Bear Hugs FDC in Morley

About me

I am a friendly and affectionate Colombian lady with a lot of experience as a teacher of both children and adults. Even though I have spent many years studying to become a qualified teacher, my main achievement has been to be a mum. I am the proud mother of my 13 year old girl, Mia. Raising a child while being alone in a foreign country hasn’t been easy, but has certainly made my life much happier than it ever was. The experience of seeing Mia grow by my side, and supporting her at every step of her life has helped me understand a lot more about children than I learned at university.

Since I opened Bear Hugs FDC, about 8 years ago, I have treasured beautiful memories with my day care children and their families; the little ones see me as her second mum, and their parents respect me and value me for that; teaching them as they play, and creating bonds with each of them is always a great joy.

Amazing skills

Diploma in Children Services
Master Degree of Education (obtained in Colombia and accredited in Australia)
Bachelor Degree Teacher in Pedagogy of Education (obtained in Colombia and accredited in Australia)
Working with Children Card
Child Protection Certificate
Food Safety Training
Safe Infant Sleeping Certificate
Sun Smart Certificate
First aid and CPR certificate

Philosophy

Cultural diversity will be celebrated and the benefits of it for each individual child and enable them to understand and acknowledge differences.

At Ms. Brett’s house we gather on the land of the Noongar people. I like to knowledge aboriginal and Torres straight Islander peoples as the traditional considerations of this land and their connection to the land, water and the community in which we operate. I Pay respect to their culture, customs, both past and present.

I believe the environment plays a major role in the success of an early childhood program. It should enhance the children’s interests in all developmental domains. I believe learning in an early childhood environment is done most successfully through the outdoors within nature, exploring, in a safe, clean home like space, time and space to create and revisited again and again. The environment should take into consideration the social skills, communication skills, physical abilities or challenges, and learning styles of the children being served.

I have high expectations for every child, I’m always there to guide them to next level but always amazed at what children CAN do. The early years of a child’s life are busy. Learning is happening all the time and is interwoven through all developmental domains simply with nature and creative space. These include: physical, social/emotional, cognitive and communication. Therefore, the goal of my program is to make this ongoing learning experience safe, positive, and fun, nurturing the whole child as I strive to guide them into the next stage of development with confidence in themselves and an excitement for continued learning.

Families are a vital aspect of my program. Parents who are able to spend time with us occasionally are more aware of the details of their child’s day. Observing what goes on first-hand helps a parent know what to ask the child at the end of the day. My home is always (within reason) open for a cuppa and chat. In family day care, I able to care about each family member as much as the child in care. We are a team and I always care about each of you.

Children need the assurance of being loved and cared for while they are enjoying an “educational” environment. Teaching children is my passion. Security and trust are very important components as well, of my relationship with each child.

In planning my program I would strive for a developmentally appropriate, child-centred atmosphere where children have the opportunity to master new challenges through activities and topics that are meaningful to them, thus building their self-esteem as they develop and learn. Children should be given choices, responsibilities, and opportunities to initiate their own learning. I believe observations and assessments are excellent tools to use when planning a curriculum. Observations, not only aid in creating the curriculum but also give insight into the development, knowledge and skill levels of each individual child.

Last, but maybe most important, I give children the ability to just BE. BE children, BE happy, BE still, BE emotional, BE messy, BE dangerous, BE silly, BE loud, BE quiet, Be whatever they need.

Koolanga is an inclusive, boutique Service that engages with families and children, irrespective of culture. Building and maintaining respectful relationships in providing an alternative option for childcare is paramount for us.

We recognise:

Relationships are crucial to a sense of belonging.
Being, recognises the significance of the here and now in children’s lives.
Becoming, encourages children to have a voice, to participate fully and actively in society without discrimination or bias.
The need for continued appreciation with nature, to be environmentally responsible and embed those practices for sustainability.
Play based learning engages each child’s interests and natural sense of discovery through hands-on exploration of the world around them. They are the driver of their own learning journey.
Koolanga acknowledges the diverse community in which we live and encourages families, educators and community members to be meaningfully and actively involved in our Service.

Welcome to my service

Key Services

Bilingual

Spanish program that invites the children to learn some basic expressions and vocabulary.

Diversity

We learn about other countries, celebrate and learn about their traditions and cultural events.

Excursions

Children enjoy going on outings at least once a fortnight. We run excursions to local parks, library, and others.

Child program

Lots of activities for seeing, hearing, manipulating and smelling natural and processed materials.

Waitlist

To be added to our waitlist please contact us and provide: Child's Full Name, Date of birth, Parent/Guardian Full Name, Contact Numbers and Prefered Days of Care.

Our opening hours are Mon to Friday, 7.00am to 5:30pm

Contact me!

Read my handbook

My fees

Standard

$132.60

/per session

7:30am - 5:30pm

My availability

Mon

Sorry, no available spots!

Tues

Yes, we still have available spots for you. Contact us!

Wed

Today our FDC is closed.

Thu

Yes, we still have available spots for you. Contact us!

Fri

Sorry, no available spots!

Testimonials

Adriana, thank you for caring for me, playing with me, respecting me, protecting me, teaching me, and preparing me for my next big adventure.
Alex – Child attending the FDC

Dear Adriana, I have loved coming to Bear Hugs FDC with you since I was 8 months old. You are very special to me. Love, love.
Aurora – Child attending the FDC

Thank you for all that hard work you do and the love you give to our children.
Anastasia, Grace’s mum.

Really appreciate how much effort you put into everything for the kids.
Fred, Josie’s dad

Thank you for your love, time & patience with our little ones.
Tania, Mila’s mum

The girls are very lucky to have you.
Ryan, Chloe’s dad

Contact me!

If you have an enquiry, please contact me.

Direct contact

To book a tour or for any other enquiry, you can email me at adrianapinzonc@yahoo.com or call me on the following number: 0414 470 226

Please remember not to call me during FDC opening hours.