Kinder Haven Wantirna

Spacious and resource-rich environments

Wantirna Kinder Haven is designed to be a home away from home that encourages every child’s exploration. The resource-rich early learning environments at our childcare centre 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 outdoor environments include a bike track, sandpit and vegetable garden. We also have access to Blind Creek Reserve in Wantirna South where we do regular Bush Kinder programs. These resources are designed for children to safely develop their strength, balance, and self-confidence through play-based learning. Our indoor spaces are filled with natural lights, and we have lots of natural resources for educators to design play-based experiences. 

Dedicated and passionate educators and teachers

Our team of longstanding and passionate early childhood educators make up the heart of the 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. We are a multicultural early learning centre with several languages being spoken across our team including Mandarin and French. Our kindergarten teacher incorporates French language into our daily learning program.

Delicious and healthy meals prepared on site

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

Here at our Wantirna South 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 Wantirna South child care 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.
• Sustainability Program: At our Wantirna South child care centre, each age group participates in a sustainability project that help children embed sustainable practices into everyday life. Children learn about recycling, conserving water, growing food and the importance of looking after and protecting our planet.
• Music and movement programs: Our music programs 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 Wantirna to help familiarise the children with their local community. We also go visit our creek for bush kinder, go on excursions to our local parks, cafes and supermarkets. We often visit our local primary schools in Wantirna to assist our Kindergarten children with their transition to ‘big school’.

Jenelle Hadjistefanis

I have been working in the early education sector since 2000 and believe building relationships with families and being part of children’s lives is truly my calling. I have completed an Advanced Diploma in Community Services and have a wealth of experience from great mentors in the sector.

Our educator team is devoted to providing an educational, fun, nurturing and safe environment for children to grow and see them success in school and life beyond. Our mantra at Wantirna is, “time spent playing with children is never wasted” – Dawn Lantero. We cannot wait to meet you and your family to share in this exciting journey ahead with you.

Wantirna 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.

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.
• An open-door policy for families that allows them to drop in for a visit, a feed or a play at any time of the day.

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.

Our Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten rooms provide:

• A government-approved two year Kindergarten program delivered by qualified early childhood teachers, with a comprehensive curriculum focused on further developing literacy, numeracy and social skills.
• Interest-based learning placing children at the helm of their early education experience.
• Bush Kinder program.
• Play-based opportunities to further develop social skills and emotional development.
• A transition-to-school program.

See how we’re learning for life at Wantirna Kinder Haven. Book a tour today to see everything our centre has to offer.

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.