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High-quality education and care for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years
We are a child-safe organisation
Susan Franco
of Explore & Develop Lilyfield
Susan Franco
Susan Franco is a local Inner West parent and an enthusiastic Early Childhood educator holding a Master in Learning and Development (with a specialization in Early Childhood). She is dedicated to fostering an engaging and supportive early childhood education environment integrating best practices, educational theories, and the latest research to ensure that every child, every family, and every staff member can thrive.Susan Franco is also Winner of Outstanding Business Person of the Year, 2017.
At Explore & Develop Norton Street Lilyfield, we’re dedicated to making sure every child feels like they belong. We understand that how we introduce kids to learning is really important, and it lays the groundwork for everything we do. Our curriculum includes a variety of activities that help develop communication and language skills, early reading and math, social and emotional growth, as well as physical skills.
We create natural, open-ended spaces that are fun, nurturing, and engaging, allowing each child to embark on their own journey of self-discovery. This environment helps children understand their culture and the world around them. We follow the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the National Quality Framework, using a play-based approach that gives children the chance to explore, create, solve problems, and express their ideas at their own pace and based on their individual interests and developmental stages.
20 children across 2 rooms, 6 weeks – 2 years
Dedicated cot room for nursery children
Dedicated cot room for nursery children
Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educatorsnn Supportive partnerships to develop nurturing routines that are reflective of home
All ages
Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments
Architecturally designed indoor and outdoor learning environments
Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments
15 children, 2 years – 3.5 years
Making independent choices is a key focus within our junior preschool curriculum. So are fine motor and gross motor development, social and emotional skills, language skills, cognitive development, toilet training and self-help skills.
Making independent choices is a key focus within our junior preschool curriculum….
This learning environment encourages small and large group activities and is vibrant, flexible and responsive to the interests of each child incorporating puzzles, literacy and numeracy activities, construction activities, creative arts, music and dramatic play. Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educatorsnn Partnerships with families to support our preschoolers’ growing autonomy, through nurturing the development of self-help skills, assisting the navigation of problem solving, and their increasing levels of communication
All ages
Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental observations and individual learning assessments
Secure online learning portal for families to access daily learning experiences, developmental…
20 children, 3.5 years – 6 years
We understand that being ready for school encompasses so much more than just a child’s age and our transition to school curriculum nurtures eager, capable and motivated learners through: independent life skills, nurturing and growing self-confidence, gross and fine motor co-ordination, literacy and numeracy confidence and developing an emerging understanding of math and science concepts.
We understand that being ready for school encompasses so much more than…
We work in partnership with local schools to assist families to feel ready and informed for their child’s individual transition to school journey. Personalised and developmentally-appropriate curriculum designed by our qualified and experienced Early Childhood educatorsnn Partnerships with families to support our junior preschoolers in preparing for their transition to primary school
We’ve been so happy with Explore & Develop Lilyfield. The team has been incredible with our daughter, and we’ve noticed such a big shift in her confidence since she started there, especially after a difficult experience at a previous daycare that had been causing her anxiety. She is happy, making friends and connections, and speaks so fondly of the educators and the preschool in general, which says everything. It’s clear the team genuinely cares, and that has made a huge difference to both her and us as parents. We’re really grateful for the support, patience, and care they’ve shown her, and would highly recommend Explore & Develop Lilyfield to other families. Thank you to all the educators in the Wombat pre school room.
We had such a great experience at Explore & Develop Lilyfield. Susan, Ashleigh and all of the educators were so caring, warm and kind. Our son started at 1.5 years old, and through every transition they were thoughtful and supportive, making each change feel seamless for both him and us. We always felt completely confident leaving him in their care and are so grateful for the role they’ve played in his early years. Highly recommend!
Susan and the team at Explore & Develop Lilyfield deliver an exceptional quality of care and education. Our girls were incredibly well cared for in their time at the centre and, as parents, we were also helped with age appropriate resources which was an added bonus.
Explore & Develop Lilyfield has been a wonderful childcare centre for our family. Our child attended from the age of 1 through to 4, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. The educators are incredibly caring, patient, and inspiring, and they genuinely take the time to understand and support each child. Our child always felt safe, supported, and happy there, and had such a positive and enjoyable time every day. We’re very grateful for the love, learning, and beautiful memories gained at Explore & Develop Lilyfield. Highly recommend to other families!
We’ve had such a positive experience at Explore & Develop Lilyfield. Our son started there at nine months and is now 18 months, and he has absolutely thrived. The educators are consistently warm, attentive, and genuinely attuned to his needs. We can see how well they understand his personality and support his development. He is excited to go each day, which says everything. Communication is excellent, the routines are well-structured, and the environment feels calm, safe, and nurturing. We feel completely confident leaving him in their care and are very grateful to the entire team for their ongoing support. Highly recommend!
u003cpu003eWe are an approved Child Care Subsidy (CCS) service, which means eligible families will receive three days per week of subsidised care.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eUse our u003ca href=u0022#u0022u003eCCS calculatoru003c/au003e for an estimate of your individual fees, or contact us and we’ll help you with it.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eOur 2026 fees are outlined below. Note these fees are before CCS, which will significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eOur service is also eligible for Start Strong Fee Relief, providing a further saving for families of 3- and 4-year-old children, in addition to CCS.u003c/pu003e
Our daily fee is all-inclusive, covering nutritious meals, snacks and drinks, nappies, wipes, sunscreen, bedding, educational programs and learning materials.
High-quality education and care for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years
We are a child-safe organisation
