Starting childcare can feel like a big step.
So can changing childcare centres.
For families considering a move, one of the most common concerns is not necessarily whether another centre might be better suited to their child. It is the thought of having to help their child settle all over again.
They are finally comfortable where they are. Will changing centres upset them?
It is a completely understandable concern.
Children build relationships with educators, become familiar with their rooms and develop routines that give them a sense of security. Parents naturally do not want to disrupt that unnecessarily.
But being settled does not necessarily mean that a family should never consider a change.
Children are remarkably capable of developing new relationships and adapting to new environments when transitions are handled with care. Whether a child is starting childcare for the first time or moving from another service, successful settling is less about avoiding change and more about helping a child feel safe, understood and connected within their new environment.
Being settled matters, but so does finding the right fit
There are many reasons a family might consider changing childcare centres.
Their family’s circumstances may have changed.
They may have moved house or changed workplaces.
Their child might need something different as they grow.
A family’s expectations around communication, education, routines or the environment may have changed.
Or parents may simply feel that another service is a better fit for their child.
It can be tempting to dismiss those thoughts because a child already knows their current educators and routine.
But familiarity is only one part of a child’s childcare experience.
The quality of their relationships, how well educators understand them, whether they are happy and engaged, the learning environment and how comfortable the family feels with the service are all important too.
Changing centres should never be done lightly, but neither should families feel they must remain somewhere solely because their child has already settled there.
Children can settle more than once
Parents sometimes worry that moving childcare will mean starting completely from scratch.
In reality, a child who has already experienced childcare brings something valuable with them: experience.
They already understand that parents leave and return.
They know what it is like to spend time with educators outside their family.
They have experienced group routines, meal times, rest periods and playing alongside other children.
Of course, a new centre will still feel unfamiliar initially. Different children adjust at different speeds.
But moving childcare does not necessarily mean repeating exactly the same settling process as the very first time.
Children are building resilience and adaptability throughout early childhood, and with the right support they are capable of forming meaningful new relationships.
Familiarity before the first full day can make a big difference
Whether starting childcare for the first time or moving centres, it helps when the new environment does not feel completely unfamiliar on day one.
Orientation visits allow a child to explore the centre while a parent or familiar adult is nearby.
They can meet educators, see their room, explore the outdoor spaces and begin learning where things are.
For a child moving from another childcare centre, parents can also talk positively about what will remain familiar.
There will still be other children to play with.
There will still be meal times, stories, outdoor play and educators who are there to help them.
Rather than presenting the move as losing everything they know, it can help to frame it as discovering a new place and meeting new people.
At North Star Early Education, we place a great deal of importance on the orientation process because we see it as the beginning of the relationship between the child, their family and their educators rather than simply preparation for their first day.
Help the new educators know your child
One advantage parents have when moving childcare centres is that they already know a great deal about how their child responds to care.
Share that knowledge.
What worked particularly well at their previous centre?
How do they usually manage separation?
What comforts them?
Who are the important people in their life?
What activities are they drawn towards?
What are their sleeping and eating routines?
What words or phrases do they use at home?
Are there things they found difficult in their previous environment?
These details help educators begin understanding the child as an individual.
A good transition does not require a child to immediately adapt themselves to a completely new environment. The new environment should also make an effort to understand and respond to the child.
Keep the goodbye simple and predictable
Parents can naturally feel more apprehensive when changing centres because they are watching closely to see whether they have made the right decision.
Children can sometimes pick up on that uncertainty.
A calm and consistent goodbye can help.
Explain what is happening in simple language.
“You are going to spend the day here today. Dad is going to work, and I will come back this afternoon.”
Have a cuddle, say goodbye and allow the educator to begin supporting the child.
Trying to avoid tears altogether is not always realistic.
The goal is for the child to gradually learn that this new routine is predictable and that their parent always returns.
Do not judge the entire transition by drop off
A child can cry when their parent leaves and still have a very happy day.
This is particularly important for parents moving centres because there can be an understandable tendency to compare every difficult goodbye with how comfortable their child appeared at their previous service.
Instead, look at the whole day.
Did they accept comfort from an educator?
Did they begin exploring?
Did they eat?
Did they participate in activities?
Did they play alongside other children?
Did they have periods where they appeared relaxed and happy?
Those are all signs that relationships and familiarity are beginning to develop.
At the beginning, progress may be measured in small moments.
Taking an educator’s hand.
Becoming interested in a toy.
Sitting with the group for a story.
Mentioning an educator’s name at home.
Walking through the front door with slightly less hesitation than yesterday.
Those small moments matter.
Relationships are what make a centre feel familiar
Buildings and rooms eventually become familiar, but it is relationships that make children feel secure.
One of the most important parts of settling into any childcare environment is developing trust with educators.
A major milestone might be the moment a child begins seeking out an educator when they need help.
They might reach for them when they are upset.
Ask them to join their play.
Sit beside them during a story.
Become excited when they arrive in the morning.
That connection does not need to take years to develop.
When educators are responsive, consistent and genuinely interested in understanding a child, strong relationships can begin forming surprisingly quickly.
This is why at North Star we place so much emphasis on educators getting to know the individual child. Before expecting a new child to immediately understand every part of the program or routine, our priority is helping them feel safe, welcomed and connected.
Try not to compare the new centre with the old one every day
When moving centres, comparison is inevitable.
At their previous centre they slept at this time.
Their old educator did it this way.
They used to run happily through the door.
Those comparisons can be useful when sharing information with new educators, but it is also important to allow the new relationship to develop.
Different environments will have different routines, educators and ways of doing things.
The question does not need to be:
“Is everything exactly the same as before?”
A more useful question might be:
“Is my child gradually becoming happy, confident and connected here?”
Give the transition some time
Some children settle almost immediately.
Others need several weeks.
Some appear completely comfortable initially and then experience separation anxiety later once they understand that the change is permanent.
That does not necessarily mean the move was a mistake.
Children process change differently.
Parents should absolutely raise concerns with educators if something does not feel right, but it is also reasonable to expect an adjustment period.
A good centre should communicate openly during this period and work with the family rather than simply telling them that their child will eventually get used to it.
Settling should be something families and educators work through together.
Do not allow fear of resettling to make the decision for you
Changing childcare centres is a significant family decision and there are many factors to consider.
Continuity and established relationships are important.
But so are happiness, education, communication, values and whether the environment feels right for your child and family.
If you are genuinely happy with your child’s current service, there may be absolutely no reason to move.
But if you are considering another option because you believe it may better suit your child, the fear of having to settle again should not necessarily be the deciding factor.
Children can develop new routines.
They can make new friends.
They can build trusting relationships with new educators.
And a place that feels completely unfamiliar on the first morning can, with time and the right support, become somewhere they confidently walk into each day.
Settling is really about belonging
Whether it is a child’s very first childcare experience or their second or third centre, the goal is ultimately the same.
They need to feel that the adults around them know them.
That they are safe.
That their parents will return.
That they are welcome.
And eventually, that this is somewhere they belong.
A successful transition is not necessarily one without tears or difficult mornings.
It is the gradual process of turning an unfamiliar place into a familiar one.
And children are often far more capable of doing that than we realise.
