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3. CONTENTS SETTLE THEM WELL
2 HOW TO COPE WITH
CHANGE
UNDERSTANDING THE TACTICS
3 SETTLING THEM
EFFECTIVELY
ROLE OF MANAGEMENT
1 A STRUCTURED
ORIENTATION
PROCESS IS A GREAT
START
WHAT ARE THE NORMS
P 6

4. SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017
A STRUCTURED
ORIENTATION PROCESS
Settling into a new childcare can be challenging for both staff and children, but with appropriate
support and attention for children and their families the orientation should be a positive experience.
A positive orientation builds a foundation for a rewarding and engaged partnership between children,
their guardians, and the centre. This partnership facilitates the first step of childcare’s key purpose:
consistent quality outcomes for children as individuals and in groups.
For many children, childcare will be the first prolonged separation from their parents, and inevitably,
children (and their parents!) will experience a degree of anxiety.
Page 1
WHAT ARE THE NORMS

5. SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017
IS A GREAT START
Parents, assisted by staff should collaborate to create a calm, positive, and ordered environment so
that children feel reassured and safe as they transition and adjust.
Even children who have been in care previously will still need time to adjust to the new environment.
The National Quality Framework guidelines are instructive on enrolment, orientation, and transition:
Page 2
QA6 6.1.1
6.3.2
“There is an effective enrolment and orientation process for families.”
“Continuity of learning and transitions for each child are supported by sharing relevant information
and clarifying responsibilities.”
Successful orientation and settling depends on:
1. Maintenance of rituals and procedures familiar
from a child’s home to ease the changes into
childcare and to engender a sense of association
and connectedness for the child.
2. Emphasis on the interaction between children
and professionals in an atmosphere that is warm,
friendly and welcoming. This builds trust, and
creates a positive attitude where children (and
their parents’) look forward to childcare. This is
crucial during children’s induction.
3. Adequate time to settle in and familiarise with
new surroundings, caregivers or educators.
4. Calm and structured activities to occupy the
child’s attention, and ensure that staff project
their composure onto the children.

6. SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017 Page 3
7. Adequate external support is on hand for
families from non-English speaking or low literacy
backgrounds.
8. Development of a mentor program or ‘buddy’
program to help school-age children, who
understand peer hood, to integrate.
Enrolment and orientation is just the beginning
of the settling process. The first few days of care
create a lasting impression on both children and
families.
Staff and centres should therefore be particularly
vigilant and attentive during this time, as these
few days will set the tone and shape the direction
for a child’s entire experience at the centre.
Further, if families feel the orientation process is
inadequate, the centre risks losing enrolments for
which they have worked hard to obtain.
Experience shows that high-performing childcare
centres have strong engaging orientation and
induction programs.
5. Information gathering from guardians on each
child’s abilities, history of care, and response to
parental separation.
6. Planning through an orientation schedule built
and used through time reflecting best practices
from previous experience. (A sample orientation
plan can be downloaded from the Kids Xap
website or by contacting Kids Xap.)

7. SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017 Page 4
Children contend with a constant stream of
new information, environments, activities,
expectations, rules, and people, to name but a
few of the things with which they interact.
Evidence shows that the more habitual and familiar
their surroundings and activities become, the more
protected and in control they feel, and the less
overwhelmed. This helps minimize episodes where
children become distraught.
HOW TO COPE
WITH CHANGE
UNDERSTANDING THE TACTICS

8. SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017
Behavioural cues that indicate difficulty adapting include:
1. Disassociation and withdrawal from their surroundings
2. Lose or appetite or disinterest in food.
3. Sleeping difficulties
4. Anxiety and clinginess to both parents and educators
5. Anger that manifests in tantrums
Page 5
Change is difficult for well-adjusted adults with highly developed coping mechanisms. It’s stressful,
and yet it coping with change is an essential life skill.
In this sense, educators and staff play a fundamental role in helping children learn how to successfully
adapt.
Some children manage change more easily than others. Childcare educators should be attentive to
how well children are adapting and intervene in cases where children are struggling.
Children who are shy or cautious will adapt more slowly than children with blithe or carefree
dispositions. Parents and educators can should focus on the positive aspects of change and encourage
the child to learn to differentiate between realistic and anxiety-driven thoughts.

9. SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017
Management can help bycreating a collaborative and constructive partnership between the staff, families
& children:
Page 6
SETTLING THEM
EFFECTIVELY
ROLE OF MANAGEMENT
1. Establishprocessesthatdocumentactivitiesand
progress so that future improvements can be
measured, and are based on historical evidence
rather than momentary impulse.
2. Demonstrate empathy toward children and
families by providing a flexible, consistent and
individualised approach to meet children and
families’ needs.
3. Provide regular support and guidance to staff
and carers. Structure time forstaffto create and
implement processes
4. Work with parents to incrementally increase
hours of care so that children adjust to the new
environment gradually with parents nearby for
reassurance and comfort.

10. Page 7
Childcare centre managers and staff can:
1. Maintain up-to-date records
2. Manage staff and children
3. Keep track of administration
4. Handle enrolments and payroll.
5. Generate reports on centre progress
SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017
Kids Xap enables carers and educators to maximize time with the children. It simplifies processes
and automates administrative tasks.
Daily activities are chronicled by staff and are instantly available to parents and other carers. This
reduces anxiety in parents who feel informed and have a greater sense of control. Relaxed parents
are more supportive and effective in helping children to adapt.
Kids Xap’s intuitive user interfaces are accessible to staff, centre managers and parents at the childcare
centre, home or at work, from any internet enabled phone, tablet or computer.
KIDS XAP HELPS IN ORIENTATION & TRANSITION
6. Simultaneously view different aspects of management
7. View end-to-end aspects of the centre on a single platform
Simplify processes and manage your centre effectively, efficiently, and accurately whether you are
on-site or away.
Whether you’re new to the childcare industry or are already using another child care management
system, discover what Kids Xap can do for your business.

11. Page 8
Parents new to childcare may feel anxious (and possibly guilty that they are leaving the children)
and will be particularly observant, and perhaps unnecessarily critical during the orientation period.
They will scrutinize every aspect of your centre, so extra attention should be paid to addressing their
concerns as they become comfortable with the centre.
THE QUESTIONS RUNNING THROUGH
A PARENT’S HEAD:
SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017
Some questions they will be thinking, but may not voice:
• Are children spoken to in a warm and friendly manner?
• How are children supervised?
• What orientation process is available to my family?
• What will happen on my child’s first day?
• How will I be made aware of changes to the staff caring for my child?
• What activities will my child be doing?

12. Page 7SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017
1. Familiarise your child with the environment
and the people in the early learning centre
(children and adults) by coming in for visits
before commencing care.
PREPARING PARENTS
– ADVICE TO HELP CHILDREN ADJUST
• Do the toys, equipment and activities available offer my child choice and meet their interests
and abilities?
• How does the service cater to the individual needs of my child?
• Are there opportunities for my child to participate in activities where they can explore real-life
tasks such as packing away, self-help skills, mealtimes and cooking activities?
• What accident and emergency procedures are in place to ensure my child is safe?
The following tips help new parents and guardians acclimatize children before they arrive, with the
following preparations:
2. Ease your child into day care with short
stays to begin with.

13. Page 8SETTLE THEM WELL | FEBRUARY 2017
3. Provide a favourite toy, blanket or comforter
to support your child when they are separating
from you or settling to sleep. This will help
your child feel more secure.
4. If your child is unsettled, short visits with you
at our day care centre help your child to gain
trust with an unfamiliar environment. These
visits can be made on a day when your child
is not booked to attend.
5. Interactions between childcare staff and
parents or staff and other children can produce
positive role models and be reassuring.
This experience helps establish trust in an
unfamiliar setting.
6. Talk at home about childcare. Mention the
names of centre staff and other children. Talk
about the things the child will be able to do at
child care that are fun and enjoyable.
7. Tell staff about your child; what they like to do;
successful ways of settling them to sleep, and
foods they like and dislike. This helps day care
centre staff to get to know your child.
8. When leaving your child say goodbye and
then leave. Hesitating after your goodbyes –
particularly if a child is upset – confuses them.
Reassure your child that everything is alright
and you will return later. Children soon learn
that you do return and in the meantime they
are happy.