Explore & Develop Alexandria supporting families and children during COVID-19
We understand family’s needs for quality childcare where safety, security, learning and development are of the highest importance.
Our caring and dedicated team of early childhood specialists reflect the healthy respect we have for families. Our heartfelt commitment to each child’s continuous education and care extends beyond our service to the home.
As a privately-owned childcare centre in Sydney’s inner suburbs, we believe in building quality collaborative relationships with families to enrich each child’s learning experience. Relationships are at the centre of everything we do.
Explore and Develop Alexandria is open and taking enrolments. Over the coming weeks and months, our support for families and children at the centre and at home remains a priority. We are here to support you, now and for the future.
Supporting children’s safety, wellbeing and learning
Routines create powerful connections. They support the development of relationships, and when consistent, repetitive practices can boost a child’s confidence allowing them to learn what comes next.
At Explore and Develop Alexandria, we rigorously practise exceptionally high standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
Our educators are well versed in hygiene and infection control using hospital-grade cleaning solutions. We have also increased our cleaning schedule and employ a professional cleaner who comes in every day to clean the entire service.
To strengthen our approach to health and safety, we persist in modelling effective hygiene habits:
- Practise social distancing by sitting children further apart and having separate mealtimes per classroom to ensure a small group seating while still encouraging interactions
- Wash hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds after bathroom visits, coughing or sneezing and before eating
- Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If a tissue isn’t available using their upper sleeve/elbow (not hands) and washing hands after
- Disinfect door handles, foyer area and the sign-in iPad regularly throughout the day
Our service supports and implements strict exclusion practices for children, educators and families in line with our health and safety policies and advice from public health authorities.
We are always seeking new ways to keep our service safe and to support our families and children during this challenging time. Our families can access and collaborate with us on changes to our service, preparedness and response through Kinderloop.
Staying connected and supporting our families
We miss our families and children who are staying at home. But we continue to engage with them by leveraging technology. Daily morning Zoom sessions help to keep us all connected through this pandemic.
Our secure Zoom sessions help our children to:
- Feel a part of our community
- See their educators
- See their peers
Changes to the Government’s Child Care Package
Places under this package are prioritised for working parents, vulnerable and disadvantaged children and pre-existing enrolments.
Learn more about the New Child Care Package.
Useful family resources during COVID-19
- Advice from the World Health Organisation on healthy parenting and parenting in the time of COVID-19
- UNICEF’s guide on how to talk to your child about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Department of Education – Advice for families
- Special Report: Dealing with disappointment from schooltv.me
- Head to Health: Covid-19 with information for families on talking to children about Coronavirus
- ABC TV Education: Term 2, 2020 Broadcast Schedule
Our promise to you
If you are an existing family either at home or attending our service and circumstances affecting your child’s health or attendance change, you must notify us immediately. This information is vital to ensure we maintain the correct staffing level and high standards of safety.
For Explore & Develop Alexandria right now, we have achievable weekly goals that help us focus. More importantly, they help us, our families and children to grow and develop so that we can rebound quicker, stronger and better.
