The surprising sign of a quality early learning centre

Shared Beginnings CEO Kim Clifton has seen her fair share of early learning centres. 

In fact, with more than 20 years of experience running centres, there’s very little she hasn’t seen (or heard) from kids just like yours. That’s why when she shares the one green flag she looks for in a centre, it’s worth taking note. 

“I’ve owned and run early learning centres for over two decades,” she explains. “But I’m also a mum of four who has had her own kids in early childhood education, and I know the type of things to look for.”

According to Kim, while activity stations and new toys are good, the real sign you should pay attention to is more subtle. “It’s something I realised after working on the floor in the centres I owned and it has stuck with me,” she says. 

“A big part of my day is spent wiping snotty noses - not a glamorous side of the job! But it is a benchmark I’d expect in all of my centres.

“So for me, one of the quickest methods for judging whether educators are focused on your kids is to look around and see how many runny noses you can spot. 

“If the staff are attentive and engaging with each child individually, one of the most frequent activities you’ll see them engaging in is wiping noses!”

While the example is an obvious one, it’s what this kind of educator behaviour says about staff priorities that Kim finds more interesting. “People seek careers in early childhood education for several reasons, and it’s always been a focus of mine to find and hold onto the staff who have chosen it because they really care about children.”

It’s built into the philosophy across all our Shared Beginnings Early Learning centres that engaged, committed staff are key to a centre’s success, something Kim says has played out across every centre she’s owned. 

“Some of our staff members have been with us for 16 years,” Kim says. “I truly believe that when you have the right people in place, community follows.”

Each one of those staff members, she says, is there because they’re also invested in children getting the best care possible.

“As someone who runs early childhood centres, you learn to identify the people who really care and surround yourself with them, but as a parent, there also are immediate green flags, outside of the nose-wiping,” she laughs. 

Kim says staff that notice things about your child’s likes and dislikes, staff who will go the extra mile to make them feel comfortable at drop off, or extend an interest area for them, are all excellent signs of a centre that focuses on your kids above anything else.