Families from Goodstart centres in Western Australia have given last month’s “Date Night” initiative the thumbs up and many are already looking forward to the next one.
More than 340 children across 30 centres took part in the simultaneous date nights on August 24 and 25 which gave parents and carers the opportunity to take some time out for themselves.
The concept was introduced by Goodstart Early Learning after listening to families who felt they had lost their “we time” after having children.
Children, enjoyed movie and pizza nights, arts and crafts sessions – many of them in pyjama-party style – in familiar surroundings while being cared for by qualified educators.
Amy Woods, a parent at Goodstart Darch said the the date night concept was fantastic for her family.
“We felt less guilty leaving our son at the centre as he got to have a fun night out as well. He seemed really excited to be there and had an enjoyable evening,” she said.
“It’s so important for parents to remain connected and take time out to nurture their relationship or just be able to step away from the children and not be a parent for a couple of hours, This meant the world to us.”
Natalie from Goodstart Kalamunda said her two boys were really excited to go out at night in their pyjamas and spend time with other children.
“As parents, it gave us the chance to spend three quality hours together, which is really important,” she said.
"We have no family in WA so having a safe, happy and fun place we could leave our kids while we spent time together was amazing. We can’t wait to for the next date night.”
Western Australia state manager Todd Dawson said the initiative demonstrated Goodstart’s commitment to understand the needs of families more deeply.
“The simultaneous date nights was a tremendous success.” he said.
“We have received such positive feedback from children, families and our educators, so we know there is a desire for more opportunities like this to be delivered in partnership in the future. We also received a lot of positive feedback from the wider community.
“It is this deep connection and partnership with children and families that reflects our vision and purpose and keep making a valued contribution in the community,” Todd said.
Date night is just one of a number of new offerings which are currently being trialled throughout Goodstart Early Learning to better support modern families.
More than 340 children across 30 centres took part in the simultaneous date nights on August 24 and 25 which gave parents and carers the opportunity to take some time out for themselves.
The concept was introduced by Goodstart Early Learning after listening to families who felt they had lost their “we time” after having children.
Children, enjoyed movie and pizza nights, arts and crafts sessions – many of them in pyjama-party style – in familiar surroundings while being cared for by qualified educators.
Amy Woods, a parent at Goodstart Darch said the the date night concept was fantastic for her family.
“We felt less guilty leaving our son at the centre as he got to have a fun night out as well. He seemed really excited to be there and had an enjoyable evening,” she said.
“It’s so important for parents to remain connected and take time out to nurture their relationship or just be able to step away from the children and not be a parent for a couple of hours, This meant the world to us.”
Natalie from Goodstart Kalamunda said her two boys were really excited to go out at night in their pyjamas and spend time with other children.
“As parents, it gave us the chance to spend three quality hours together, which is really important,” she said.
"We have no family in WA so having a safe, happy and fun place we could leave our kids while we spent time together was amazing. We can’t wait to for the next date night.”
Western Australia state manager Todd Dawson said the initiative demonstrated Goodstart’s commitment to understand the needs of families more deeply.
“The simultaneous date nights was a tremendous success.” he said.
“We have received such positive feedback from children, families and our educators, so we know there is a desire for more opportunities like this to be delivered in partnership in the future. We also received a lot of positive feedback from the wider community.
“It is this deep connection and partnership with children and families that reflects our vision and purpose and keep making a valued contribution in the community,” Todd said.
Date night is just one of a number of new offerings which are currently being trialled throughout Goodstart Early Learning to better support modern families.