The home of Wee Care
Wee Care is a private Long Day Care organisation with two centres which are situated three houses apart in the same street. Wee Care 2 provides care for 29 children aged 2-4 years. Wee Care Kindergarten provides care for the pre-school year for 34 children aged 4 and 5 years old. Both centres are open 48 weeks of the year, only closing on Public holidays and for 4 weeks over the Christmas period.
Our Philosophy
At Wee Care we view children as unique individuals that deserve more than simply being responded to on a needs basis. This is not to deny our concern for children’s needs but rather to give attention and strength to the rights that are often ignored “rights as protagonists in their own learning and right as citizens” (Rinaldi). We therefore have shifted the focus from “at risk” and “in need” to a positive focus of “rights”. We recognise children’s potential, observable in their flexibility, curiosity, sense of wonder, imagination and desire to grow, communicate and relate to people.
"A school needs to be a place for all children, not based on the idea that they are all the same, but that they are all different."
Loris Malaguzzi
Holistic approach
We understand that all children enter our Early Childhood setting with a history, life experience and knowledge. The Care and Education of young children is viewed not in isolation but in relation to family, peers, education, the environment and local community. A continuous dialogue among children, educators and families facilitates a reflective and responsive curriculum, Children Being, Belonging and Becoming.
Our influences
Wee Care provides a truly child centred program which develops in children a desire to learn, question, analyse, hypothesise and research, building an excellent basis for a lifetime of learning. We are inspired by many Educational Theorists and models, particularly the Reggio Emilia Approach which originated in Reggio Emilia Italy. We are also influenced by The Early Years Learning Framework of Australia, Howard Gardners Theories of Multiple Intelligences, The First Forrest schools of Scandinavia and Scotland, STEAM and new and current research and thinking.
“Learning and teaching should not stand on opposite banks and just watch the river flow by; instead, they should embark together on a journey down the water. Through an active, reciprocal exchange, teaching can strengthen learning and how to learn.”
LORIS MALAGUZZI
Founder of the Reggio Emilia Philosophy (1920-1994)
Our Managers
Ruth Weinstein
Our owner Ruth Weinstein began Wee Care Kindergarten in 1976 and is driven by a passion for enabling all children to have the right to quality Early childhood Education. Ruth's efforts have been recognised in the community by being a finalist in the Bulletin Smart 100 in 2008, a winner of the Wentworth Courier Small Business Awards in 2000 and Winner of the Small Business Awards Champion of Champions in 2001.
Antonia Folden
Antonia Folden has worked at Wee Care Education since 1997 when she was the Director at the opening of our 2nd centre Wee Care 2. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education and a Graduate Diploma in Counselling focusing on children and families. She is highly passionate about children learning through experiential play and relationships with each other and the world around them.
Wee Care believes in the importance of employing highly qualified educators and having high staff to child ratios. Our current educators bring to us their life experiences and skills and share their diverse range of cultural backgrounds. Wee Care 2 employs 3 full-time Early Childhood University Qualified Educators and 2 Diploma Educators and 1 Certificate 111 Educators. Wee Care Kindergarten employs 3 full-time Early Childhood University Qualified Educators, 3 Diploma Qualified Educators and 1 part-time Certificate 111 Educator.
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If you are an educator and think you could be a great fit for our team, please get in touch.