There is something quite special that happens when a child begins to truly know a place.

They know where their hat belongs. They recognise the rhythm of the morning. They know which educator will understand the look on their face when saying goodbye feels a little difficult. They return to the construction they started yesterday, continue a conversation with a friend, or pick up an idea that has been developing across several days.

Slowly, an early learning environment becomes their place.

At Mother Duck, we believe this sense of belonging is one of the most important foundations for children’s learning. And as families begin thinking about their child’s enrolment for the new year, it is worth considering not only which early learning environment your child attends, but also the value of the time they have within it.

Children Learn Through Continuity

Young children’s learning doesn’t happen in isolated lessons.

It happens through relationships, play, conversation, repetition, experimentation and the hundreds of seemingly ordinary moments that make up their day.

An idea that begins on Monday might be revisited on Wednesday. A friendship develops through many small interactions. Confidence with an educator grows through repeated experiences of being listened to, comforted, encouraged and understood.

This is why consistency can be so valuable in the early years.

When children attend regularly, they have more opportunities to become familiar with the rhythms of their studio, develop secure relationships with educators and peers, and participate in learning experiences as they unfold over time.

Rather than needing to continually reconnect with the environment, children can increasingly feel:

I know this place. I know these people. I belong here.

And from that sense of security comes greater confidence to explore, contribute, take appropriate risks, solve problems and learn.

More Time Doesn’t Mean More “School”

Sometimes, when we talk about increasing children’s participation in early learning, families understandably wonder whether this means asking young children to do more.

At Mother Duck, we see it quite differently.

Early childhood is not about accelerating children towards school.

Our curriculum lives in the everyday.

It is found in long periods of uninterrupted play, conversations around the table, negotiating with friends, investigating something discovered outdoors, returning to an idea from the previous day, creating, wondering, moving, resting and simply having time to be with people who know you well.

More consistent attendance doesn’t mean filling children’s days with more activities.

It can simply give children more time.

Time for relationships to deepen.

Time for play to become more complex.

Time to revisit ideas.

Time to practise emerging skills.

Time to feel completely at home within their learning community.

The Importance of Relationships

For young children, learning and relationships are inseparable.

Before children can confidently explore the world around them, they need to feel safe within it.

Every shared story, conversation, meal, problem solved together and moment of comfort contributes to a child’s understanding that the adults around them are available, responsive and trustworthy.

The same is true of children’s relationships with one another.

Friendships in early childhood develop gradually. Children learn how to enter play, communicate their ideas, negotiate, wait, collaborate, disagree, repair relationships and experience the joy of belonging to a group.

Regular time together creates more opportunities for these important relationships to grow.

A New Opportunity for Families

From January 2026, the Australian Government introduced the Three Day Guarantee.

This means all families who are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy can access at least 72 hours of subsidised early childhood education and care each fortnight — equivalent to around three days each week — regardless of their work, study or activity levels.

For some families, nothing has changed because their children were already attending three or more days.

For others, however, the change may provide an opportunity to think differently about their child’s week.

A family who previously chose one or two days because of their Child Care Subsidy entitlement may now have greater flexibility to consider whether an additional day of early learning would benefit their child and work well for their family.

There is no single attendance pattern that is right for every child or every family.

But as you plan for the year ahead, it may be worth asking:

Does our child’s current attendance pattern give them the consistency and time we would like them to have within their early learning community?

For Our Kindergarten Children

This can be particularly valuable to consider in the Kindergarten year.

Mother Duck provides Queensland Government Approved Kindergarten Programs led by qualified Early Childhood Teachers.

Kindergarten is not simply preparation for Prep. It is an important year of learning in its own right — a year in which children continue developing their confidence, communication, relationships, independence, curiosity and capacity to participate as members of a learning community.

While Queensland’s Free Kindy initiative funds 15 hours of an approved Kindergarten program each week across 40 weeks of the year, children attending Kindergarten within long day care are part of a much broader learning environment throughout their week.

The conversations, friendships, investigations and experiences surrounding the formal Kindergarten program are all part of their early learning journey.

Thinking About 2027?

As we begin planning our studios, educator teams and enrolments for the new year, we encourage families to take a moment to think about what their child’s week might look like in 2027.

For some families, the current arrangement will continue to be exactly right.

For others, the Three Day Guarantee may make it possible to consider an additional day that previously wasn’t practical.

If you’re wondering what this could look like for your child, please speak with your Centre Leadership Team. They can help you understand your child’s current attendance pattern, available days and how the Child Care Subsidy and Three Day Guarantee may apply to your family’s circumstances.

There is no pressure and no one-size-fits-all answer.

It is simply a conversation worth having.

Because in early childhood, sometimes what children need most isn’t more to do.

It’s more time to play.

More time to connect.

More time to wonder.

More time to return to an idea.

And more time to belong.