October is widely recognised as Mental Health Month in Australia, anchored by World Mental Health Day on 10 October, which makes it a fitting time to talk about emotional wellbeing in early childhood.

At Daisy Cottage Early Learning in Stafford, supporting emotional wellbeing is part of our daily rhythm, not a once-a-year topic, so we wanted to share what it looks like in the early years and a few simple ways families can support it at home.

What Emotional Wellbeing Looks Like in the Early Years

Emotional wellbeing in early childhood develops gradually, through everyday moments rather than any single lesson. It includes:

• Naming feelings. Recognising and naming feelings such as happy, frustrated, tired or excited.
• Feeling safe. Being able to express big emotions without judgement.
• Coping strategies. Developing simple, age-appropriate ways to manage tricky moments.
• Trusted relationships. Forming secure, trusting connections with educators and peers.

A child who feels emotionally secure is far more ready to explore, play and learn. That security is built slowly, through consistent, warm relationships.

How We Support Emotional Wellbeing at Daisy Cottage

Emotional wellbeing is woven through our program in practical, everyday ways:

• Mindfulness and gentle yoga. Regular sessions that support calm and body awareness.
• Quiet corners. Cosy spaces where a child can take a moment to settle.
• Feelings charts and stories. Simple tools that help children put words to what they’re experiencing.
• Calm, steady educators. Our team models calm responses, especially during big emotions.

Helping Emotional Wellbeing at Home

Families often ask how to continue this support outside the centre. A few simple ideas:

• Name feelings together. Phrases like “it looks like you’re feeling frustrated” help children connect words to emotions.
• Keep routines predictable. Especially around meals and bedtime.
• Make time for quiet. Build in some unhurried time each day.
• Model calm responses. Children learn a lot from watching how we handle things that don’t go to plan.
• Learn more. raisingchildren.net.au and healthdirect.gov.au have helpful resources for families on emotional development and wellbeing.

Supporting Wellbeing, Every Day

Emotional wellbeing in early childhood isn’t about avoiding big feelings altogether. It’s about helping children feel safe enough to move through them.

If you’d like to talk about how we support your child’s emotional wellbeing at Daisy Cottage, we’d love to chat. Register your interest or give our team a call.

Choosing an early learning centre in Queensland is one of the biggest early decisions a family makes, and it’s natural to have plenty of questions. With so many centres, philosophies and price points to compare, knowing what actually matters can make the process feel far less overwhelming.

Daisy Cottage is a much-loved Stafford centre with a fresh new name, and families often ask us what to look for when comparing their options. So we’ve shared what we think matters most when choosing an early learning centre in Queensland, whether that’s with us or elsewhere.

How to Choose a Childcare Centre: What to Look For

Every approved early learning centre in Queensland is assessed against the National Quality Standard by the state’s Early Childhood Regulatory Authority. Centres receive a rating across seven quality areas, covering everything from educational programs to children’s health and safety.

Asking to see a centre’s current quality rating is a completely reasonable question, and any quality-focused centre should be happy to share it. You can also check ratings yourself via earlychildhood.qld.gov.au.

Check Your Child Care Subsidy Eligibility Early

Most Queensland families are eligible for some level of Child Care Subsidy (CCS) through Services Australia, which reduces out-of-pocket fees based on income, activity level and the type of care. Setting up your CCS details in myGov before your child starts can save weeks of paperwork once you’ve chosen an early learning centre.

Questions Worth Asking Before You Enrol

A short visit or conversation with any centre can tell you a lot. Useful questions include:

• What are the educator-to-child ratios for my child’s age group?
• How do you settle new children in during their first few weeks?
• What does a typical day look like, including meals and rest?
• How do you communicate with families day to day?
• What should we bring, and what’s provided by the centre?

Settling Into Childcare Takes Time

Even the right early learning centre takes a little adjustment, and settling into childcare looks different for every child. A gradual orientation, a favourite comfort item from home and a consistent drop-off routine all help children settle with confidence in the first few weeks.

Getting to Know Daisy Cottage

We’re a much-loved heritage cottage-style centre in Stafford with a fresh new name, built around calm, home-like spaces and a genuinely holistic approach to each child’s early years. If you’re still choosing an early learning centre for your family, we’d love to show you around. Book a tour or register your interest and our team will be in touch.

Every September, Queensland pauses to mark Queensland Child Protection Week, a state-wide moment to talk openly about how we keep children safe, seen and supported. In 2026, Queensland Child Protection Week runs from 6 to 12 September and celebrates 40 years of bringing communities together around this shared responsibility.

At Daisy Cottage, we believe safety starts long before a child walks through the door, so we wanted to share what Queensland Child Protection Week is about, and a few simple ways your family can join in.

What Is Queensland Child Protection Week?

Coordinated nationally and supported by the Queensland Government’s Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety, Queensland Child Protection Week exists to:

• Raise awareness of child abuse and neglect prevention
• Support families, educators and communities to have open, age-appropriate conversations with children
• Recognise the professionals and volunteers who work to keep children safe

This year’s national theme, “Every Conversation Matters, Shifting Conversation to Action,” is a reminder that talking about safety with children is only the first step. Those conversations need to lead to everyday actions that help children feel genuinely safe and heard.

Why Queensland Child Protection Week Matters in the Early Years

The early years are when children first learn who they can trust and how to ask for help, which makes Queensland Child Protection Week especially relevant for families with babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Quality early learning environments play a part too, giving children consistent, trusted adults outside the family who they see every single day.

Simple Ways to Get Involved

You don’t need a big event to take part. A few easy ideas:

• Ask open questions. Simple check-ins like “what made you happy today?” build the habit of talking.
• Read together. Books about feelings and body safety are a gentle way to open conversations.
• Know the trusted adults. Help your child name a few grown-ups they could go to if something felt wrong.
• Learn more. families.qld.gov.au has resources for parents and carers on recognising and reporting concerns.

Building a Culture of Safety, Every Week

Queensland Child Protection Week may only run for seven days, but the conversations it starts are ones we hope families keep having all year round. At Daisy Cottage, a much-loved Stafford centre with a fresh new name, safety, trust and genuine connection are the foundation of everything we do.

If you’d like to see how this looks in our rooms every day, book a tour or register your interest with our team.

Father’s Day falls on Sunday 6 September 2026, and for early learning centres like Daisy Cottage, it’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fathers, grandfathers, and father figures who play such an important role in children’s lives.

Why Celebrating Father’s Day Matters in Early Learning

According to Raising Children Network, Australia’s national parenting website, the role of fathers in families has changed significantly over recent generations, with father figures playing an increasingly hands-on role in children’s early years. Celebrating Father’s Day in an early learning setting gives children a meaningful opportunity to:

• Reflect on their relationships with the important men in their lives
• Build fine motor and creative skills through making cards, crafts, and gifts
• Practise language and communication while talking about their family
• Feel a sense of belonging as their family is recognised and celebrated

A Chance to Strengthen Family Partnerships

At Daisy Cottage, we believe genuine partnerships with families are at the heart of quality early learning. Occasions like Father’s Day give us a natural, low-pressure way to invite fathers and father figures into the life of our service, whether that’s through a shared activity, a special morning, or simply a card made with love.

Research consistently shows that positive father involvement is linked to benefits for children including greater confidence, stronger communication skills, and improved social development. Celebrating Father’s Day is a small but meaningful way for us to encourage and value that involvement from the very beginning of a child’s learning journey.

Simple Ways We Celebrate Father’s Day

There are many simple, heartfelt ways early learning services can mark the occasion, including:

• Handmade cards and gifts created with love by the children
• Special morning activities, such as a shared breakfast or a drop-in visit
• Family photo displays celebrating every father figure in our children’s lives

Celebrating Father’s Day at Daisy Cottage

As we welcome families to Daisy Cottage in Stafford, we’re looking forward to creating warm, inclusive celebrations that recognise every kind of family. Father’s Day is just one of the many occasions we’ll mark together as a community, always with a focus on genuine connection and belonging.

Want to learn more about how we celebrate family occasions at Daisy Cottage? Contact us today, we’d love to hear from you.

Sources

• Raising Children Network, Changing role of fathers — raisingchildren.net.au/grown-ups/videos/changing-role-of-fathers
• ACECQA, National Quality Standard, Quality Area 6 — Collaborative partnerships with families — acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard

At Daisy Cottage Early Learning, professional development is one of the clearest ways we can support quality improvement across everything we do. As we continue to grow our community in Stafford and across Brisbane’s northside, building a strong culture of ongoing learning for our educators remains one of our most important priorities.

Why Professional Development Supports Quality Improvement

Under Australia’s National Quality Framework, every approved early learning service is required to maintain a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), which measures performance against the National Quality Standard (NQS) and sets clear goals for continuous quality improvement. The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) notes that a strong QIP helps a service reflect on its practices, celebrate its strengths, and plan meaningful next steps.

Professional development sits right at the centre of this process. When educators build their skills and knowledge, quality improvement becomes part of everyday practice rather than a once-a-year exercise. Some of the ways ongoing learning supports quality improvement include:

• Stronger educational programs shaped by current, evidence-based practice
• More confident, reflective educators who can identify and act on areas for growth
• Better outcomes for children, guided by qualified and experienced teams
• A shared culture of learning, where feedback and self-assessment are welcomed rather than feared

Quality Improvement in Practice

Queensland’s early learning sector offers a wealth of professional development pathways, from scholarships and subsidies to structured training programs. The Queensland Government supports educators through initiatives such as the Leadership and Management Program and the Qualifications Pathways Program, helping the workforce build the skills needed to deliver genuinely high-quality care.

At Daisy Cottage, we see quality improvement as a continuous conversation between our team, our families, and the National Quality Standard. Regular training, mentoring, and reflective practice all feed into our own Quality Improvement Plan, helping us set clear, measurable goals for every child and family in our care.

What This Means for Daisy Cottage Families

Choosing an early learning centre that takes quality improvement seriously means choosing a team that never stops learning. For families in Stafford and across Brisbane’s northside, this translates into:

• Educators who are supported to grow throughout their careers
• Programs that reflect the latest thinking in early childhood education
• A service genuinely committed to the standards set out in the National Quality Standard

We’re proud to be building Daisy Cottage on this foundation of professional development and quality improvement, right from the very beginning.

Want to know more about our approach to quality and professional development? Contact us today, we’d love to hear from you.

Sources

• ACECQA, Quality Improvement Plan — acecqa.gov.au/assessment/quality-improvement-plans
• ACECQA, National Quality Standard — acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard
• Queensland Government, Incentives and subsidies — Early Childhood Education and Care — earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/careers/incentives-and-subsidies