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Quality Area 6 · Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

Families and community belong here.

At Hawthorn Street, families bring essential knowledge, and community connections make children’s learning more meaningful and inclusive.

Come and see it in actionExplore 30 family stories
Your knowledge mattersCommunication has a purposeInclusion is coordinated
A child learning through play and exploration
Quality families can see.
Real practice, explained in plain language.

What this looks like at Hawthorn

Small moments. Meaningful outcomes.

Browse family-friendly examples drawn from Quality Area 6. Choose an NQS element or move through every story.

Hawthorn Street children and educators learning together
Element 6.1.1

What this means for your family

Engagement with the service: what it means for your child

Across the service, families are consistently invited to influence decisions about their child's learning, routines, transitions and support needs, as well as service operations. Our educators seek and document family knowledge when developing inclusion, behaviour, medical risk-minimisation and communication plans. Families also contribute to projects such as outdoor renovations, and educators report back on how their suggestions shaped decisions. For your family, this means your family is welcomed as a genuine participant from enrolment onward, not simply kept informed from the sidelines. Share what matters to your family and help us build the strongest possible partnership around your child.

Ask us to show you
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Story library

More ways quality becomes visible

30 stories in this selection

See Quality Area 6 in motion

Families are partners, not spectators.

A short vertical video gives families a genuine glimpse of the people, decisions and everyday experiences behind the words.

  • 9:16 Vimeo format — designed for phones, without black sidebars on the website.
  • Captioned and muted — clear and accessible wherever families watch.
  • Connected to real practice — every video supports a family story from this Quality Area.
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A child engaged in an early learning experience
HAWTHORN STREETFamilies are partners, not spectators.QA6 · Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

9:16 VIDEO · VIMEO READY

Shared by our families

The words families remember.

Real comments from Hawthorn Street families, speaking about the moments that gave them confidence.

“Thank you for helping families who live far away see the care and development of our grandson. Wonderful care from all staff.”
Jackie MooreHawthorn Street grandparent
“Thank you for making Advika Sara feel so special.”
Abha AryalHawthorn Street parent
“Thank you Hawthorn Street Early Learning Centre team for making Rigzin's birthday special.”
Kumar LamaHawthorn Street parent

What families can expect

Families and community belong here.

Four practical commitments make the Quality Area meaningful for children and families.

01

Your knowledge matters

Family priorities, routines, culture and feedback help educators understand what support will work.

02

Communication has a purpose

Information moves both ways and is used to make visible changes for children.

03

Inclusion is coordinated

Families, educators and other professionals work together when a child needs additional support.

04

Dubbo extends the classroom

Local people, places and services create authentic opportunities for connection and learning.

The seven Quality Areas

What quality feels like for your family.

Each area turns the National Quality Standard into experiences families can recognise at Hawthorn Street. Together, the seven pages contain all 200 family stories.

Learning designed around your child45 family storiesHealthy, safe and cared for30 family storiesSpaces that inspire discovery25 family storiesEducators you can rely on20 family storiesRelationships that help children thrive20 family storiesFamilies and community belong here30 family storiesLeadership families can trust30 family stories

Acknowledgement of Country

We learn together on Wiradjuri Country.

We acknowledge the Tubbagah People of the Wiradjuri Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and learn. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge their continuing spiritual connection to Country.

See it for yourself

Come and see what quality looks like in your child’s day.

Meet our educators, explore the learning spaces and ask us to show you how these commitments become visible in practice.

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