About Us
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
What is the most important thing in the world?
It is the people, it is the people, it is the people
Why we offer home-based childcare
What is home-based childcare?
Imagine being able to offer your child the opportunity to learn in a home-based setting, with a childcare provider that extends beyond the perimeter of 6 foot fences, spaces where engagement in community events, places and things is enjoyed each day. A place where qualified early childhood teachers will support your child to develop and grow, ready to take on the world confidently and competently.
Home-based childcare offers just that, nurturing and safe environments for children to learn, grow and play. Children in home-based childcare are able to form a close bond with just one caregiver. They receive individual attention and individual education programmes that develop their literacy, numeracy, social and creative skills. For the child this is a home away from home.
If you are a teacher or educator, home-based childcare is a service that gives you the opportunity to apply your passion, knowledge and skills doing what you love, in your own home, with autonomy and reassurance we are there to guide you.
At home-based childcare, infants, toddlers and young children are educated & cared for in small group sizes of a ratio of one adult to four children.
Home-based childcare providers are licensed to the Ministry of Education.
Our Childcare Philosophy
We believe young children are taonga, to be cherished, loved and held in their uniqueness, and that our role as adults is to guide and support their curiosity, inquisitiveness, and wonderment of the world around them. We hold the child at the forefront of our vision, values and practices. It is important to us that tamariki experience turangawaewae, a place to stand, to have a sense of belonging. We believe, these are the foundations for learning; to experience aroha, turangawaewae, consistentency, and develop secure attachments.
Working in partnership with families
We live and breath whanaungatanga, a partnership with family and whānau, for when we work together our children are lovingly wrapped in a holistic approach, one that supports and guides their emotional, spiritual, physical and intellectual development, all the while instilling a natural love for learning.
Locally owned
As a locally owned and operated company we invest in our kaiakos' (teachers') professional learning and growth. We believe as kaiako learn and grow they in turn provide children the absolute quality care and education they deserve in their early years – and beyond!
ECE qualified teachers and educators
Our pedagogy is guided by the teachings that children's learning is through play. Our teachers' engage children’s curiosity and encourage their sense of adventure, allowing them to freely interact with nature and those around them. By facilitating engaging home and community group activities, children will develop real-life practical skills, emotional and social competence, a moral compass, respect for themselves, others, and their environment.
Acknowledging our culture
We acknowledge and reflect the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua, and as we reflect on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi we are guided in creating a practice that sees us work in partnership with family and whānau. We work in consultation with local iwi, protecting the culture and language of te ao Māori. We protect the land and we discover together as we walk on this pathway of learning.
A word from our Director
As I embarked on this journey, I felt incredibly blessed and fortunate to be in a position to bring a locally-owned, home-based childcare service to the families in Wanaka, Central Otago and surrounding areas. Just Like Home Childcare is a boutique service that invests in the heart of the company - the children and educators! I believe when we invest in the heart of the company, we can provide quality education and care to the children enrolled with us.
Quality at the heart of everything we do
Over the years I have been involved in the Health & Social Sector and Education Sector, my experiences during this time included Policy Development, Quality Assurance, Accreditation, Teaching, Centre Manager, Early Learning Advisor, and now business owner, all the while gaining valuable experience in child development, leadership, mentoring and management.
As a single parent to my son, Oliver, I experienced, I daresay the same feelings of mummy-guilt and anxiousness that many parents have when trying to juggle work and childcare. I looked at all options and when Olly turned three, I finally found the option that we were both most happy with - home-based childcare.
After seeing how well home-based suited Olly, it took a few more years for me to realise that this was also a great option for me as an ECE teacher. Why was I working in large group settings, where profits often outweighed child and teacher well-being, when I could be working in a sector that sees the child first? And so began my journey into home-based childcare.
Home-based Early Childhood Education
Once I made the shift into home-based, I saw how children were given the opportunities to fully engage in their learning environments, they were out and about in their local community connecting with the real world, they were exploring nature and all it has to offer them, they were able to form close, reciprocal relationships with the people caring for them, they were seen and heard for their uniqueness. I had found my niche, I had found a way to be involved in childcare that best fitted with my values and beliefs.
All of my teachings, experiences and challenges have led me to this amazing journey of now being the Founding Director of this wonderful company, Just Like Home Childcare, a place where we can provide children the best possible childcare, a setting that offers the child the closest thing to being loved and nurtured by their own parents.
I have experienced first-hand the benefits children enjoy being in small group sizes - home-based early childhood education is the absolute best. It is a place where educators provide magical, rich spaces for exploring, creating, making new friends, being part of their local community and, most importantly, a space for children to learn at their own pace.
I am grateful to be in a position where I may place my efforts where my passion is - Home-based Early Childhood Education.
Me nga hiahia pai
Jeanette Fotheringham
(BTchLn) Bachelor of Teaching and Learning
