Childcare options in Morningside

Educare Okara offer a unique open plan design where the tamariki and whānau can learn, laugh and play together in an inclusive 'home away from home' environment.

You will find Educare Okara in Morningside, right beside the train track. Purpose built in January 2012 Okara Educare offers your child an exceptional natural environment, where children use natural resources in their play.

We are whānau focused and pride ourselves on building strong whanaungatanga (relationships) based on trust, respect and open and honest communication. We promote and practice the values of respect, aroha, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga and kotahitanga for ourselves, others and the natural world.

We are developing socially and emotionally competent tamariki, who make a valued contribution to society.

Your tamariki is a taonga and we will treasure them while in our care. We encourage input and participation from whānau and the wider community. We encourage and affirm tamariki and whānau to share their skills, who they are and where they come from.

We look forward to meeting you and your whānau.

Early Learning with Christian Values

Quality

We offer the highest quality early learning with a fabulous team of teachers, respectful relationships, a wonderful atmosphere, and carefully designed and responsive curriculum.

Outdoors

We are committed to offering regular excursions for a variety of experiences.

Easy Access

We are located conveniently in Whāngarei, close to the city and all its amenities and workplaces.

Inclusive

We have a genuine interest in welcoming people into our learning community and whānau.

Christian Values

We offer Christian values and blessings.

Why Choose Us?

A Faith Based Early Learning Centre

Aroha | Love

Our philosophy and character weaves through everything we do. The Māori word Awhi holds the meaning to embrace, nurture, support, and care for. To us this encapsulates love. It is our privilege to awhi precious children, who we consider to be a treasure and gift.

Our team creates an atmosphere of love. We teach with love from our hearts. We value peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We provide an environment and education in the foundation of these fruits. You will find our friendly smiles to welcome you.

Whanaungatanga | Relationship

We embrace people as unique and valuable with strengths to be recognised and celebrated. We provide a sense of family connection and place to belong. We are committed to a focus of growing caring and loving relationships. The relationships we build with our community, each other as a team, you, and your child is the most important part of what we do.

We know the importance of you entrusting us with the care and education of your child/ren. We build respectful and reciprocal relationships, so children feel a sense of belonging and wellbeing. We know that when they are connected, secure, and settled they are ready to engage well in play, which creates quality learning.

Our teachers are our most valuable asset. We have an experienced, qualified and fabulous team.

Heaven On Earth

We believe in and acknowledge God as our creator and Jesus as his son and we welcome the holy spirit in prayer and blessing into our everyday.

Invitations

We invite you and your family to be part of Awhi. We provide beauty filled invitations. We partner with you as the most important people in your child/rens life. We celebrate who you are and invite you to share with us. We invite you to share our faith in God, hope, and love.

We prepare play invitations for engaged learning to educate and care for babies and children. We notice, recognise and respond to children’s strengths and interests in a well-planned curriculum.

Kind Hands recognized the need for an Early Childhood Education centre that catered for our medically fragile children or children with disabilities. We are the first of our kind throughout NZ to have both Registered Nurses and Trained Early Childhood Teachers working alongside each other in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for our children. 

Vision

Kindhands Respite Care Cottage are leaders in providing quality early childhood education and health care for Northland tamariki who need additional medical and healthcare support over and above what regular early childhood services offer. 

Mission

Our centre is the first of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand, where tamariki have access to qualified and registered teachers and nurses. Kindhands staff will be outstanding role models, apply best practice within the early childhood education and health care sector, to enable optimal outcomes for our tamariki. 

Philosophy

At Kindhands we believe in providing high quality care that encompasses both early childhood and health care for our tamariki and whanau in Te Tai Tokereau.  The Kindhands Respite Care Cottage was purpose-built with the aim to provide a ‘home away from home’ environment.  All Kindhands staff will strive to build secure, safe and happy attachments with each child and their whanau. 

Partnerships with whānau (whakawhanaungatanga) are essential to the wellbeing (mana atua) and development of all children who attend our service.  We value and encourage family and whānau input because we understand that they know their child best.   Every learning experience that we provide for each child is done through careful observation and in collaboration with the child’s family and whānau. Children’s learning will be supported and facilitated by all Kindhands staff and is based on the child’s individual unique way of being.  Kindhands provides a safe, secure and nurturing environment.  Our aim is to implement medical and healthcare needs; we also aim to provide a stimulating atmosphere in which each child can grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, socially and holistically.  

We believe in equity for all children by providing inclusive educational and life experiences.  This will provide optimal opportunity for continual learning and growth. Due to our low ratios, our staff are able to work directly with a range of different therapists and implementing medical interventions. The Kindhands nurses are confident in meeting the health care needs of each individual child in our care.

We have a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and implementing a bicultural philosophy.  Kind Hands respects the unique position of Maori as Tangata Whenua in Aotearoa/New Zealand.  We view Te Ao Māori as a living language and nuture a Te Ao Māori approach within all relationships. The ECE curriculum Te Whāriki is woven throughout all experiences at Kindhands. 

Every child has a voice and we believe Kindhands is an environment where we would like all of our children to be heard.  These children are our future and we firmly believe that they can be anything they want to be!  By walking beside every child and their family and promoting their individual development we believe it will increase the opportunity for continued successes throughout the child’s life.