FDC gives Kaori the perfect opportunity to share Japanese culture with children

When family day care (FDC) educator Kaori Sloan opened her family daycare, Niko Niko Family Daycare in 2019 she was delighted to have the opportunity to share some of the unique aspects of Japanese culture with the children in her care.

At her FDC service in the North Shore suburb of Wahroonga New South Wales Ms Sloan incorporates both Japanese and Australian culture and language into the curriculum. The name of the service, Niko Niko, means “smile” in Japanese, and it’s this premise which drives the work she does with children and families. 

Not all of the children who attend the service are Japanese, however many of the children have become fluent in the language while attending care. Ms Sloan educates and cares for four children at a time, allowing for lots of opportunities for meaningful interaction and language development. 

Working directly with children and families is an extension of a career in midwifery which Ms Sloan began while living in Japan. After arriving in Australia 16 years ago, she learnt about FDC from a friend who visited her home and mentioned how perfect it would be to offer the service. 

“Back then,” she said, “I had no capacity to think beyond looking after my own three children, but that comment always stayed with me”

After her third child entered preschool, Ms Sloan thought it was time to “do something for myself” and took on study, gaining her Certificate III in early childhood education before opening Niko Niko. 

As well as operating her FDC service Ms Sloan has international students living in her house, giving an overall vibe of “one big family.” Operating her service from home, she continued, also helps her own children to be good role models, and be “extra cautious” with their language and attitudes. 

To hear this piece in Japanese, please see here. To read this piece in English, see here.