What to Pack for Childcare: A Complete Guide for Hillcrest Families

One of the most common questions new families ask before their child's first day is: what do I actually need to bring? The short answer for Treehouse families is: less than you think. Because the daily fee is all-inclusive, most of what a child needs throughout the day is already here. This guide covers what is provided, what to bring from home, and a few things that will make the day run smoothly for everyone.

What Does Treehouse Provide as Part of the Daily Fee?

At Treehouse Early Learning Centre, the all-inclusive daily fee covers everything your child needs for the day in terms of essentials. Nappies, all meals, snacks, milk and water, sunscreen, and hats are all included. There are no additional charges for any of these items.

All learning activities and materials are also covered. Families should not feel any pressure to contribute supplies, craft materials, or educational resources. Everything needed for the program is part of what your daily fee funds.

What Should Families Bring From Home?

There are a small number of items that families are asked to provide from home, because they are personal, child-specific, or require family preparation.

Why Does Everything Need to Be Labelled?

With 109 approved places at Treehouse, there are a lot of small people and a lot of small things. Labelling every item that comes into the centre, from clothing to bottles to comfort toys, means that when something gets misplaced, it finds its way back to the right family quickly. Unlabelled items are much harder to reunite with their owners, particularly with younger children who cannot yet tell an educator whose teddy bear ended up in the Waddlers room.

Iron-on labels, fabric pens, and waterproof name stickers are all reliable options. Stick-on labels on clothing tend to come off in the wash, so a sewn or ironed label is worth the extra effort for anything that will be laundered regularly.

What Should Children Wear to Childcare?

Comfortable clothing that can get genuinely dirty is the right approach. Play-based learning at Treehouse involves sandpits, water play, painting, gardening, and outdoor movement on both playgrounds. An outfit that cannot handle contact with sand, mud, or paint is going to create unnecessary stress for everyone.

Closed-toe shoes or sandals with back straps are the safest choice for the outdoor environments. Open-toe thongs or sandals without a heel strap are not suitable for active outdoor play. In the July winter months, a warm layer is recommended for morning arrival and outdoor sessions.

Do Families Need to Bring Food or Snacks?

No. All meals and snacks throughout the day are provided as part of the all-inclusive daily fee. This includes breakfast (served from 6:30am in the Pre-Toddler room during the morning integration period), morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and a late snack from 4:30pm.

Treehouse's chef Dawn prepares fresh, nutritious meals every day using quality ingredients. If your child has a food allergy, dietary requirement, or a strong food preference, communicate this clearly at enrolment and speak to Zarna or an educator directly. The team will make every effort to accommodate your child's needs.

What About Nappies and Sunscreen?

Both are provided and included in the daily fee. Families do not need to bring nappies from home. Sunscreen is applied by educators before outdoor sessions. If your child has a specific skin sensitivity or a prescribed sunscreen, let the centre know and bring the appropriate product labelled with your child's name.

Starting childcare involves a lot of new information at once. If you are ever unsure about something, ask. The Treehouse team would rather answer the same question five times than have a family feel uncertain about something that affects their child's comfort and readiness for the day.