The first 1,000 days are crucial to a child’s future health, development, learning and wellbeing. Early learning services are an integral part of this.
Early Learning Matters Week (3 to 9 August 2026) celebrates the support delivered by these services – including playgroups, long day care, and kindergarten - and recognises their contributions to the wellbeing and healthy development of young children.
Since 2011, in Queensland’s Logan region, The Benevolent team at the Beaudesert Early Years Centre and Kindy have provided vital assistance to families with children aged between 0-8.
As a one-stop-shop that provides services including infant and developmental health checks, playgroups, infant massage classes, parenting programs, family support services, community outreach and referral pathways, each service is handled by specialists.
Drawing on their combined expertise, the team delivers a holistic approach to early childhood education and care, fostering a warm and welcoming environment where both children and families feel supported and valued.
Fostering school readiness
At Beaudesert Early Years Kindergarten, educators such as Amy Murphy are committed to creating an inclusive, nurturing, and structured environment where every child feels safe, valued, and supported.
The kindergarten provides engaging, personalised, play-based learning experiences tailored to each child’s individual interests, strengths, and developmental needs. Guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, and the National Quality Standard, the program is thoughtfully designed to foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Through a holistic and child-centred approach, educators support children in building confidence, independence, and a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
Through regular and meaningful interactions with these children, teachers are able to identify their needs early and refer them to in-house speech therapists or external professionals, including occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and other allied health specialists.
They also work alongside the Early Years Centre Hub team, which consists of Child and Family Practitioners and Child Development Specialists.
“This multidisciplinary approach ensures that children with additional needs receive targeted support and that their developmental goals are met in a holistic manner,” said Amy.
For Amy, the best thing about being a kindy teacher is that no two days are the same.
“Every day brings something different and new discoveries. I get to help children build essential lifelong skills while at the same time celebrating each child’s uniqueness,” she said.
Ensuring families feel seen, heard, respected
At the Beaudesert Early Years Centre, Child Development Specialists like Jodi McMurtrie are constantly out in the community and helping provide an essential first point of access to supports for families and children 0 – 8 years.
This includes helping access support services like playgroups, parenting programs, family support, community outreach and referral pathways.
"We actively communicate with parents to help them access the right service at the right time in one convenient location, providing resources and issuing soft handovers and warm referral specialists from kindy educators, child and family practitioners to child health institutions,” said Jodi.
Jodi has identified recent trends in support for families, including increased needs for housing support, homeschooling, parenting and positive behaviour guidance and transportation access.
This support also empowers parents to build strong support networks, by connecting families from parenting programs and those in the parents of kindy community. The Beaudesert team also work closely with Queensland Child Health to host drop-in clinics and community events like educational sessions.
“What I love most about my work is seeing the beautiful relationships that blossom between the families and children,” said Jodi.
“I feel grateful to have the opportunity to walk alongside families in their journey to support, guide and empower then to thrive and live their best lives, build secure attachments and strong connections within the community.”
Ageless play
In partnership with Play Matters Australia, the Beaudesert team have also started delivering a new Intergenerational Playgroup over the last 6 months.
Through interactive play-based sessions, these weekly group sessions held during the school term seek to bring older persons together with children and their families to help build community connections.
For more information on our range of Early Childhood Years services and programs, click here or call 1800 236 762.