You NIDO know about this childcare at Melbourne Square

The doors, and arms, of Southbank’s newest childcare centre, the NIDO Early School Melbourne Square, are officially open with the centre now welcoming new families. The childcare service offers places for 87 children aged from six weeks to primary school, and boasts a fully-fitted kitchen, qualified chef, generous child to educator ratios and expansive indoor-outdoor learning areas. NIDO, which is a subsidiary of nationally regarded provider Think Childcare, provides a much-needed learning environment right at the doorstep of Melbourne Square residents and workers, as well as the wider Southbank community. NIDO Early School Melbourne Square executive service manager Lara Kaleli said her team had been working closely with local stakeholders to ensure the service embedded itself firmly in the Southbank community. “We will be taking regular excursions to Boyd Park across the road and to the library and Community Hub as well, so that not only do the children get the chance to get some vitamin D, but to interact with the community as well,” Ms Kaleli said. “As many of our children live in apartments, it is really important for us to provide them with opportunities to learn and play outside. Along with regular excursions, our covered outdoor learning and play area provides children with fresh air and exposure to the outside world, all year round.” Ms Kaleli said the service was expected to increase occupancy to 20 per cent by the end of May, with places across all ages available. The NIDO collection of Early Schools for children was launched in 2014 and champions a unique approach to learning, inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy – a long-standing Italian education concept which fosters an environment for children where they are encouraged to create, trust, explore, discover and excel. “The approach that we have is all about being creative, using nature as a third teacher and for everything to be natural and accessible to the children,” Ms Kaleli said. “The children being able to create their own learning and for the educators to home in on the children’s interests and needs, then build a program based on that.” With architecturally designed indoor and outdoor areas, NIDO provides an oasis for children familiar with apartment living and outdoor access at a premium. The service also offers work-friendly hours from 6.30am to 6.30pm and easy drop off area, to accommodate the busy Southbank worker. “In the morning and afternoons as staff and children are arriving and leaving, we do family groupings where all the rooms are interacting together for the first hour of the day. We also have a few siblings between age groups, we can coordinate where they can have lunch together,” Ms Kaleli said. “We want to ensure that families feel appreciated and welcomed at all times and through our communal areas where they can interact with their children at any point, they can.” Enrolments for NIDO are now open • For more information: nidoearlyschool.com.au/centres/nido-melbourne-square or call 8566 7259