YWCA CANBERRA

Currawong Early Childhood Service

A convenient, family-centered early learning service

Currawong Early Childhood Service is a 92-place, family-focused practice that provides quality services for our community. We provide education and care for children age six weeks to five years.

We are centrally located in the parliamentary triangle in Barton, on the grounds of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). While we prioritise access for families who work with DFAT, we also provide care for other families.

Our dynamic team of caring, expert educators work collaboratively with our families to provide a service that meets the needs of their children. We believe children are capable and competent learners that construct their meaning of the world around them and use structured play-based learning to facilitate this.

When you use any of our YWCA Canberra children’s services programs, you help to support our community activities such as our housing programs, community development, youth engagement, and education to prevent domestic and family violence.

To enrol your child, please click the ‘Request to Enrol’ button.  
Learn more about what we provide and how fees are paid.

Quality rating issued: June 2019

  • $147.96 per session (non DFAT permanent booking)
  • $151.09 per session (casual booking)
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Our team is very diverse, with educators of varying ages and cultures. We have qualified educators from around the world who speak a wide range of languages. Our diverse backgrounds provide children with a wide variety of experiences and cultures to explore, grow and learn from.

Director: Dimity

Early childhood education is Dimity’s passion. Being part of the early foundations of learning and assisting in setting children up for future success is a role she deeply values. Her focus is on supporting children and families to help give each child the best possible start in life—a mission Dimity finds incredibly rewarding.

With over 10 years of experience in Early Childhood Education and Care, Dimity holds a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) from Swinburne University. She is dedicated to creating a nurturing and supportive environment where children can thrive. Dimity believes in fostering curiosity, creativity, and kindness in all activities and is committed to building meaningful relationships with children as they explore, learn, and grow.

Dimity looks forward to collaborating with families to ensure each child’s experience is positive and enriching. She is always available to answer questions or discuss anything parents would like to share about their child.

Based on significant research demonstrating the importance of learning environments, our indoor and outdoor spaces are welcoming, stimulating, and responsive to children’s interests and needs.

Our environments support children’s learning and invite conversations between children, early childhood educators, families, and the broader community.

Inside, we have five defined learning areas configured for:

  • nursery (two rooms)
  • toddlers
  • junior preschool
  • preschool.

Each room has learning and play spaces appropriate to the children’s age and development. These spaces include a focus on multiculturalism, self-expression, imagination, and sensory experiences to enable children to learn, grow and develop physical skills.

We encourage indoor/outdoor play with our beautiful and spacious outdoor area. Our established trees provide opportunities for shaded year-round access to this space. 

At Currawong Early Childhood Service, we believe in supporting every child in our service to become confident and capable life-long learners who are empowered to make their own decisions.

We develop caring, respectful relationships with children by partnering with families and communities to support children’s growth and development, creating a better future for tomorrow.

The educational setup of our service provides opportunities for children to engage in structured mixed-aged learning experiences through our open-plan shared outdoor area and our community art space. Mixed-age learning and play has significant benefits for children. It allows siblings to interact and gives children opportunities to play and learn from those outside their age group. Older children develop supporting and nurturing behaviours, while the younger ones learn social skills and language, and develop further confidence.

Routines (such as mealtimes, sleep time, toileting, and group times) are an intrinsic part of our program. They provide a sense of consistency and predictability and are used as a framework for the rest of the day.

Through our routines, educators empower and interact with children in relation to their daily experiences. Although we place great importance on the educational component at Currawong, we also ensure  ample time for games and free play.

We value children’s voices and input, and base our educational programs around children’s needs and interests.

Our educational program facilitates children’s decision-making while scaffolding their learning, in partnership with families.

We create individualised programs for the children in our service based on a 10-week planning cycle. Through observations of each child, we develop tailored educational plans to support each child’s developmental needs. We provide two comprehensive summative assessments per year completed by qualified early childhood educators.

We have deep connections with the DFAT community. We are regular visitors to the auditorium, where we listen to the DFAT choir and engage in events such as science shows, end-of-year parties and celebrations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.

We are always seeking new ways to be involved in our community, such as our participation in the Floriade Community program.

Waitlist Application

A convenient, family-centered early learning service

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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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