Setting Strong Foundations: The Value of Early Education and Care

As a parent, you dream of giving your child every chance to thrive, and attending an early learning service (preschool) before they start kindergarten is one of the most powerful gifts you can offer. It is more than preparing for the first day of school. In a nurturing early learning environment, children blossom with confidence, discover the joy of friendship and begin to make sense of the world around them. These early experiences not only shape their school years, but they also lay the foundation for a lifetime of growth, resilience and opportunity.  

“Government Preschool isn’t the only path to early learning. Families have different needs, and quality early childhood services are just as valuable in supporting children before they start school.”  

Here’s something many families don’t realise: your child doesn’t have to attend a government preschool to access a preschool program. At YWCA Canberra Early Childhood Services, our long day care centres deliver the same approved Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), led by qualified early childhood teachers.  

Every one of our services has Early Childhood Teachers (ECTs) registered with the ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI). This means that your child is guided by experienced professionals who meet the same standards as school-based teachers, but within a full-day environment that offers flexibility for busy families.  

Parents often feel pressure to choose government preschools, yet both options support children’s learning and school readiness. The difference is that early education and care services such as those at YWCA Canberra provide longer hours, making it easier for families to balance work and home life while ensuring children thrive.  

And the research is clear. According to the 2024 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), children who attend a preschool program are far less likely to be developmentally vulnerable when starting school. Those with access to a quality early learning service were nearly twice as likely to be on track in key areas like language development, social skills and emotional wellbeing.  

Across Australia, 93.3% of children attend a preschool program in the year before school. In the ACT, that figure jumps to 97.3%, showing just how strongly families here value early learning and preschool access.  

At YWCA Canberra, we know preschool is about so much more than ABCs and 123s. Our educators help children build confidence, resilience, emotional regulation, and the skills needed to form friendships, cope with challenges, and step into the school classroom ready to succeed. By nurturing these foundations early, we give children the best possible start, both for school and for life. We’d love to welcome you into our community. Book a visit to one of our YWCA Canberra centres today and discover how we’ll prepare your child for school and beyond.  

Chiara Will

Chiara is Director of School Age Care at YWCA Canberra, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a diverse range of leadership and management experience across the Early Childhood Education sector. Having held roles from Administration Officer to Centre Director, she brings a holistic skill base and a strength in solution-based approaches to learning. 

Prior to joining YWCA Canberra, Chiara led a team of over 25 educators, driving policy development, professional training and development, and contributing to Quality Improvement, Sustainability, Reconciliation, and Strategic Inclusion Action Plans. 

In her current role, Chiara leads the strategic development of processes and systems that ensure high-quality, safe, and inclusive environments for children. She mentors and empowers managers, leaders, and educators to deliver best-practice programs aligned with regulatory standards, fosters strong stakeholder partnerships, and guides the Quality Support Team in managing compliance and quality assurance across services. 

Shane McAlpine

Shane is Director of Children’s Services (ECEC) at YWCA Canberra, overseeing eight early learning services with 24 years of experience in the early childhood sector. He brings an extensive understanding of education and care, current practices, and regulatory requirements, with a robust approach to developing high-quality practitioners. 

Shane supports the day-to-day operation of educational practices and curriculum across all our early learning centres, with quality and pedagogical practice at the forefront. He plays a critical role in providing escalation support and mentorship to centre directors and educators alike. 

His professional passions include children’s rights, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inclusion and teaching perspectives, and advocacy for the early childhood profession. He is an active representative on the ACT committee of Early Childhood Australia. 

As a father of two children who have experienced the early years system firsthand, Shane brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges families face in balancing work and parenting. This perspective shapes his inclusive, stakeholder-centred approach to service delivery across every centre he works with. 

Katherine Hellwig

Katherine is the Executive Director of Children’s Services at YWCA Canberra, bringing over 23 years of extensive experience in delivering education and care in ACT and the surrounding areas of the city. Her career spans both not-for-profit and commercial providers, highlighting her versatile and adaptable nature. 

For over 11 years, Katherine has held an executive role within a not-for-profit organisation that experienced significant growth in its early education and care portfolio. Her responsibilities included managing programs and initiatives that fostered engagement within the local community. 

Katherine began her career as an educator, and this hands-on experience has given her a profound understanding of the critical role educators play in the lives of children and families. Her qualifications include an Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, an Undergraduate Certificate in Service Management, and a Diploma of Leadership and Management. In 2018, Katherine was honoured with the Community for Children’s Award by the ACT Children’s Week Committee, recognising her dedication and impact on the community.  

Katherine is driven by a strong pedagogical belief that all children have the right to access quality early learning in their first five years of life. She focuses on delivering high-quality education and care in both early education and after school care programs, ensuring children receive the best start in life.  

Frances Crimmins

Frances Crimmins is the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Canberra and has led the organisation since 2013, driving significant growth, high-quality integrated service delivery, and stronger corporate efficiency. Under her leadership, the non-profit organisation has become a courageous community advocate, ensuring the needs of vulnerable communities are seen, heard, and addressed locally and nationally. 

Frances brings a diverse background spanning the private and not-for-profit sectors across business, hospitality, healthcare, and community services. She remains a passionate advocate for policy initiatives addressing the root causes of women’s housing insecurity, homelessness, gender inequality, and gender-based violence. 

Frances also currently serves as Chair of Homelessness Australia and sits on the ACT Work Health Safety Advisory Council. Her former board roles include ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), WESNET, the ACT Ministerial Advisory Committee for Women, and Co-Chair of Anti-Poverty Week in the ACT. 

Her leadership has been recognised with an Edna Ryan Award (2015), ACT Leader of the Year at the Australian Leadership Excellence Awards (2016), and selection into the inaugural Social Impact Leadership Australia (SILA) program (2021). Frances regularly represents YWCA Canberra at the United Nations Commission for the Status of Women in New York. 

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