The Herd Intergenerational Learning Centre
"The elephants' respect for the elderly herd members is something else human beings could learn from. Old elephants tend to get dementia and are very slow. But the young treat them with the utmost respect and devotion - when an elderly relative can't scrape the bark off branches to eat any more, his sons and nephews lead him to marshes or swamps where the leaves are softer. When he's too weak to stand, they guard him to protect him from lions or hyenas."
- Lawrence Anthony
About
AN INTERGENERATIONAL MODEL OF CARE
The Herd ILC is one of the first shared-roof intergenerational care centres in Australia. This model of child care provides opportunities for children and aged care residents to come together five days a week to enjoy activities together, such as art, music, lunch, storytelling, or just visiting.
The Herd offers children unique opportunities:
- To become part of an extended family
- To receive and give unconditional and unbounded love and attention
- To learn about the normal ageing process
- To accept people with disabilities
- To be involved with people who are two or three generations apart
Residents benefit from:
- Frequent interaction with children throughout their day
- Physical activity in playing with the children
- Opportunities to play, laugh and enjoy the spirit and joy that children bring to their home environment
- A renewed sense of self-worth
Meet our directors
Anna Glumac
Anna Glumac is a highly talented and adored Early Childhood Teacher. Her enthusiasm for the holistic development of little people inspires engaging educational programs that support children's being, belonging and becoming. She is passionate about not only nurturing children's academic ability but also the development of them as people – their values, how they see themselves and how they see the world. Anna is also a mindfulness practitioner, laughter therapist and humanitarian who actively works to improve the lives and wellbeing of people within the community. Of a weekend, she can often be found facilitating workshops that focus on self care and social and emotional wellbeing.
Fiona Glumac
Fiona Glumac is a Primary School Teacher whose most recent work in schools has been as an Assistant Principal and Acting Principal. She is passionate about child development and maximising community engagement to enhance learning. With her background in managing significant areas of school life, Fiona brings a wealth of valuable skills and experience that support the smooth operation of our centre.
As a mum herself, Fiona is eager to raise children who can love and be loved. For her, intergenerational care provides the perfect context for a child to begin to understand compassion and offering help to others.
Our Programs
Nursery (6 weeks to approx. 16 months)
Our infant room caters for a maximum of 11 children aged from 6 weeks to 16 months (or whenever they are confidently walking). Routines are flexible and specific to the individual babies. The adult-to-child ratio is 1:4.
In the nursery, a significant priority for our educators is to establish a safe and secure relationship with each child. Throughout the day, many opportunities are provided for children to have one-to-one experiences with educators. These experiences may involve sharing cuddles and smiles, talking, reading books, singing songs and playing together.
Educators plan and provide experiences that encourage children to play and explore. Experiences are responsive to the individual needs and interests of the children, and each child has a variety of opportunities and experiences to support their stage of development. The development of key motor skills, such as reaching for, holding and exploring objects, crawling, rolling and pulling up to stand have a prominent place in the nursery program. Children are also exposed to a variety of sensory experiences to foster development and learning.
Children in the nursery go on friendly visits to residents while riding in a pram, or, for those who are able to support themselves sitting, in a large wagon pulled by their educators.
Toddlers (Approx. 16 months- 3 years)
With an adult-to-child ratio of 1:4, our toddler room caters for a maximum of 11 children aged from approximately 16 months to 3 years.
In our toddler room, educators take advantage of opportunities for one-to-one interactions with each child. Positive interactions throughout the day help to support the development of warm and friendly relationships. Many opportunities for developing social skills and various types of play take place, including reading books, having conversations, singing songs, and playing games. Toddlers are supported to work and play harmoniously with other children during this egocentric stage.
The physical environment provides many opportunities for children to play, explore, investigate, and feed their curiosity, and educators plan experiences that are responsive to each child’s age, abilities and interests. Children have access to a variety of play and learning materials that allow for open-ended play. This provides opportunities for children to express themselves freely and creatively.
Toddlers visit residents in the nearby activity room of the nursing home where they enjoy sing-along time, craft activities, storytelling and friendly visits. Toddlers are accompanied by their educators as they visit residents.
Kindy (3y 3m -4y 8m)
Delivered by fully qualified teachers and educators, our 3- and 4- year old kindy programs each cater for a maximum of 22 children aged from 3 years 3 months to 4 years, 8 months.
To prepare children for their first formal year of schooling, children in the Kindy room are encouraged and supported to take an active role in managing their own behaviour. In order to support the development of self-esteem and confidence, educators strive to build an environment that enables children to feel a strong sense of belonging. Children are encouraged and supported to work collaboratively and harmoniously with their peers, while also being given plenty of opportunities to develop their independence.
Educators cater to each child’s unique interests, needs and abilities, and learning experiences that promote play-based learning, problem solving and exploration are offered. The Kindergarten program is informed by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). A strong focus on the development of key pre- literacy and numeracy skills is also evident in the Kindergarten program, as we believe in the importance of establishing a strong foundation for these essential life skills.
Our kindy group participate in daily activities with residents where all involved enjoy their time together learning new skills and taking part in fun activities. Activities include cooking, art, and sing alongs.
Contact Us
Interested in learning more about The Herd ILC? Please feel free to get in touch, and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Mornington VIC 3931 Australia
Articles
Intergenerational Care in Literature and the Media
AGED CARE HOME FOR 4-YEAR-OLDS
Ten four-year-old children and 11 people in their late 80s were brought together for six weeks in a new nursery set within a retirement community in the city of Bristol. At the start of the experiment, nearly all of the residents were identified as depressed, two of them severely. After six weeks, none of them were registered as depressed.