Book Week 2026: The Practice Behind the Stories
It’s 7:45pm, the same picture book has been requested for the fourth night running, and you’re doing the funny voice for the dog character again, badly, and your child doesn’t care. That scene plays out in loungerooms and reading corners across the country every night of the year, but during Book Week (22-28 August 2026, theme “Symphony of Stories,” marking 80 years of the CBCA Book of the Year Awards) it gets a bit of extra shine: dress-ups, decorated reading nooks, a room full of characters brought to life. What’s worth noticing, underneath the costumes, is what that fourth re-read is actually doing for your child, and it’s more than you’d think.
Understanding NQS Ratings: What Assessors Actually Look For (and What to Ask on a Tour)
Every approved childcare centre in Australia carries a National Quality Standard (NQS) rating. You’ve likely seen the badge – Working Towards, Meeting, or Exceeding – on a centre’s website or noticeboard, or checked one yourself on the ACECQA national register. But what actually happens to produce that rating, and what does it tell you about the day-to-day experience your child will have?
Posted, Relocated, Deployed: How Affinity Supports Defence Force Families
Defence life does not follow a school-term calendar. A posting can mean relocating to a new town and enrolling in a new centre with only a few months’ notice. A deployment can mean months where one parent attends bedtime by video call, and the other manages everything else alone. Affinity supports Defence families across our national network of centres, and several aspects of our service are shaped around these realities, from how we support a family moving states to how we help a deployed parent stay connected.
The 3 Day Guarantee, Six Months On: Does It Change Anything for Your Family?
If your child has been going to care one or two days a week, this is worth two minutes of your time.
Back in January, the government scrapped the old activity test for Child Care Subsidy. It used to control how many subsidised days your family could access, based on hours you worked, studied or volunteered. That test is gone.
NAIDOC Week 2026: Celebrating Culture, Connection and 50 Years of Deadly
“We thank the Traditional Owners for the land on which we learn and play.”
Across our centres, these words are often where a child’s journey of understanding begins. Through stories, songs, shared experiences, and daily Acknowledgements of Country, children are introduced to the rich cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, learning to respect the Traditional Owners of the land on which they live, learn, and play.
Nourishing Little Learners This Winter: Our 2026 Menu Is Now Live
Good nutrition in early childhood does more than keep children healthy, it shapes how they grow, how they learn, and how they experience the world around them. As winter arrives across Australia, Affinity Education Group’s 2026 Winter Menu is now live at centres across our network, bringing warm, carefully balanced meals to children each day of the season.
How Our Centres Celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime 2026
On Wednesday 27 May, something special happened in early learning centres and schools right across the country, and ours were right in the middle of it.
National Reconciliation Week 2026: Walking Alongside First Nations Communities in Early Learning
National Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May to 3 June each year. The dates are fixed – they mark the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the Mabo decision – and the theme changes annually, reflecting where the national conversation on reconciliation sits. This year, we are marking the week by thinking about what reconciliation means in the context of early childhood education, and what it looks like in the communities where our centres operate.
What Is the Lifelong Learning Curriculum, and What Does It Mean for Your Child Every Day?
If you’ve visited one of our centres, you may have heard educators talk about the Lifelong Learning Curriculum. You might have seen it referenced in your child’s learning documentation, or spotted it on a display in a room. But what is it, exactly, and what does it actually look like in practice? This post answers both of those questions.
Nourishing Children Through the Seasons: How Our Autumn Menu Supports Health, Wellbeing and Learning
As the seasons change, so do the nutritional needs of growing children.
Across Affinity Education centres, our seasonal menus are thoughtfully designed to reflect this, ensuring children enjoy fresh, nourishing meals that support their health, wellbeing, and development all year round.