I went to Lightning Reef Early Learning Centre to conduct an interview about how the childcare centre runs. I asked the following questions:
How many kids attend each day?
We can have up to 115 children enrolled each day. Today there’s about 85.
What ages are the children in each room?
There are five rooms in total and they consist of; 0-1 years, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years and 4-6 years which is kindergarten.
What age ranges are there?
4 months is the youngest up to 6 years of age – however, they can also take newborns if required.
What qualifications do you need to work in a day care /child care?
To work in the kindergarten room you need a degree in Early Childhood Education. If you are not a qualified teacher, you require a minimum of a Certificate III which can be completed through TAFE.
How many teachers work at the centre?
There are 25-30 staff including full-time, part time, casual carers, teachers, office staff, cooks etc. There is different ratio for each room. In 0-3 the ratio is one teacher to every three students and in the other rooms it’s one teacher per 11 children, required at all times.
Has anyone ever forgotten to collect their child?
Yes, not often but it does happen. It could be because some people fall asleep on the couch if they are shift workers or confusion between parents, resulting in children being left behind.
What are your open hours?
The earliest children can arrive is 6:30am and the latest they can leave is 6pm. LRELC operates Monday-Friday and are closed on public holidays and for two weeks over the Christmas period.
