Nurture Cluster

Early Childhood Education and Care Off-the-job

Assessment Summary

This assessment is ungraded. Learners will receive a Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory result in accordance with TAFE NSW Assessment Guidelines.

All tasks must be completed to a satisfactory level to gain an overall Satisfactory result.

You should read the Learner Evidence Guide (LEG) to ensure that you have provided satisfactory responses for all questions and tasks.

What you have to do

ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

Read the Case study then write your answers to the questions relating to the following topics using the information provided in the case study and your knowledge and understanding gained from your readings of the units within the Nurture Cluster. Your responses need to cover the following topics:

Task 1: Settling babies and toddlers into care – Bianca

Task 2: Settling Pre-schoolers in to care – George

Task 3: Developing a positive and respectful relationship with the children

Task 4: Communication and collaborative partnership with families

Case Study

Read through the case study carefully and answer the questions under each topic heading.

Natalia has just enrolled her baby, Bianca (10 months), in care at Forrest Early Learning Centre. George (4 years), Bianca’s brother, has been enrolled at the service for six months and has settled in well. Natalia has been offered part time work at a local solicitor’s office on a Tuesday and Thursday.

Bianca is generally an easy baby to care for and has slept through the night from 8 weeks of age and goes down without too much fuss. She is usually very happy and content throughout the day and enjoys playing with her mother.

The infant (0-2 year old) room has three educators and eleven enrolments, including Bianca, and operates with three primary care groups that have a primary educator assigned to each. Typically if any of these staff are away, the centre prioritises the use of the same familiar casual staff where possible.

Information from Bianca’s enrolment form

Name: Bianca    Age: 10 months

Family Information:

Father: Gerard works in mining industry. Natalia and Gerard separated shortly after Bianca was born; he moved from Sydney to Western Australia and rarely sees the children

Mother: Natalia is starting work as a part time secretary

Extended family: Gerard’s parents live in France, Natalia’s mother lives in South Australia

Sibling(s): George 4 years

Cultural background: Natalia - Australian, Gerard - French

Cultural practices: Family celebrates Easter, Birthdays, and Christmas.

Language background: English

Required hours of care Bianca and George will attend care Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 – 4:00 pm. The children will be dropped off and collected by Natalia

Food preferences: Fruit and pasta.

Particulars of persons, other than parents, authorised to collect your child:

Name: Angela Pereira

Address: 11 City Road, Adelaide, SA

Phone: 08 567 894

Relationship: Grandmother (Natalia’s mother)

Comforters: dummy and physical contact.

Sleep routine: Bianca is breastfed just before sleep time. Bianca usually sleeps in the morning at around 9.15 am for 30 minutes and in the afternoon at around 1pm for 60 to 90 minutes. When tired Bianca becomes a little whiny, has difficulty coordinating movements and will rub her eyes. Her sleep ritual involves being told “Very tired, time for bed” being placed in her baby sleeping bag whilst being sung a lullaby ‘ten teddy bears sitting on the wall’ and then gently rocked for a minute or two. Bianca is then placed in her cot “Very tired, time for bed” and the adult then leaves the bedroom. Bianca responds to these words, the song, the ritual of being put into her sleeping bag and gentle rocking as significant bedtime cues that assist her in settling to sleep quickly. Her sleeping environment is usually kept quiet and any curtains or blinds are closed slightly to darken the room a little.

Meals: Bianca is beginning to self-feed using her hands and bite sized pieces of soft-cooked food although she is used to having an adult available to support her. She likes to have an extra spoon at meal times and will attempt to use it. Favourite foods seem to be banana, zucchini, yoghurt and cooked pasta. Bianca is beginning to drink boiled water from a lidded, two-handled cup. Expressed breast milk will be provided in two (2) bottles that will need to be given to Bianca before each sleep time.

Toys and games enjoyed: Bianca enjoys playing with objects that can be put inside each other, e.g. stacking cups, posting boxes, pots and pans. She also enjoys books and stories and has a collection of cardboard books that she likes to chew and manipulate. Another favourite game is Round and Round the Garden and other tickle rhymes.

Task 1. Settling babies and toddlers in to care - Bianca

Read through the information on Bianca’s enrolment form and then answer the questions below.

Natalia is concerned about how Bianca will settle into care and would like to have confidence in the service. She worries:

I.          Will the educators know how to read Bianca’s cues and respond to her needs?

II.         Will the staff know when Bianca is tired or hungry or just in need of a cuddle?

III.       Will the staff know what to do if Bianca cries after being dropped off?

IV.   How will the educators communicate with me when I call and inquire about the children?”

1.	Identify strategies to address each of the four concerns above:
	Concerns	Strategies
I.	Will the educators know how to read her
	cues and respond to her needs?
II.	Will the staff know when she is tired or
	hungry or just in need of a cuddle?
III.	Will the staff know what to do if Bianca
	cries after being dropped off?
IV.	How will the educators communicate
	with me when I call and inquire about
	the children?”

The only occasion when Natalia has left Bianca with another person was when a neighbour offered to babysit. Bianca screamed for 30 minutes but settled eventually when given her dummy and a cuddle.

2.    A) List strategies to help Bianca settle in to care in your service before starting (3) and on her first day (3)- (6 in total):

Prior to Bianca starting	On Bianca’s first day
I.	I.
II.	II.
III.	III.

B)              List 3 quality standards from the National Quality Framework which relate to settling a child in to care. Provide the Standard, Element and Wording.

Standard	Element	Wording
E.g.: Standard 6.1	Element 6.1.3	Current information about the service is
		available to families.
I.
II.
III.

3.    Using the information provided on the enrolment form, describe how you will develop a nurturing relationship with Bianca to support her physical, social and emotional needs. List the strategies using the headings in the table below:

	Area	Strategies to develop a nurturing
		relationship with Bianca
I.	Staffing and allocation of staff
II.	The physical environment
III.	Family involvement
IV.	Supportive routines
V.	Communication with the family

Task 2. Settling George into care

George is in the preschool room (20 children with two educators). He attends on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. George has made friends with Michael and looks forward to seeing him each day. He enjoys playing with the train track and the construction equipment. As an extra-curricular activity, George plays soccer with a community group every Saturday morning and trains every Wednesday night at a community centre near his home.

However, educators have noticed that each of the mornings George attends, he clings to Natalia and hides behind her as she takes Bianca to the other room. Natalia often has to try and nudge George to step out from behind her so he can greet the room teachers. George often cries while he watches Natalia leave and runs to the window to wave goodbye as she departs. Natalia is often seen crying by educators as she backs out of the centre parking area.

Using the table provided:

1.    List three (3) signs of stress or distress George may be experiencing   upon arrival.

2.  Discuss in detail strategies you will use to address each of these signs to help settle George when he arrives at the centre. Consider such things as

•         interactions with George while the family is still present

•         supporting Natalia with an unhurried separation from George

•         response to George’s distress at separation

•   how George’s expression of feelings and emotions are being    encouraged and

•   identification and response to George’s feelings being appropriate and respected

1.Signs of stress or distress	2.Strategies to address each of the
	signs of stress or distress
I.
II.
III.

3.    Settling George into care: Look back to the scenario about George above and think about how you will set out the indoor environment to make it attractive and relevant to George’s interests. List three (3) types of experiences you would set up in the room.

4.   Select two practices from the Australian Early Childhood Code of Ethics that guide you in determining your response to settling George. Focus should be on, ‘In relation to children, I will…’

Code of Ethics	How does this guide you when settling
	George
E.g. In relation to children, I will…..	Consult with the family on any special
	routines to help George to settle when his
5. Respect the special relationship between	family departs the centre in the morning
children and their families and incorporate
this perspective in all my interactions with
children.
I.
II.

Task 3. Developing a positive and respectful relationship with the children

George was diagnosed with a glue ear earlier this year and is due to go into hospital for an operation to remove his tonsils and insert grommets in three weeks’ time. Natalia has talked to George about the operation but she is concerned how he will cope with this stressful event. Natalia will stay with George in the hospital overnight and her mother is coming to stay for the week to look after Bianca.

List two (2) experiences or strategies that may assist George to prepare for his stay in hospital to reduce the stress and fear that he might be experiencing and help him to express his feelings. Include how you will encourage him to talk about his fears and what you would say to him.

Task 4. Communication and Collaborative Partnerships with the family

The service has a communication book, which is sent home with each parent. Upon arrival to the centre, parents place their communication book in a basket for staff members to review during the day. Natalia has placed a request that the educators call her during the day in order to inform her if the children are settled and happy. Natalia also wants to know what educational program is in place for George who will be starting school the following year.

1. What information would you ask Natalia about George’s physical and emotional needs?

2. What would you let Natalia know in relation to his day at your service?

3. List three (3) strategies you would use to develop a positive relationship with Natalia while supporting her children’s transitions into care.

4. How would you respond to Natalia’s concerns if she told you about her separation with Gerard?

Quality Area 6 in the National Quality Framework relates to Collaborative Partnerships with families and communities. Element 6.3.1 states: Links with relevant community and support agencies are established and maintained.

5.    Find and describe two (2) organisations in your own area which would be useful to recommend to Natalia in order to provide ongoing support to the family in this context. Use direct quotes with the page and web address to refer to when possible.

Name of Organisation	Web address	Description
E.G. Raising Children	http://raisingchildren.net.au	Raising Children Network is
Network		the complete parenting
		resource for all stages from
		pregnancy to newborns to
		teens. We offer research-
		based content on hundreds
		of topics for children and
		grown-ups.
I.
II.

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