A Parent Perspective: Erin Phillips on Kool Beanz SUNS

When it comes to choosing the right environment for your child, nothing matters more than trust, connection, and the feeling that your child truly belongs. We chatted with Erin Phillips about her experience as a parent at Kool Beanz SUNS Carrara, and delved into what stood out most from day one.

What has your experience been like as a parent at Kool Beanz SUNS?

It’s been a wonderful experience. As soon as we walked into the facility, we could feel it was a very welcoming, nurturing environment.

Our child has really thrived since coming here, and the carers and educators have been absolutely wonderful. They treat every child as an individual and make them feel really special. It’s just been, like I said, an incredible experience.

What stood out to you when you first walked into the centre?

Just the genuine care for your child and the attention to detail. They want to know about your child, the things that they like, and the ways in which they can support your child.

And then obviously the educators, the whole entire staff. They know your name when you walk through the door. It really feels like a family environment.

And the facilities are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. They’re unreal, probably the best way to describe it. There are so many places and spaces, from the footy oval to trampolines and sandpits.

There’s something for all ages that helps them develop really important skills.

How have you found the educators and the way they support your child?

They’ve been absolutely wonderful. You get a genuine feel that they sincerely care about your child. They’re not just another number that walks through the door. They know their name, what they like, even what they got up to on the weekend.

They treat children individually and really attend to their specific needs. I feel like there’s nothing too hard for them when it comes to caring for your child.

As a parent, you just want to know that you’ve taken your child to a place where they’re safe, in great hands, learning, and developing those really important skills. From the moment we walked through these doors, we’ve never had any doubts about that.

Have you noticed any changes in your child since attending?

Yeah, I feel like our child has really grown in every aspect.

The one thing we’ve really noticed is her confidence in larger groups and being around a lot of kids. She’s so much more social and interacts so much better.

She loves to come home and show some really cool yoga moves, so we’re learning from her as well, which is really cool.

You can just tell that she is growing so much independence, and being able to spend time with great carers and educators and be among her friends – it’s been wonderful for her.

What are some of the childcare centre highlights for you?

I think obviously the facilities. When you come in here, it’s just a huge wow factor. It’s so impressive. But what is just as impressive is that this is not just childcare, it’s also big on the education space, which I think is so important. Going from childcare to school can be such a huge jump, and Kool Beanz SUNS helps make that feel less scary.

I think there are so many things in place here from an education point of view that get kids ready, so that transition is so much easier.

Having Japanese lessons, STEM, and all the different extracurricular activities they offer is so important for that transition.

So it’s not just your everyday childcare. It’s a real education focus, and that’s something we were really blown away with.

Another highlight for me is a real feel of community. Our child has been enrolled since January, and what I love is the sense of connection this has created, and the network of like-minded families and children that your child gets to grow up with. We’re creating friendships with families that we feel will definitely continue on in school life, and we find that really important and exciting to be a part of.

A lot of my work colleagues also have kids who come here too, so we talk about the centre a lot and how wonderful and inclusive it is.

I’m really looking forward to our Mother’s Day event coming up. It’s just a great opportunity to get to know people further in this environment. We’re really lucky that Kool Beanz does a lot of those things.

Would you recommend Kool Beanz SUNS to other families?

I absolutely would recommend Kool Beanz SUNS. It’s a childcare I’ve never seen before. It offers so much more than just everyday childcare.

It’s a special place, and it has really, really special people working here. We’re very lucky to be able to send our child here, and she’s obviously really lucky to be here.

I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

---

Read more from our Journal