Milieu Early Education and Care Oak Flats supports Wollongong Homeless Drive 

Milieu Early Education and Care Oak Flats recently supported the Wollongong Homeless Drive by providing donations to a local Bendigo Bank branch to provide Christmas cheer to vulnerable community members. 

The children at the service took their donations to the bank in person, rounding out their excursion from the centre by visiting the local Australia Post branch to send letters to Santa, in a bid to consolidate the learning that Christmas is about both giving and receiving. 

“We believe that this initiative is a wonderful way to instill values of generosity and compassion in young children, and we are proud to offer them the chance to engage with their local community in such a positive way,” Milieu Founder Daniela Silicato said. 

Child centred approach to social justice 

Milieu believes that embedding social justice in early childhood involves actively including children in discussions and activities which help them to develop a sense of social responsibility and awareness, including through aspects such as: 

• Group discussions about homelessness, why it exists, and the ways people can be impacted.
• Explaining the role of community organisations like the Rotary Club and the homeless drive, and showing how small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
• Encouraging empathy through storytelling: Sharing age-appropriate stories about individuals who may be experiencing homelessness to create a human connection to the cause.
• Promoting inclusivity by making sure all children feel empowered to participate in ways that are comfortable for them, avoiding any sense of charity-driven pity, but rather focusing on community support.

Recognising that some children within the learning community may be experiencing poverty, or have lived experience of homelessness, educators at the service take a number of measures when discussing social justice issues more broadly, including: 

• Using inclusive language: Framing the experience in terms of community support rather than “helping the less fortunate”. 
• Emphasising empathy and collective action: helping children to understand that everyone deserves dignity and respect, regardless of their circumstances.
• Provide age-appropriate resources: For children, these resources focus on kindness, sharing, and what it means to be a good friend to those in need. 

These resources include: 

• Storybooks and picture books: Books like “What If We Were All The Same?”  teach children to embrace uniqueness, show compassion, and celebrate the beautiful differences in everyone they meet.
• Interactive activities: During the recent initiative to support the homeless community the children created care packages together, which included essential items like toiletries, socks, or food. This helped children understand the tangible impact of their actions while engaging in hands-on learning.
• Role-playing and discussions: Facilitating activities where the children act out scenarios that involve helping others in need, teaching them the importance of compassion and respect.

Children’s reflections 

During the donation drive, educators reported the children feeling proud to help, saying things like, “Now they’ll have warm clothes and food.” 

The questions children asked following the experience, such as “where will the blankets go?” demonstrated that they had both a growing connection to the cause as well as curiosity about the experience. 

Overall, educators believe that being involved in the homelessness initiative taught valuable lessons about kindness, generosity, and the joy of giving, leaving the children inspired and filled with festive cheer.

“As a provider, we are deeply committed to supporting our local community, fostering meaningful connections, and teaching children the value of kindness and giving,” Ms Silicato said. 

“We eagerly anticipate building even stronger relationships and creating new opportunities to make a positive impact together with our community in 2025.”

Learn more about Milieu Early Education and Care Oak Flats here.