Milford Lodge Child Care Centre achieves Excellent rating

ACECQA Chief Executive Officer Karen Curtis congratulated the service based in Buderim on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for their commitment to developing programs and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth.

After observing that children showed higher levels of engagement and support when playing with different aged peers, Milford Lodge changed the physical layout of the service to provide the children with learning experiences in purposeful activity rooms.

“Rather than replicating activities for each age group, children at Milford are encouraged to play together and make use of resources that promote creative and critical thinking. I congratulate the service on their philosophy of reflection and change,” Ms Curtis said.

“The service’s practice, programs and environments, which reflect and develop children’s interests, are continuously reviewed and adjusted to ensure the best outcomes for children.”

Established in 1986, the service has a rich family history of being a ‘home’ for children, offering unique outdoor and farmyard settings that include daily pony rides and a variety of poultry. The emphasis on creating and developing different environments is also demonstrated in Milford Lodge’s respect for the natural environment and sustainability. In the service, children have the freedom to use all outdoor areas, which have been created through reused, recycled and repurposed materials and are actively involved in the growing and preparation of food for their sit down meals.

This has been influenced by the community partnership Milford Lodge has forged with Urban Food Street, an initiative where houses in the local area grow edible plants. Along with enabling the children to learn about the process of growing healthy food, the collaboration has evolved to include family visits and fostered close relationships with the elderly in the community who receive food deliveries from the children. 

Milford Lodge has been commended for this collaborative partnership as well as its sustained commitment to professional development through the support of educators within and outside the service.

Services that receive an overall rating of ‘Exceeding the National Quality Standard’ can apply for the Excellent rating.

More information is available on the ACECQA website and the Milford Lodge Child Care Centre website.