sherbrooke children's centre reaps rewards

It's great to learn the Sherbrooke Children's Centre has successfully been awarded a grant under the Long Day Care Professional Development Programme (LDCPDP). SCC will receive $75,000 to provide the centre’s educators with assistance to meet the qualification requirements under the National Quality Framework (NQF) and to improve practice to deliver quality outcomes for children.

Sherbrooke Children’s Centre recently received a rating of Exceeding the National Quality Standard in all 7 areas which puts it into the top 4% of early childhood services in Victoria. The $75,000 will support the continuing learning journey of the large staff group of up to 40 early childhood professionals at Sherbrooke Children’s Centre and the ongoing reputation of the service as a Centre of Excellence. 

Educators will benefit from high quality training and development opportunities that contribute to improved early learning experiences and outcomes for children in the years before they commence formal schooling. 

It's great news for children and great news for families.

It follows on from another recent accolade where  Sherbrooke Children's Centre and the Yarra Ranges Early Years team took out a major award at the Premier’s Sustainability Awards at Docklands. Family & Children’s Services won the Community category with their Seedlings: sustainability in the Early Years project.

Seedlings is a partnership between Yarra Ranges Council, City of Knox, Alpine Shire, City of Melbourne and City of Port Phillip formed in 2012  to develop a framework and tools for use across a range of early childhood contexts.

Yarra Ranges has 12 early years services participating in the program, which provides for adaptability and flexibility so that it can be implemented in any early years service setting. Seedlings provides a wholistic approach focusing on all aspects of sustainability and helps children develop skills for the future including systems thinking, resilience, problem solving, critical thinking, risk assessment, participation, advocacy and leadership.

It's great to see Yarra Ranges early years services going from strength to strength.

sherbrooke plants more seeds

A program educating young children about sustainable living as been named a finalist in the Premier’s Sustainability Awards

Seedlings: Sustainability in the Early Years has been developed and piloted by five Councils, including the Yarra Ranges.

Preschool Development Officer Claire Rock said the program integrated sustainability into everyday activities that children and their families were engaged with.

“It helps them see sustainability as a way of life,” she said.

The Seedlings framework helps educators meet the national learning frameworks that govern early years.

It has involved 60 services including maternal and child health centres, playgroups, Family Day Care, long day care, preschools and integrated services across Yarra Ranges, Knox City Council, City of Port Philip, City of Melbourne and Alpine Shire Government.

Earlier days at Sherbrooke Children's Centre, I've
long been a strong supporter of children and
children's services, such great news that SCC
has made the finalists list.

Sherbrooke Family and Children’s Centre was one of Yarra Ranges 12 services who participated in the Seedlings Pilot.  Through the program Sherbrooke implemented a range of sustainable practices such as a permaculture make over with 70 fruit trees planted in the children’s playspace, implementation of a compostable nappy system and introduction of a worm farm and clothing swap initiatives.

Yarra Ranges councillor Samantha Dunn said the program aimed to broaden participant understanding that sustainability was more than just the “green stuff”. 

“It’s a wholistic approach focusing on all aspects of sustainability including social, environmental, political, economic and cultural,” Cr Dunn said.

“It helps children develop skills for the future including systems thinking, resilience, problem solving, critical thinking, risk assessment, participation, advocacy and leadership.

“We are proud this innovative program has been nominated.”

The winners of the Premier’s Sustainability Awards will be named on Thursday 2 October.

The full list of nominees is available online here.

samantha in the press - early years

Opening puts Upwey children at the centre of attention
Leader Newspapers
by Emily Webb
21 May 2012

samantha in the press - early years

Sherbrooke Children's Centre finally opened
Yarra Ranges Weekly
by Claire Thwaites
18 May 2012

samantha in the press - early years

Boost for hills childcare
Mail Newspapers
by Casey Neill
16 May 2012

it's official - sherbrooke family & children's centre opened today

What a wonderful celebration of community activism and council cooperation at the opening of Stage 1 of the Sherbrooke Family and Children’s Centre today.

James Merlino, Member for Monbulk
with SOSCC Campaigners,
Jenny and Claire and
Cr Samantha Dunn celebrating
the opening of stage one
of Sherbrooke Family &
Children's Centre.

I was delighted to be able to speak at the event. The issue of childcare is very dear to my heart, saving Sherbrooke Children’s Centre was the very reason I ran for council in the first place.

It was wonderful to regale in some of the stories of the Save Our Sherbrooke Children’s Centre (SOSCC) and acknowledge the efforts of those parents who campaigned relentlessly to save the much loved council run, community based, long day care in the Dandenong Ranges. If we hadn’t got angry and active then we wouldn’t be celebrating today’s journey.

SOSCC members, Jenny Lindstedt, Samantha Dunn
and Claire Ferres-Miles. This SOLD sign was one of the
 props created by SOSCC back in 2005, to be used for
a media stunt in another attempt to save the centre.
I was very pleased to be able tear it up in a symbolic
 gesture of celebration.
We certainly wont be needing it anymore.

I pay tribute to those parents who made who gave up a substantial part of their lives to saving this centre, you should feel very proud of your achievements for without you we wouldn’t be standing here today. It is wonderful to see our vision of integrated children’s services become a reality.

It was important to acknowledge the SOSCC group, they were instrumental in putting up a hard fight to council to save this centre and campaigned relentlessly.

• Claire Ferres-Miles
• Christiaan O’Dea
• Matthew Clarke
• Faorligh Hunter  
• Kevin Jose
• Peter Kinrade
• Jenny Lindstedt
• Ingrid Wood
• Matthew Clear
• Hans Damen
• Samantha Dunn

Of course a lot of effort has gone into saving the centre but it wouldn’t be possible without funding and this project is a great example of the three tiers of government working together. I acknowledge my colleagues on council who unanimously supported an allocation of over $5million towards this project. We were also assisted by Jason Wood (Federal member for Latrobe at the time), with a grant of $1.6million and by James Merlino (State member for Monbulk) who’s office not only assisted the SOSCC greatly, the state government also provided a grant to council of $0.5million.

Sherbrooke Family & Children's Centre chef, Antonio
did an amazing job with this cake to celebrate the
opening of stage one. Antonio is passionate about
providing the children with nutritious and diverse
food selections and is much loved by children
(and parents too!).

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The development of the centre has been quite a journey, including a 2 year stint meeting regularly on the Project Control Group (PCG), touring centres around Melbourne to work out what were the best options for this centre and working with community around issues as well as formal public consultation sessions.
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I particularly thank PCG members:

• Chris Clerici – the Shire’s Project Manager
• Karen Bowen – our Childcare Services Coordinator
• Alissya McKinnon – Sherbrooke Children’s Centre Coordinator
• Sue Lakeland – Upwey Community Link
• Tammy Dance – Upwey Pre School
• Claire Ferres-Miles - Sherbrooke Children’s Centre Parents Advisory Committee Rep
• Malcolm Aspinall – Upwey Primary School
• and Sam Shattock & Peter Sandow – architects for the project.

Cr Samantha Dunn and
architect Sam Shattock. Sam
has been instrumental in the
design of the centre and has
done a great job incorporating
the needs of the centre, working
with the community as well as
designing a facility to fit into a
challenging site.

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The architects have come up with a wonderful design, it is a great example of what a municipal building should be, a statement of aspiration and a reflection of the community.

  

I have no doubt there is a demand for this model of childcare in the Dandenongs, the current waiting list consists of 150 families, more than 150 children. I look forward to seeing the project completed and the facility bursting with children getting the best start in life.

sherbrooke children's centre - another milestone

It was wonderful to be able to join in the celebrations at Sherbrooke Children's Centre (SCC) over the weekend. The centre which provides long day care to locals is about to be demolished as part of the $7 million redevelopment of Sherbrooke Family and Children's Centre (see blog). The celebration was to farewell the old building to make way for the new.

Here I am pictured with current SCC parent and ex SCC Parent's Advisory Committee president, Claire Ferres-Miles. Claire and I were both part of the Save our Sherbrooke Children's Centre (SOSCC) campaign group and met every week over a two year period to continue to lobby council to keep the centre open.

Families past and present joined with staff and ex-staff to celebrate the service which has provided exceptional community based childcare to generations of children in the Dandenongs in this well used and well loved weatherboard building.

SCC Chef, Antonio Frisini, was on hand for the day. Here we are pictured with a a wonderful symbolic gingerbread SCC Antonio created to demolish as part of the day's celebrations.

SCC first opened in 1977 by a group of committed strong women who recognised a need for a local childcare service to assist and support women, the centre has always been a highly sought after childcare service for families in the hills with enormous waiting lists.

In 2004 the council of the day wanted to close SCC but an unrelenting community campaign kept the centre open till the lead up of the council elections in 2005. As part of the SOSCC campaign strategy to keep the centre open I ran for council and to my own great surprise was successfully elected to the Lyster ward.

Pictured with Cr Noel Cliff, ready to demolish the symbolic gingerbread Sherbrooke Children's Centre. Noel along with Cr Len Cox were the only councillors who supported the community in their quest to keep the centre open back in 2004.

Since that time I have continued to highlight the importance of the early years, community based childcare and the long term positive benefits of good quality childcare to my colleagues on council.

I had the great pleasure to speak to the assembled crowd about my part in the history of Sherbrooke Children's Centre and the quest to save long day care in the hills.

The children had a great time putting a hammer through the gingerbread house, it was a great way to farewell the old building and welcome the new.

It's been an interesting and challenging journey, but I'm pleased to say that through my constant efforts, not only have council supported the project but it also has funding support from both state and federal governments.

It wasn't a sad day, it was a day of celebration, although we're losing a building, it's the people that make the service what it is, not the building. It's not about the bricks and mortar, it's the people and their passion, dedication and commitment to children and families that are the essence of Sherbrooke Children's Centre and I have no doubt that essence will continue in the new facility, Sherbrooke Family and Children's Centre when it opens in 2012.

sherbrooke family and children's centre update

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of a site visit of the Sherbrooke Family and Children's Centre. Despite the rainy weather the construction is going well and keeping to timelines.

These timber columns are a wonderful part of the design (yes they are from a sustainable source and not native forest) and will support the roofline of the walkway between the various pavilions housing the kinder and long day care children.

It's a wonderful thing to stand amongst the construction site and see a political dream fast becoming a reality.

This project is very dear to my heart, the mooted closure of Sherbrooke Children's Centre in 2004 was the reason I ran for council. Since then I have been a keen advocate for children and long day care in the Dandenong Ranges. Click here for some of the background.

I've long wondered what the view is on the other side of the these windows, locals driving along Burwood Highway will be familiar with them from the front, but from the inside they provide a view, no matter how big or small.

The building has been designed on passive ecological sustainability design principles, this pipework is for the hydronic heating in the 'baby's room'.

the sod turns at sherbrooke

What a terrific day to celebrate the power of community. Today saw the official marking of the first stage of construction of Sherbrooke Children's Centre with a 'turning of the sod'. ...Great things can be achieved when the three tiers of government work together. From left to right: Laura Smyth - Federal member for La Trobe, James Merlino - State member for Monbulk, Cr Samantha Dunn, Cr Terry Avery and Cr Noel Cliff, joined by some keen little helpers. .................................................................................................... In a great leap forward from a time 6 years ago when the centre was mooted for closure, the centre is now being rebuilt into a state of the art Family and Children's Centre incorporating a long day care centre, preschool, maternal child health centre, community space and the refurbished Upwey Hall. ........................................................................................................................................ The closure of Sherbrooke Children's Centre was the reason I first ran for council in 2005, up to that stage, me along with other angry parents had campaigned for 2 years to keep the dearly loved and excellent quality Sherbrooke Children's Centre open. ...................................................................................................................................... It's terrific to look back and see how far the centre and this project has come. ....................................................................................................... It is with a sense of personal pride I turn this first sod, knowing that when the centre is built many more children across the Dandenongs will have even better access to the best quality long day care on the mountain. .................................................................................................................................... If you'd like to read about the history of Sherbrooke Children's Centre and the fight to keep it open, click here, here, and here.

sherbrooke children and family centre

Good news, construction is about to start on the new Sherbrooke Children and Family Centre. The new centre will deliver integrated services for families across the Dandenongs.

It's going to be built on the current site of the Upwey Pre School, the Upwey Hall (being refurbished) and Sherbrooke Children's Centre.

It's a project I'm particularly passionate about. The reason I first ran for council back in 2005 was to save Sherbrooke Children's Centre, which was under threat of closure from the then council (see blog). The hub was borne out of an idea by the Save Our Sherbrooke Children's Centre, a group of highly motivated parents, including me, keen to turn around the closure decision and get better children's services in the hills.

Council has committed $5.3 million to the project along with funding from the State and Federal governments. The fruition of this project is a testament to being persistant and tireless in advocacy on behalf of children and families in the Dandenongs.

The new centre will expand the capacity and range of services available to support families, including maternal child health, early childhood education, care and intervention.

The centre has been designed with the environment in mind and is being constructed as a collection of single storey buildings with a connecting walkway and new entrance from Burwood Highway. The Upwey Hall is being refurbished as part of the project and will include additional multi use facilities for the community.

Construction is due to start in mid February and will be phased over the next few months so parents wont be forced to look for alternate care during the construction.

samantha in the press - infrastructure

Upwey hub set to come to life
Free Press Leader Newspaper
by Kimberley Seedy
15 December 2010

more accreditation accolades for sherbrooke children’s centre

Good news - Sherbrooke Children's Centre, council's long day care centre, has received notification that the service has achieved an overall high quality accreditation rating from the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC). The NCAC is the body which the Australian government uses to assess the quality of childcare services nationwide.

Sherbrooke Children's Centre achieved high quality ratings in all of the seven quality areas and received particular commendation for their commitment to maintaining equitable practices that respect individual needs, promote children's self esteem and confidence and in providing a responsive and inclusive program for children.

It is great news and shows that this service is committed to the early years and local families who use the centre. I have long been passionate about the centre and fought hard to ensure it survived a push by the council of the day to close it (even before I was a councillor – see blog).

This latest accreditation continues the recognition that Sherbrooke Children's Centre has gained since the inception of the quality assurance and improvement system was initiated in 1994.

It won't be long before details plans are completed for Sherbrooke Family and Children's Centre and council can call for tenders to see the centre extended (see blog).

I look forward to seeing the children's hub project start, it is one I have fought for on behalf of our community over many years.

children’s hub a reality

report from the roundtable – 8 dec

Tuesday night was a great victory for the community who have fought for many years to save Sherbrooke Children’s Centre, council’s long day care centre in Upwey.

Me outside Sherbrooke Children's Centre. The long day care centre is a much loved facility and well regarded in the local community, at last count there were 290 on the waiting list.

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The planning permit for the Children’s Hub came before council for approval. The Children’s Hub came about as an idea from community to save the much loved Sherbrooke Children’s Centre. Back in 2003 the council of the day wanted to close the centre, a strong backlash by parents saw the closure stall and council agreed to keep the centre open till 2009.
The Children’s Hub was first conceptualised by parents campaigning to save the centre, the vision an integrated service which would include a number of services aimed at families. At the time I was one of those angry parents campaigning and the potential closure of the centre was the reason I first ran for council.

This newspaper article marked one year of campaigning by parents to save council run long day care in the Shire. The Save our Sherbrooke Children's Centre (SOSCC) marked the occasion with a birthday cake.

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After much advocacy to my colleagues on behalf of children and families there was a recognition of the importance of the early years, integrated children’s services and the need for community based long day care in the Dandenong Ranges.

The Children’s Hub had an extensive consultative process which included the Upwey Pre School, neighbours of the site, community members, Sherbrooke Children’s Centre parents and staff, Maternal Child Health Services, Victoria Police, Childcare professionals, allied family services and early childhood development specialists.

Controversy reigned after the SOSCC were successful in getting Sherbrooke Children's Centre awarded our favourite place in the Year of the Built Environment.

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A project steering group met every 3 weeks for approximately 18months to discuss the best outcomes for children. The group toured various long day care sites throughout Melbourne and incorporated the best attributes of those sites into the Children’s Hub.

The design of the building responds very well to the site and will mean that the construction can be staged so long day care can continue through the building process. It is an exciting design and will be a wonderful municipal building.

I’m pleased to say Council approved the permit meaning detailed design and contract tendering could proceed. It is a great outcome for children and their families. It will be a centre of excellence for early childhood development and one we can all be proud of.

It was a great moment for me with a real feeling of achievement, I have worked hard for many years to see this project come to fruition and have great satisfaction knowing that more children in our community will have the best start in life.

a childcare dream realised

Today I had the great pleasure of attending Sherbrooke Children’s Centre (SCC) to hear Maxine Morand, Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, announce funding towards the construction of an integrated Children’s Services Hub on the SCC site in Upwey.

The State Government have allocated $500,000 towards the project and at the same time Minister Morand confirmed federal funding of $1.6 million. This has been a community dream realised.

Me, on site at Sherbrooke Children's Centre. Currently the centre has 297 on the waiting list, expanding the centre from 39 places to 110 places will go a long way to addressing the need for good quality community based childcare across the Dandenong Ranges.

For many years the community has campaigned to save Long Day Care at SCC, back in 2004 the council of the day wanted to close Sherbrooke Children’s Centre and 2009 was the year the centre was going to shut forever.

The news of this rippled through the community and a dedicated group of parents worked very hard to galvanise the community in an effort to save SCC. I was one of those parents and can remember weekly meetings around various kitchen tables in houses across the hills where we developed our community’s dream for children’s services in the Dandenong Ranges. We always maintained the vision of an integrated service incorporating a range of family services and worked hard articulating this vision to council.

Five years down the track with two council elections under my belt, a huge step closer to achieving a Children’s Services Hub for the Dandenongs, today has been a great day for children in the Shire. The building of the Children’s Services Hub will see the recommitment to children and the early years by the Shire of Yarra Ranges council.

Today’s announcement follows on the footstep of a very positive community meeting I attended last night to discuss the plans for the site. Community members embraced the concepts and plans before them, with one community member summing up the vision well “we want it to be magical for children”.

children’s hub goes from strength to strength

I recently went to a well attended community meeting to discuss the progress the Children’s Hub development for the Dandenong Ranges. The Hub idea was originally borne out of the Save Our Sherbrooke Children’s Centre group (yes, I was a member) as a strategy to ensure the future of long day care and children’s services in the Shire. At the time (2003-2005) I, along with other parents, was vigorously fighting to ensure that council provision of long day care at Sherbrooke Children’s Centre would remain.
















It has been a long journey for Sherbrooke Children’s Centre (SCC), it was facing closure in 2009. I have worked very hard to advocate on behalf of all the families who utilise not only SCC but children’s services generally in the shire. The strong focus on the importance of children and early childhood development has seen council turn around its earlier decision to close SCC and invest in a Children’s Services Hub for the Dandenong Ranges. Children are a forgotten sector in our community, they have no voice. Having a seven year old boy I am very aware of the needs of children (and their parents) in our community. My son is a constant reminder about the need to consider children.

It has been a pleasure to advocate and support our children’s services in the hills. Whether it be the Toy Library, Kinders, SCC, Kidsfest, Maternal Child Health Services I have and always will advocate on their behalf.

SCC is the best quality long day care in the region, it is second to none and I have worked very hard to raise its profile within council. The figures are compelling, for every dollar spent on good quality early childhood development, $17 dollars of expense is saved further on. The waiting list for SCC continues to be phenomenal, at last count, families were waiting for 294 places in the centre.





















Services proposed for the new Children’s Hub include:
Full time and part time child care, respite care, care for special needs children, toy library, pre school, maternal child health services, consulting rooms (for intervention services and/or family counselling for example), casual care, short term care, out of hours school care, space for adults to use and flexible community spaces.

The architect tasked with the design of the building has a great understanding of hills culture and his preliminary thoughts look to a design that really captures the essence of living in the hills, low scale and complete with environmentally sustainable design principles. I look forward to being re-elected to see this project through to completion.

If all goes to plan the centre will be built and ready to operate in 2010.

childrens hub one step closer...

It was a wonderful moment in my time as a councillor to be able to attend a recent community meeting to talk about the development of a Children’s Hub for the Dandenong Ranges.


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It marked an important time for me in securing the long term future of Sherbrooke Children’s Centre (SCC).

Prior to me being elected to council in 2005, SCC faced an uncertain future, was facing closure by 2009 with very little support from the council of the day.


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April 2005: The SOSCC campaign received a lot of media coverage, this story was to commemorate 1 year of fighting to save SCC.

I was part of a group of parents (Save Our Sherbrooke Children’s Centre) who fought furiously to save SCC. I have worked very hard to raise the profile of children’s issues and the importance of good quality, community based long day care since my election to council. The hard work has paid off and there has been a complete turnaround and reinvestment in children’s services. Part of this investment includes the development and building of a Children’s Services Hub to cater for families of the Dandenong Ranges to the tune of over $5 million.


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September 2004: SCC was voted "The year of the built environment: our favourite place".

The community are excited about the prospect of a centre dedicated to the provision of children’s and family services.

The meeting was to talk about what sort of opportunities are available in the development of the hub, of course long day care, pre school, toy library and maternal child health services are part of the mix but some of the additional uses could be playgroup, gymbaroo, intervention services, family counselling, school holiday programs, mobile library visits, computer training for parents, the list goes on and on and the prospects are immense.

I am very keen to see the Children’s Hub used as a centre of excellence and utilised as a training facility for workers in the childcare industry. I think the hub could be a shining example of best practice for children’s services in local government.

I look forward to working with the community on this project and giving our children and their families the best start in life.