Onsite day care for teachers with young children

Lillian Dunn is a maths teacher at Cobram Secondary College – and she’s also a new mum. But managing the demands of parenthood with a full-time teaching load has never been easier – thanks to the school’s new onsite day care centre.

Little Thinkers day care was the brainchild of principal Kimberley Tempest, who wanted to find a better way to support her staff returning to work after taking family leave. Above all, she wanted to help young mums achieve that all-important balance between motherhood and career.

'Addressing the needs of mothers with young children is a game changer,' Kimberley says. 'Our onsite day care makes a difference in the work-life balance of young mothers, keeping them in the workforce, and increasing their access to superannuation and leadership opportunities.'

For maths teacher Lillian, it’s about spending her work days closer to 12-month old daughter Cleo, and easing that painful tug at drop-off every morning. 'I love having my daughter close to me while I work,' she says. 'It reduces the guilt of leaving her with someone else. I couldn’t feel more supported knowing that Cleo is in safe hands, right next door to my classroom.'

Little Thinkers became Victoria’s first-ever day care centre to operate inside a secondary school site when it opened its doors in July this year. Classified as family day care, the centre has a small enrolment of only four children per day, ensuring each child receives plentiful attention and care.

Best of all, the centre’s educator, Chelsea, is a former student of Cobram Secondary College herself – and, by all reports, is hugely popular with her small charges. 'The right educator is the best part about this,' confirms Lillian. 'My daughter Cleo loves coming in here, and we just love Chelsea. There’s less stress for me, trying to leave the house earlier to drop her somewhere further away. And I love being able to just pop in and see her whenever I need.'