Mingara Childcare Centre

The newly proposed early learning centre for Mingara Leisure Group is the next stage in their vision ‘to make a significant contribution to the quality of community life’.

SHAC and Mingara Leisure Group have adopted the Reggio Emilia Educational Philosophy when approaching the design of the centre, which believes that parents and the wider community have the collective responsibility for children. It is an inclusive, village-style approach that engages children, parents and the community as all being essential components to the learning process. A child’s environment is also their teacher. A child learns just as much from the environment they are in as they do from their parents and teachers. Providing a creative, nurturing environment for a child to play and learn will only increase the amount of knowledge they take in.

The proposed site for Mingara Early Learning Centre has many opportunities for connection with the land through life and place such as; water tanks for drinking and plants, vegetables and flower gardens, gardens with native flowers for birds, lizard rocks, chickens and eggs, recycling area, miniature animal farm, fish in ponds, solar panels, connection to the Indigenous history and land. It also has many social connection opportunities such as Seniors, Mother’s Groups, Social Garden Groups, and supporting Groups, and development opportunities including Lil Dragons Martial Arts, Mingara One Fitness, Mingara One Learn to Swim, and Kids Point Health. Mingara has long term relationships with community support groups such as Ngura, The Glen, Yarran, and Central Coast Kids in Need. During the design process, all opportunities for connection present on the Mingara site will be considered and incorporated into the Mingara Early Learning Centre design.