Kiah Cook was part of Dala Yooro’s graduating class of 2023. The national accreditation agency has evaluated Dala Yooro as “Exceeding National Quality Standard” – a great result for GEGAC’s Early Years staff and local families. Photo by Jake Lynch/GEGAC
It has been a remarkable rise.
Back in 2012, GEGAC launched its first kindergarten program for 3 and 4 year olds.
That first class started with just 8 kids, in the Neighbourhood House building next to GEGAC.
Fast forward to 2024 and GEGAC’s Dala Yooro Kindergarten has grown to serve 44 local children, and is now one of the most heralded Aboriginal kindergarten programs in the state.
Families who have Boorai that have been through Dala Yooro know how good it is.
Now, the national regulators know it too.
Earlier this year Dala Yooro received exceptional praise from National Quality Standard (NQS), the accreditation agency which evaluates early childhood education and outside school hours care services across Australia.
NQS accreditors, who visited Dala Yooro in March to interview staff, review policies and procedures, inspect the facility and observe regular classes in action, found Dala Yooro to be “Exceeding National Quality Standard.”
They were given very high grades in a number of key areas, including Educational Program and Practice, Children’s Health and Safety, and Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities.
All of which is a complicated way of saying Dala Yooro is kicking goals and making a huge difference to local families.
Early Years Manager Belinda Lobley said she was enormously proud of all early years staff at GEGAC, and that this accreditation grade was due in large part to those staff having such a strong connection to, and commitment to, local Aboriginal families.
“We’ve been able to keep the same core group of educators together for a long time now, which is important to the kids because they get that consistency with their teachers, they build relationships, they have stability,” she said.
“Natasha (Walker) and Bernardita (Ashlin) have been with us since that very first class, back in 2012. Catherine (Bishop) started just two years later. We have grown a lot since then, but we’ve been able to do so without losing sight of the fact that our focus is to make sure our kids feel safe, that they are comfortable here, and that they have a good experience with education.”
Belinda said one of things that made Dala Yooro unique among kindergarten’s was its connection to all the other services at GEGAC.
“Obviously our Boorai Supported Playgroup here is a great entry point for families with young children, and that helps provide a smooth transition into kindy,” she said.
“Then you’ve also got the Aboriginal Best Start program, the Maternal and Child Health Nurses are here, the Aboriginal Health Team, medical and dental, there’s counselling services, all the cultural activities… Families that are enrolled at Dala are automatically connected to a whole range of other services to make sure our families have everything they need to raise healthy, deadly kids.”
“Create healthy habits early in life.”
Dala Yooro is constantly looking to expand the services it provides to young children and their families in our community.
In addition to a new Aboriginal culture education program (stay tuned for a story on that later), another new initiative this year has been a focus on dental hygiene.
“Early childhood is an important time for developing good hygiene practices,” Belinda said. “From the time a Boorai starts teething, keeping gums and teeth clean can safeguard against cavities, which can also cause damage to the permanent teeth underneath.”
The kids’ focus on healthy teeth has included not just regular education and practise on brushing (after lunch every day!) but also regular trips to GEGAC Dental Services each Tuesday for check-ups and treatment.
“We want our Boorai to feel comfortable going to the dentist, to feel that it is a regular and healthy thing to do,” Belinda said. “Along with regular brushing, it’s a great habit to get into, and that’s what we’re trying to do – create healthy habits early in life.”
What our little people eat and drink is also a big part of their dental hygiene, and so this year GEGAC’s Healthy Lifestyles Team has been dropping by Dala Yooro on Wednesday’s to yarn and cook with the kids about what foods and drinks will help keep their teeth strong and healthy!
The new dental program is just the latest example of why Dala Yooro continues to get excellent reviews from not only local families but also the national accreditation agency.
Well done to the Early Years team.
We are thankful for the huge difference you are making in our community.