Campbelltown City Council’s Amarina Early Learning Centre in Airds has once again attracted international attention for being a leader in early childhood services.
A delegation of South Korean child care officials visited Amarina last Friday.
The delegation of 32 officials from the South Korean Central Support Center for Child Care was taken on a tour of Amarina by the Mayor of Campbelltown, Councillor Paul Lake and council’s education and care services staff.
Ideas and knowledge were exchanged on the role of parent and community participation in early childhood education.
The delegation also visited the Campbelltown Child and Family Centre (CCFC) as part of their visit to Amarina. CCFC works closely with Amarina to support their children and families.
The South Korean Central Support Center for Child Care is an organisation under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and is responsible for regulating the operation of early childhood education and care services for Korean children from birth to the age of eight.
The centre also provides guidance and information to support children’s healthy development.
Mayor Laker said the visit, which was welcomed by council, was a testament to the high quality of local early childhood education and care services.
“The South Korean delegation was thrilled to visit Amarina Early Learning Centre and gain an insight into the operations of one of the best education and care services in NSW,’’ the mayor said.
“Of particular interest to the delegation was the participation of parents and the wider community in the centre’s aims, which is key to Amarina setting the benchmark for other child care centres across Australia, while improving quality outcomes for local children.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The fabulous work taking place at Amarina reflects the dedication of the centre’s educators, council’s committed education and care services team, and the ongoing support demonstrated by local families, service providers and community groups,” Cr Lake said.[/social_quote]
Amarina Early Learning Centre received an “excellent’’ rating from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) in December 2013.
The centre was the first service in NSW to be awarded the “excellent’’ rating.
It was also the first council-operated service in Australia to receive the rating, and only the fifth child care service in the country to reach the highest rating achievable under the National Quality Framework.
It’s not the first time that Amarina Early Learning Centre has attracted international interest.
A visit by leading German child care provider, Froebel, to the centre in February 2014 led to an exciting opportunity for Amarina to become a local network partner in Froebel’s Little Scientist program, which promotes science, mathematics and technology for children aged three to six years.
Amarina will be launching this program in coming months.
