Childcare
Before and after school care
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Portland North Uniting After School Care
42 School Road, Portland North VIC 3305
Early Learning Centre
After school care in Portland North.
Our after school program provides learning and leisure activities for local children, taking the pressure off busy families who need additional school–based care.
Located at Portland North Primary School, our service gives your child more time with their peers when school finishes.
We provide experiences to help your child get in touch with the outdoors and nurture an understanding and love for the environment.
We provide a culturally safe and inclusive environment and provide translation and other support services where needed.
Program hours and fees
The parents say
"Staff at Uniting are fantastic. They show genuine interest in my child."
- Early learning parent
Learning experiences
Your child will enjoy hands–on, nature–based activities that encourage them to build on their strengths, interests and abilities.
Caring for the environment
We offer sustainability activities to foster a lifelong connection to the environment, including:
- Encouraging children to develop everyday sustainable practices
- Excursions that encourage children to care for the environment around them
- Recycling materials and water.
Incursions
Other experiences your child will partake in are:
- Pet care discussions
- Music and dance workshops
- Science and maths workshops
- Cultural visits
- Arts and crafts programs
- Physical challenges and games
- Role-playing and drama
- Cooking.
Fostering family and community connections
We understand the importance of community in developing you child’s sense of belonging and connection. We encourage family participation and regularly engage with local people, groups and services to create strong community connections, including:
- Celebrating significant cultural festivals and days
- Talking to the children about your job, hobbies or other interesting topics
- Volunteering to support our programs.
We partner with the local:
- Primary School
- Library
- Fundraising charities.
Program hours and fees
Service Leader
Melissa
Hi, I’m Melissa and I’m the Service Leader at Portland North and Bundarra Uniting After School Care. I have a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and my First Aid and CPR as well. I’ve worked in the EL sector for 15 years. I’m passionate about watching the children grow and develop and building meaningful relationships with the children. At our Portland After School Care programs, we value respect and diversity, celebrating each child’s culture, heritage, background and tradition. We focus on children expanding their understanding of First Nations culture and gaining an understanding of their country heritage, respect for others and being inclusive. We create a space where everyone belongs. The team and I look forward to welcoming you to our service.
Health and wellbeing
Mental health
We work closely with Uniting staff trained in children’s trauma. We also work with Kindergarten Inclusion Support and Safe Child Support services. We also offer mental health support for families if you find yourself in need of assistance. Educators provide both environments and programs that support children’s positive mental health and self–care.
Nutrition
We provide nutritious food, full of flavour and made from fresh ingredients. We accommodate all dietary requirements. To encourage healthy bodies and minds, we:
- Grow our own fruit, vegetables and herbs
- Practice food safety
- Work with families from a range of cultural backgrounds to ensure we are offering appropriate food choices
- Provide a healthy afternoon snack that is prepared with the children.
Safe environment
As a child safe organisation, our educators undergo regular working with children’s and police checks. We are focused on delivering learning and development in a safe and supportive environment, so you can trust that your child is in good hands.
Policies and downloads
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