Under Two Year Olds
Attachment Rich Nurturing Care
Because we understand the importance of the first 1000 days of a child’s life, we support parents with children under two years of age through home styled care with a constant caregiver.
Infants are assigned a consistent caregiver who will be with them their entire journey at Kakapo Creek. As children demonstrate a readiness to join our over two year old classrooms their teacher moves with them to ensure consistent relationships are maintained. Science tells that close, warm, reciprocal relationships are the single most important factor in raising amazing humans.
Our specialist under two year old classroom is sunny, spacious and abundantly equipped. Our babies and toddlers join with our older children from time to time throughout their week for blended family play such as mat times, music and movement, outdoor play. This enables children to have the best of both worlds – mixed age family styled care while still being kept safe and nurtured by their consistent caregivers in a classroom equipped just for them.
When children do change to an over two’s classroom we endeavour to keep children with their older siblings and their teacher moves with them. See our gallery below for photos of our babies room.
While we do accept children under the age of one, this is in exceptional circumstances. We prefer to enrol only children aged one and over for reasons of parental attachment and child wellbeing.
We have a long wait list for under two year olds and prioritise families with older siblings and those over one year of age. To put your name on our wait list for under two enrolment, please click here. We recommend early enrolment.
child’s first 1000 days TED Talk New Zealand
What does attachment rich care look like?
Because we understand the importance of a child’s first 1000 days we provide consistent caregivers throughout your child’s early childhood journey. This means they don’t change teachers on their birthdays which disrupts attachment relationships.
While children are free to play in all areas of Kakapo Creek and enjoy relationships with many teachers and children, they are closely linked to a key caregiver who plans curriculum just for them and who takes a special interest in them and their family.
When children reach the age of two and demonstrate developmental readiness they move with their teacher to a family styled classroom that is the best fit for their unique personality and maturity levels while considering the balance of other children in the centre. Children are able to be in the same room as older siblings and the family, including parents are able to form close bonds with the children’s teacher.
We use constant caregivers so there is no changing teacher on a child’s birthday. Research shows that this is best for children’s emotional and social development.
Children may be enrolled part time or full time.
