The first thing one would notice, even before stepping inside, is the tranquil blue theme that washes over the property. Walking into the centre, the colour theme continues to lull you into a feeling of comfort. Clearly, careful attention has been placed on creating a calming nest for little ones.
The Faraway Tree Childcare Centre, a new and promising haven for infants and young children, is set to officially open on March 2020. Far from being just another childcare centre, this daycare displays obvious competence and devotion to the well-rounded growth of a child.
Backed by expertise
The core values of The Faraway Tree Childcare Centre: Curiosity & Creativity, Learning & Exploration, and Growth & Confidence are maintained through their programmes for three distinct age groups:
- Infants (2 to 18 months)
- Toddlers (19 months – 2.5 years)
- Playschool (2.5 – 4 years)
Using a US-based curriculum that has been adjusted to meet local settings, the centre aims to provide quality childcare for both the half-day programme (8 AM-1 PM) and full-day programme (8 AM-6 PM).
Unlike most daycare centres, The Faraway Tree has something unique and priceless – the extensive knowledge and experience brought by the founders, Sandhya Nair and Dr. Dhanya Pillai. While Sandhya comes from a corporate background and understands how to manage a business according to stringent standards, Dr. Dhanya is a qualified clinical psychologist who works with children on a daily basis.
Dr. Dhanya, an expert in child development, is professionally able to make special needs diagnosis.
Additionally, both founders are loving mothers with their own young children. This makes them highly in touch with the demands of early childhood.
Their programmes, other than caring for a child’s immediate needs, also include learning activities that focus on areas such as sensory, socioemotional, numeracy, literacy, and motor skills. Using a play-based approach, older children who come to the centre are sure to be ready for kindergarten.
The centre also intends to provide weekly enrichment classes by engaging outside specialists in subjects like Mandarin, music, and drama.
Safe and Supportive Space
The physical layout of The Faraway Tree has been deliberately arranged to create openness and a lack of clutter. It has also been set up to encourage feelings of security and confidence.
We want the children to be able to reach out for things on their own, without feeling like it’s a problem to do so. For example, we’ve placed forks, spoons and plates at their level so they can develop self-help skills. shares Sandhya
Once the daycare starts running, the Faraway Tree intends to have a garden patch in their compound, so children can engage in planting activities. This not only allows them some sunshine, but also teaches kids how to grow and appreciate food.
Although the centre consistently engages children in order to aid their growth, this is all done in a safe environment with clear guidelines. Safety is an utmost priority at The Faraway Tree, and the founders have ensured protocols such as no exposed plug points, child locks and safety gates in place, a fire exit, and even a special fridge for breast milk.
In keeping with high standards of safety, the daycare has installed 13 CCTV cameras all around the property. This gives the founders a view of everything that is happening – at all times.
High Professionalism, Deep Passion
When it comes to hiring the carers, nurses and teachers who make up The Faraway Tree, Sandhya says there are steep conditions to be met. First off, they’ve made sure to fulfil all government requirements, such as the ratio of carers to infants recommended by the Malaysian Department of Social Welfare.
All infant care nurses are also registered with Lembaga Jururawat Malaysia and have at least 2 years of work experience in a similar setting. Infant carers have a diploma or experience working in early childhood.
The founders stress a need for passion for working with children. They recognize that not all children are the same, and working with them means having to deal with different characters and needs. They also acknowledge the importance of working as a team and hence seek out people who share their vision of childcare.
When it comes to teacher and carer training, Dr. Dhanya will take charge. Aside from covering the necessary basics such as first aid and food handling, she will make sure that teachers are ready to deliver their curriculum. She will also oversee child developmental milestones.
Like A Family
The Faraway Tree wants to create a place where everyone will feel like family. Sandhya explains, “We want to know the parents we work with, what’s important to them and how we can help with any anxieties they have.”
It is essential to the founders that parents feel involved in the activities and overall growth of their children. Parents will receive daily updates via mobile apps about routines like nappy change and sleep time. The centre also anticipates events such as coffee mornings (where parents can sit and chat with the team) and monthly newsletters.
Other than the vital updates, Dr. Dhanya aims to invite parents for workshops and talks conducted by her. As an expert in the field of early childhood, she foresees discussing topics like ‘how to handle challenging behaviours’ and ‘how to get your kids to eat more nutritiously.’
