About us

Totom House Multicultural Early Childhood Centre (Totom House) welcomes your interest in our community-based not for profit centre, which has been operating in Kaleen since 1986. We pride ourselves on our cultural diversity and our respectful approach to caring for children. We are committed to fostering children’s wellbeing, learning and development through a purposeful educational approach.

Totom House offers 52 places across three studios – Junior, Senior, and Preschool. Totom House staff are committed to providing care and education through maintaining the high standards set by the government’s National Quality Framework. Our teaching and learning is based on Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) through an inquiry-based curriculum influenced by the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach, where children are supported to build strong relationships and develop skills and knowledge in a play-based setting.

Our consistent staffing arrangements are considered a major asset by current families, as they know their children will be comfortable in an environment where they are cared for by the same educators each day. As children’s sense of belonging and security is at the forefront of our practice, we only employ permanent educators, all of whom work consistently throughout the week.

Our curriculum focuses on supporting children to be socially responsible and engaged participants in their world.  Through our social responsibility project, children develop essential lifelong skills such as kindness, resilience, perseverance, respect, empathy, compassion, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, problem solving, mindfulness and effective communication.

Our Philosophy, Ethics, and Social Responsibility at Totom House

Totom House is located on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal people, whose spiritual, historical, and cultural relationships with Country we acknowledge with deep respect.

We are committed to upholding the rights of all children and acknowledge the place of childhood as a unique and critical part of the human lifespan. By encouraging children to engage in purposeful and meaningful experiences, we stimulate children’s natural desire for learning. Our curriculum fosters each child’s sense of identity, wellbeing, and self-worth, enabling positive and respectful relationships with others to evolve and flourish. In this way, we support the development of the children into becoming socially-responsible citizens of the present and the future.

We are committed to recognising families as the most important social, language, and cultural learning community for children. It is within the family unit that children first learn about who they are and begin to make connections to the world around them. By forming a strong, respectful, and authentic alliance with families, we ensure that children can move between settings safely and securely, and that families and educators share a mutual regard for each other’s role in, and impact on, children’s lives.

We are committed to supporting educators as lifelong learners, who always act professionally and collaboratively in the best interests of children. We nurture a culture of continuous learning that is based on professional inquiry, ethical choices, diversity in views, and mutual respect. We embrace an approach to professional practice that ensures the right of all children to achieve their full potential, regardless of circumstances.

We are committed to advocating appreciation of the importance of childhood within the community. In making our teaching and the children’s learning visible to the Totom House community, we promote our image of children as competent and confident learners. We value the contributions of children to the community as citizens of the present, not just the future.

We are committed to ensuring that the principles and practices that frame the early childhood profession in Australia underpin our work. We engage in research, apply child development theories and approaches, and uphold Early Childhood Australia’s Code of Ethics, all of which inform our teaching and learning practices. We take pride in being able, as educators, to contribute to furthering a collective understanding of children, childhood, and fostering high-quality and innovative professional practice.

This statement articulates the fundamental beliefs and values that guide our professional actions and decision-making, especially in relation to our ethical and social responsibilities. Through our adherence to these beliefs and values, we ensure that all children at Totom House feel valued, secure, and supported, enabling them to thrive and prosper.

Our Vision

Totom House aspires to be an outstanding learning community and environment which values exceptional relationships, diversity and professional excellence.

Our Values

Empathy: Empathy is central to all our relationships.

Wellbeing: The wellbeing of children and educators is our priority at Totom House, achieved through caring, respectful relationships and gratitude shared in the community.

Professionalism: A culture of professionalism and ongoing learning is embedded in our Inquiry-based curriculum. We grow our pedagogical knowledge and teaching practices while working alongside children as they explore their inquiries, theories, and questions about the world.

Integrity: We foster an environment where individuals feel safe and supported in sharing their ideas and perspectives, knowing they will be met with respect. Each team member is accountable for upholding our professional responsibilities.

Ethics: Ethical responsibilities guide our decision-making. We choose what is right over what is expedient or convenient and that which upholds our professional values.

Collaboration: Collaborative practice is a foundation of our curriculum.