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Nurturing our Educator’s Wellbeing Program
Freya Lucas
Jan 30, 2025
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In the post-COVID world, the mental wellbeing of early childhood educators has never been more crucial.
Panania Child Care Centre has been exploring the concept of nurturing the wellbeing of its educators, focusing on what helps them to feel supported mentally and emotionally, embracing a holistic program to support them.The ‘Nurturing our Educators’ Wellbeing Program was specifically created to nurture their wellbeing, allowing them, in turn, to nurture children, and builds on the overall philosophy of the service, which is inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s holistic approach, nurturing body, soul and spirit.
“At Panania Child Care Centre, we support educators as both professionals and whole individuals. Our program fosters personal growth, respect, and a positive workplace culture,” Director Kara Confoy explained.
“By focusing on the awareness and personal development, emotional, and mental aspects of their roles, our educators become more satisfied, resilient, and engaged, which directly benefits the children in their care. We believe when educators are nurtured in this way, they create a calm, joyful, and fulfilling learning environment for everyone.”
Beginning from an Exceeding point of view
The roots of the wellbeing program are found in 2018, when Panania Child Care Centre achieved an "Exceeding" rating in all seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard (NQS). Over time, the team has worked with Jennifer Ribarovski, Managing Director of JR Education Consulting Services Pty. Ltd; to support this achievement. The 2018 exceeding rating prompted the service to reflect further on what it means to be an "exceeding" educator.
“We developed an avatar, Exceeding Grace, representing the qualities we believe are essential for excellence in early childhood education,” Ms Confoy said.
“The key insight was the importance of mental wellbeing in fostering authentic connections with children, which led to the creation of the ‘Nurturing our Educators’ Wellbeing Program.”
In 2023, the service again achieved "Exceeding" ratings in all seven quality areas, further solidifying the importance of wellbeing practices.
“At the core of our program is the belief that educators’ energy and emotional state directly impact the children in their care,” Ms Confoy continued.
“We begin each day with a check-in where each educator shares a word describing how they feel. This practice helps management understand their emotional state and provide support if needed.”
Above ratio level staffing, and a ‘tap out’ option ensures that educators can take breaks as needed to recharge - perhaps by taking a walk around the block, a coffee break, or having some quiet time.
“This flexibility allows our educators to feel supported and ready to give their best, aligning with the EYLF’s principles of continuous reflection, professional learning, and a supportive environment (Outcome 4),” she explained.
During the 2023 Assessment & Rating visit two authorised officers participated in some of the service’s daily wellbeing activities, such as sharing a one-word feeling and selecting an affirmation card.
These simple mindfulness exercises, which they requested to repeat on the second day, demonstrate the power of mindfulness in fostering connection and emotional awareness in a positive environment.
A holistic and nurturing environment has been created for the educators, which involves embedding essential oils, salt lamps, soft calming music, and thoughtfully chosen soft furnishings into daily practice.
These elements, Ms Confoy says, work together to cultivate a harmonious space where educators feel grounded, present, and emotionally regulated, enhancing their overall wellbeing.
“By fostering sensory balance and warmth, a homelike atmosphere is established, promoting relaxation, emotional stability, and professional fulfillment. This intentional approach strengthens team dynamics and a positive workplace culture, ensuring educators feel valued, supported, and connected. When educators experience a sense of calm and comfort, and feel valued they can engage more meaningfully in their work, fostering authentic relationships and collaborative connections.”
Opportunities for recognition
A central element of the wellbeing program is the Employee of the Month initiative, which recognises and acknowledges educators’ contributions based on the centre’s core values of love, family, courage, and spirituality.
“Both staff and families participate in nominating individuals for this recognition, fostering a culture of gratitude and mutual appreciation,” Ms Confoy explained.
“Educators are delighted for each other as they listen to the acknowledgements at each monthly team gathering. This further strengthens educators confidence and a sense of belonging within the workplace and elevates the culture within the team.”
A gift is included along with the recognition. As well as the Employee of the Month initiative, gratitude is an ongoing practice, with educators each having their own gratitude jar where other educators can write a message of gratitude and place it into the jar.
Mindful practice
Monthly team gatherings begin with a guided meditation session, fostering a calm and centred environment where educators are asked to set personal intentions. This reflective practice supports educators' mental wellbeing and promotes a strong sense of identity, emphasising self awareness and intentional presence.
Additionally, by sharing a single word that reflects their current emotional state at the team gathering allows the leadership team insight into each educator's wellbeing, promoting a culture of respect and empathy. These practices contribute to a harmonious and reflective learning environment that values educators’ wellbeing, ultimately enhancing their ability to support children’s growth and learning.
Each year on Celebrating Educators Day, families, children, and colleagues are invited to reflect on and acknowledge the strengths of the Panania Child Care Centre educators by focusing on the seven Quality Areas of the National Quality Standard (NQS).
This reflection process sometimes includes anonymous feedback, which allows for open and honest recognition. By engaging all stakeholders, the service aims to create a culture where educators feel truly valued and supported, as their contributions are celebrated in meaningful ways.
“By recognising the strengths of educators through both personal and anonymous feedback, we align with Quality Area 7 by promoting leadership that is collaborative and values-driven. This approach strengthens professional relationships, enhances staff morale, and directly contributes to the continuous improvement of our service,” Ms Confoy said.
“Our team’s belief in the importance of community and collaboration is reflected in how we strengthen team dynamics. We celebrate milestones such as birthdays and work anniversaries and engage in team-building activities, including nature walks, bonding experiences, and shared meals.”
“These gatherings foster a sense of belonging and reduce stress, helping our team feel more like a family. This focus on creating a positive, respectful environment aligns with the EYLF’s emphasis on belonging and contribution (Outcome 2).”
A special welcoming ritual for new educators embodies this by creating a foundation rooted in acceptance, love, and wisdom, which resonates with Outcome 1 (Children have a strong sense of identity) and the concept of secure, respectful, and reciprocal relationships. By modelling these values, the team supports new members in feeling welcomed and demonstrates a commitment to nurturing relationships—benefiting the entire learning environment and the children within it.
“To further support educators’ spiritual and emotional growth, we offer access to paid wellness sessions such as yoga, meditation, therapy, and massages,” Ms Confoy explained.
“These practices are a core part of the ‘Nurturing our Educators’ Wellbeing Program and ensure our educators are cared for holistically.”
Finally, on the last day of the year, the team gathers for a special, children-free celebration to reflect on the incredible year they've had together. It’s a time for thoughtful reflection, where each educator is individually acknowledged by the leadership team with heartfelt appreciation, a gift, and a bonus. This end-of-year gathering is a wonderful way to celebrate everyone’s achievements, express gratitude, and enjoy a moment of team pride and connection.
Continuous improvement moving into 2025
“As we move forward into 2025, we are excited to expand our program by collaborating with an Emotional Intelligence Coach who will mentor our educators in understanding and applying emotional intelligence (EI),” Ms Confoy said.
“This mentorship will focus on supporting educators in managing their own emotions while guiding children through their "big emotions."
“We believe that strengthening educators' emotional intelligence will foster a calm and connected environment, leading to smoother daily transitions and interactions for everyone involved.”
By building emotional intelligence in educators, we are better equipped to support children's social-emotional development. As educators become more attuned to their own emotional responses, they are able to model empathy, self-awareness, and resilience, helping children regulate their feelings and reactions more effectively.
As Stephanie Pinto (2024) highlights, "Emotional Intelligence is the way forward for raising humans who are empathetic, self-aware, kind, and resilient." This vision aligns perfectly with our centre philosophy and with the EYLF's focus on fostering positive relationships, promoting mental wellbeing, and ensuring that children feel safe, supported, and empowered to manage their emotions. By prioritising emotional intelligence in our practice, we are also reinforcing the EYLF’s Principles of Holistic Learning and creating a learning environment that values emotional growth just as much as cognitive development.
“‘Nurturing our Educators’ Wellbeing Program has become a cornerstone of our service, helping us maintain our high standards and exceeding-rated status as well as sustaining the length of service for educators within our centre,” Ms Confoy said.
“By focusing on the holistic wellbeing of our educators, we ensure that best practices are always at the forefront, which directly enhances the quality of care and education we provide to children. Through reflection, connection and celebration we continue to uphold the values central to the Steiner philosophy, nurturing both our educators and the children they guide.”
“As Wong & Cumming (2018) affirm, “investing in educator wellbeing has a direct impact on the quality of education and care”.
“At Panania Child Care Centre, we believe that by supporting our educators’ mental, emotional, and spiritual health, we create an environment where both staff and children can truly flourish.”
Learn more about Panania Child Care Centre here.
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