious meals prepared by our in-house cook

Some centres also provide sheets and formula, so you may not need to remember to pack them.

For nursery children, be sure to bring: nappy rash cream, dummies, bottles and teats, comfort toys or blankets, three spare outfits, spare socks and a plastic bag for wet clothes.

For toddlers and preschool or kindergarten-aged children, it’s best to bring: spare underwear, water bottle or sippy cup, sun hat, closed-toe shoes, two spare outfits, spare socks and a plastic bag for wet clothes.

Plus anything else your individual child may need, such as breast milk, a sleeping bag, a comforter or medication.

It’s best to speak to your centre of choice for a full list of everything included.

Kinder Haven uses Xplor Home as our family communication app. It is the best and easiest way to keep track of your child’s day. After you enrol your child with the centre, you can utilise Xplor Home to book child care days, manage your account, receive the photographs that capture your child’s learning, learn about your child’s progress, as well as keep up-to-date with upcoming centre events and important information.

If your child shows signs of an infectious illness when they arrive at the centre or becomes sick during the day, you may be notified that you need to make alternative arrangements or pick up your child from the centre, and keep them home until they are no longer infectious. While we understand that this can be inconvenient, Kinder Haven is committed to maintaining a healthy environment and reducing the risk of infection for all children.

Under the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), families are allowed 42 absence days per child, per financial year. These can be taken for any reason, including public holidays and when children are sick, without the need for families to provide documentation.