Educating Educators and families about toilet training
At CRCS, we are committed to working closely with families in our early childhood centres (ECC) so we can work together to provide the best support for children’s growth and development.
As part of this commitment, our Bruce ECC hosted a Toilet Learning Workshop for around 30 families and Educators on 22 November. This was led by Cate, a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of Canberra, alongside Stella and Livia from Bruce ECC.
The toilet learning period is a crucial phase in early childhood development. It represents a huge milestone in children’s independence and autonomy over their bodily functions. Within our ECCs, Educators aim to ensure that this time is both meaningful and respectful for children, allowing them to experience a significant sense of achievement.
Cate shared essential insights into recognising key signs of toileting development in children and how families can prepare to start toilet learning. Stella and Livia then elaborated on how our early childhood centres support this.
Following the presentations, the Q&A session saw numerous families posing insightful questions, fostering collaborative discussion and reflection on how to better support our children.
Recent News Stories
Following on from the signage placed around the Belconnen Community Centre and notices distributed to participants, we are sharing this update to confirm that the Swanson Court carpark has now permanently closed as of Tuesday 2 April 2025, due to a new development at the site by JWLand.
Young people in Belconnen now have easier access to free, confidential health and wellbeing support with the arrival of the T25 Clinic at Belconnen Youth Centre. Every Thursday from 2pm to 5pm the T25 Clinic van, Mini Pat, will be on-site offering a safe and welcoming space for young people aged 12 to 25. There’s no need for an appointment – just drop in when you need support.
The Canberra Day Appeal 2025 has wrapped up for another year and we are grateful to everyone who contributed, either by making a donation or helping to spread awareness. Thanks to the generosity of our community, employees and corporate supporters, we raised an amazing $6,736.40 – an increase from $5590 in 2024. These funds will go directly towards recruiting, training and supporting more volunteer transport drivers, ensuring people in our community can get to their essential medical appointments for chronic health conditions such as cancer and kidney disease.
Patsy is a lifelong storyteller and a creative spirit. For nearly 20 years, she was a storyteller at early childhood education centres, captivating children with her tales – sometimes using handmade props to bring them to life, other times sharing stories she wrote herself. Creativity has always been second nature to her, and when she’s caught up in a project, time flies by often leading to late nights. Though she recently stepped away from storytelling, she continues her creative pursuits, including a quilt project through Involve (stay tuned!).
For Therese Beckmann, sewing isn’t just about fabric and stitches – it’s a way of telling stories, bringing people together and creating something meaningful. After 30 years of working in sewing, dressmaking and teaching, she realised she wanted to take her skills beyond the retail space and into the community. She had always felt drawn to the senior age group, especially after hearing students in her art classes say, “This is better than therapy.” Hearing it over and over made her realise just how powerful creativity could be in bringing people together and improving wellbeing.