Stepping Stone Evanston Childcare Early Development Centre, located in the suburbs of Adelaide, is this year’s state winner for South Australia achieving an impressive KindiCare Rating of 9.5. This long day care service also holds an Exceeding National Quality Standards Rating from ACECQA.

With six large fun filled rooms for children to play and learn, Stepping Stone Evanston Childcare Early Development Centre provides education and care for children aged six weeks to school age. Centre director Hayley Truscott says relationships are really important at her service and the entire team works hard to establish and maintain strong bonds with children and families. “We are really proud of our service and we take so much pride in the care and support we offer to our families as well as the environment that we provide for them.” “We have a genuine care and respect and ensure that our families are heard. Relationships are so important and we pride ourselves on growing these strong bonds with families and children,” she said. Hayley says that critical reflection and constant improvement are built into the culture at Steeping Stone Evanston, which has a direct impact on the quality of education and care provided. “Our programs are child focussed and we are always looking for ways to improve our practice. We critically reflect on our own work and communicate with our families to include them in our program ensuring we are providing the best outcomes and experiences for children. “Our educators go above and beyond to ensure children are cared for, respected and educated while having some fun and developing relationships, said Hayley. As with many things in life, positive outcomes result from good relationships and great communication and this certainly seems to be the case at Stepping Stone Evanston, where parents are happy to sign their praises. “Families trust us with their most valued possession, and we are grateful to be trusted by them to care for their little ones.” “We have such great communication with our families and are open and honest with them. This is a strength we are so proud of, and we really appreciate that we have as a team.”