Pelican Childcare Deer Park

Learning spaces that encourage exploration

Our natural outdoor play spaces allow for exploration in nature and encourage risky play.

The outdoor play area features a large natural yard with forts, vegetable garden and play equipment for children to explore. We see our outdoor environment as the additional teacher in our centre that allow children to explore their world and learn from their environments. Children are supported and encouraged in the outdoor environments to expand their knowledge about their world.

Our indoor spaces are well resourced with each area specifically designed with young learners in mind. Our indoor spaces offer state of the art learning resources to keep your child entertained, engaged and inspired to learn. We pride ourselves in our various play areas which include book areas, dramatic play, construction areas as well as arts and craft areas.

Long standing team of educators

Our longstanding team of educators are passionate about nurturing and caring for children and supporting them on the early learning journey. Our educators bring their own personality into the rooms allowing for engaging learning environments and building strong relationships with the children. We understand that communication is critical between our staff and families and partner with our families to keep you informed every step of the way. You will also receive daily updates and photos detailing children’s learning and development on our parent App.

Nutritious menus designed by in-house chef

You won’t need to worry about packing breakfast, lunch and snacks for your child. We provide healthy, freshly made meals created daily by our in-house cook, catering for Halal and all dietary requirements. Shared mealtimes between children and educators grow relationships, with opportunities to share stories and experiences, and model healthy eating practices.

All inclusive offering for busy families

With so much happening in our families lives we understand how busy this can be, so we offer a stress-free all-inclusive early education experience. From nappies and wipes to extracurricular programs including music and movement classes, cooking and yoga, – this is all included in the daily fee.

Victorian Government approved Kindergarten Program

Our Deer Park centre proudly offers a kindergarten/preschool program supported by the Victorian Government to ensure your child is supported for their transition to school every step of the way. With a focus on language, literacy, numeracy, social skills and more your child will become school ready.

Our Family Support Team is happy to chat through your child care needs. Call them today on 1800 517 042 to book a tour at our centre, meet our team of educators, and learn more about why these first five years are so important for your child’s development.

Why you’ll love Pelican Childcare Deer Park

• Highly qualified educators who come from diverse cultural backgrounds and speak a range of languages. Our team is committed to developing a strong relationship with your family to ensure your child’s learning experience is customised to their individual needs.
• A holistic play-based curriculum guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) for children from nursery through to kindergarten.
• Spacious indoor and outdoor play areas featuring a large natural yard with forts, vegetable garden and play equipment for children to explore.
• Fees inclusive of nappies, wipes, bedding and nutritious meals.
• Healthy meals prepared daily by our chef. Halal options available.
• A kindergarten program taught by a qualified early childhood teacher. The curriculum will prepare your child socially and emotionally for their transition to primary school.
• Daily updates and photos are provided on our app so you never miss a moment of child’s learning and development.
• Specialised programs including Little Sports Heroes, Cooking, Yoga and community walks.
• We proudly provide flexible hours (9-hour, 10-hour or full-day session) to allow families to make the most out of their Child Care Subsidy.
• A sustainability program that teaches children a sense of responsibility and connection to the world around them.

Rebecca Newton

I began my early childhood education and care career in 1996. I have a Diploma in Childrens Services and been working in child care for over 25 years. I have been at Pelican for over 10 years.

I enjoy helping care for and nurture the children around me, which led to my passion for working with children. As a mother of three children myself, I absolutely adore children and have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their lives. Seeing them develop and grow to become who they are, are moments I cherish and has further fueled my dedication to early learning.

As an early educator, I have learnt that all children are different—they learn and develop in different ways and in their own time.

I am passionate about providing a program developed around play-based and intentional teaching moments in line with the Early Years Learning Framework. A curriculum that encourages and challenges children to develop their skills in a nurturing and safe environment.

I work with families and communities to nurture our connectedness with our community and environments, learning about and enriching the children’s knowledge.

Our team loves playing an active role in the development and growth of young children. The team is devoted to helping care for and nurture the children around us. We look forward to sharing this early learning journey with you and your family.

We know it can be hard for young children and their families when starting at a new child care centre. That’s why we invite our families to be part of our ongoing curriculum. They can come in to share a story or share their culture or even be part of our excursions and incursions. We include family input in our curriculum as well. At the orientation, families are made comfortable by having friendly conversations about their children and inviting them to a tea or coffee. Ongoing communication and working together for the child’s needs are key to building good relationships with our families. We also do parent educator meetings to enable families to be part of their child’s learning journey. Parent feedback is always welcome for our quality improvement.

Pelican Childcare Deer Park provides early education and care for children from nursery age through to kindergarten. Each room has been designed and set up to provide the best early learning experience for your little one.

Our Nursery rooms provide:

• A homely, safe and secure environment.
• Experienced and nurturing educators who care deeply about children’s wellbeing and growth.
• Activities designed to enhance physical and cognitive development, including tummy time, sensory play, music, singing, rhymes and reading.
• Educators following each child’s individual routine.

Our Toddler rooms offer:

• Play-based activities including music, movement, memory and construction games that are designed to support sensory-motor and cognitive development.
• Enhanced social skills and self-confidence through group play.
• The continuous development of language skills through reading and open-ended questions.
• Real-life and play-based experiences that allow children to explore basic literacy and numeracy concepts.

Our Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten rooms provide:

• A Kindergarten program with a strong curriculum focused on acquiring literacy, numeracy and social skills.
• Interest-based learning led by children which puts them in charge of their early education experience.
• Play-based opportunities to enhance social skills and emotional development.
• A transition-to-school program.

A centre tour is a convenient way to experience the centre of your choice and meet with our qualified educators at a time suitable to your family schedule. Pelican also offers the virtual tour option in all our centres in Victoria. Click here to book a tour online.

On the day of the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to observe practices and interactions within the centre environment. You’ll be able to see all the rooms and playgrounds, ask the team members any questions you have in mind, and get all the information you need to make the best decision for your child. 

Pelican’s Family Support team will add your child’s name on our waitlist if one of our centres is currently full in your child’s age group. We will then contact you as soon as a place become available. 

We also do monthly check-ins to review the availability, and you will receive a text message confirming if you’re still happy to remain on the waitlist each month. If you would like to get an update at any point, you’re welcome to reach out on our Web Chat or give us a call. 

Our Family Support team can also help you find more G8 early learning centres near you, with the same offerings at the Pelican centre you are interested in that have immediate availability.

It’s common for a child to experience separation anxiety when they first start child care. When you’re getting ready to start child care, you can help your child overcome anxieties by visiting the child care service together for a Stay and Play session, and easing into new routines at home. 

Click here to read more tips about how to make the transition easier for your child. 

Most of our Pelican child care and early education centres offers the following: 

• Nappies and wipes
• Sunscreen and hats
• Nutritious meals prepared by our in-house cook

Some centres also provide sheets and formula, so you may not need to remember to pack them. 

For nursery children, be sure to bring: nappy rash cream, dummies, bottles and teats, comfort toy or blanket, three spare outfits, spare socks and a plastic bag for wet clothes. 

For toddlers and preschool or kindergarten aged children, it’s best to bring: spare underwear, water bottle or sippy cup, sun hat, closed-toe shoes, two spare outfits, spare socks and a plastic bag for wet clothes. 

Plus anything else your individual child may need, such as breast milk, a sleeping bag, comforter or medication. 

It’s best to speak to your centre of choice for a full list of everything included.

Pelican uses Xplor Home as our family communication app. It is the best and easiest way to keep track of your child’s day. After you enrol your child with the centre, you can utilise Xplor Home to book child care days, manage your account, receive the photographs that capture your child’s learning, learn about your child’s progress, as well as keep up-to-date with upcoming centre events and important information.

If your child shows signs of an infectious illness when they arrive at the centre or becomes sick during the day, you may be notified that you need to make alternative arrangements or pick up your child from the centre, and keep them home until they are no longer infectious. While we understand that this can be inconvenient, Pelican is committed to maintaining a healthy environment and reducing the risk of infection for all children. 

Under the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), families are allowed 42 absence days per child, per financial year. These can be taken for any reason, including public holidays and when children are sick, without the need for families to provide documentation.