A kindergarten is a facility where children are taken for pre-schooling programmes. The preferred age for taking a child to a kindergarten is a minimum of four years or slightly above. As we all know, there are many different types of kindergarten centres with slightly different operations. A funded kindergarten receives funding from the government which facilitates the child’s wellbeing. A parent is only required to pay the remaining amount to complete their child’s school fees.
Benefits of taking a child to a funded kindergarten
The following are some of the advantages of taking a child to a funded kindergarten:
- Reduced costs
In a funded kindergarten, the government pays a huge part of the child’s fees and other necessities. You only pay a little as far as facilitation fees and enjoy other benefits from the government. A child is also entitled to Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate that have been included in the long-day care services.
- Full-day programmes
A child is required to attend fifteen hours a week for the funded kindergarten as stipulated by the state. Therefore, it creates time for parents and guardians to attend to other things rather than to attend sessional kindergarten programmes daily.
- Well-trained instructors
For funded kindergartens, instructors are well-trained on how to best handle children and are equipped with high-level skills that can help children to learn and grow. The instructors organise interactive plays, art, and other programmes that will spark children’s interest.
- Government-endorsed transitions
The government endorses a smooth transition of the child from one phase to another until they reach the top level of education. A child benefits a lot from these transitions and is in a better position to perform well in their academic endeavours.
- Wide range of opportunities
A funded kindergarten offers a lot of opportunities to children that includes regular excursions and other outdoor activities. At such a young age, a child is more likely to learn more from observation and experiences rather than sitting inside a classroom.
Factors to consider when taking your child to a funded kindergarten
It is an excellent idea to take your child to a funded kindergarten for their pre-schooling education. However, you need to know some facts before you send your child to a particular kindergarten. Here are few things to look at first:
- Location
To know the exact location of the kindergarten relative to your homestead is very important. Do not take a child to a very far place where it will be difficult to reach if the road is busy. Also, taking a child far away increases the risk of them getting uncomfortable, and becoming closed off from their peers and instructors. Lastly, there is the danger of exposing your child to kidnappers and other kinds of people with malicious intentions. Therefore, a nearby kindergarten will be the best choice.
- Facilities and programmes
The only things that can spark a four-year-old kid are better facilities for playing and interactive programmes. Hence, you should pre-visit the centre and find out the kinds of facilities that they have in place to ensure that your child benefits fully from the programmes.
- Security
You should also make sure that you have surveyed the place and ensure that there are sufficient security measures that protect children from hurting one another or themselves, as well as the measures to ensure they cannot fall in the wrong hands.
Choose Alto Early Learning Montessori Kindergarten for a balance training and development.