ELC launches herald new era for YMCA childcare

The launch of two new Early Learning Centres (ELCs) at new schools in Aldinga and Riverbanks on 24 January, has propelled YMCA South Australia (the Y) Children’s Services to the forefront of the childcare industry.

The ELCs are being managed by the Y in partnership with the Department for Education. Both new services offer a complete range of high quality children’s care and programming in modern, safe and inviting spaces at Aldinga Payinthi College and Riverbanks College B-12.

Head of Children’s Services at the Y, Komala Champion, said that the launch of the ELCs added another dimension to the organisation’s already strong presence in the state’s childcare sector, through the 28 OSHC services it already managed across regional and metropolitan South Australia.

“We take pride in providing the very best in childcare services with a focus on programming that is designed to address the needs of each individual school community,” she said. “Enrolments have been open since before the new year and we’ve had strong initial uptake at both new sites. We’re want to grow those numbers with the aim of reaching our full daily capacity (44 places at each ELC).”

Ms Champion added that the two communities, one on the peninsula south of Adelaide and the other north of Elizabeth, were vastly different and the programming of each ELC was skewed to the needs of each, while maintaining the highest quality.

The Y has installed Directors at each site with Bianca Humphries at the helm at Aldinga and Natasha Liley overseeing the Riverbanks service.

“The services have only been operating for a short while but the feedback from parents and the school communities in general has been extremely positive. It’s exciting to now be able to provide a complete childcare option from baby to kindy kids as well as our highly regarded OSHCs,” said Ms Champion.

“We strive to maintain high quality services in line with the National Quality Framework and all laws and regulations. We are continually looking at ways to raise the quality of our services.”

For more information on YMCA Children’s Services or to make a booking, visit https://www.sa.ymca.org.au/what-we-do/elc.