The Lady Gowrie Child Centre Incorporated is a nonprofit community organization based in Adelaide, South Australia, dedicated to early childhood education and care. Established in 1940, it was originally founded as a demonstration and model child and family centre, and it continues to lead the development of innovative and responsive services for children, families, and educators in the early childhood sector[1][5].

History and Purpose

The centre was formed to improve the quality of early childhood education and care, supporting optimal developmental outcomes for children. Over the decades, it has maintained its commitment to providing a high standard of inclusive, play-based early learning programs that respect and foster the wellbeing and learning of all children and families[1][4][5].

Programs and Services

The Lady Gowrie Child Centre offers integrated early childhood programs that emphasize individual and group learning in enriched outdoor environments including natural garden settings. The centre serves as a community-based organization that provides:

• Child care and kindergarten programs focused on wellbeing and learning
• Professional learning, resources, and consultancy for early childhood educators
• Inclusion support programs to assist educators in providing inclusive practices for children with diverse abilities
• Parenting support programs such as the Circle of Security Parenting course, which helps adults build stronger relationships with their children

As the Inclusion Agency for South Australia, the centre plays a key role in the Australian Government’s Inclusion Support Programme, which aims to build educator capacity to support children with a range of abilities in mainstream early childhood settings[1][5].

Governance and Vision

Gowrie SA, as it is now known, operates as a community-based, non-profit incorporated association governed by a Board of voluntary directors. The organization centers its vision on the rights, wellbeing, and learning of children, families, and educators, ensuring its services integrate current research and inquiry-based practice. This foundation ensures that programs are both theoretically sound and practically effective[1][5].

Cultural Acknowledgement

The organization acknowledges the Kaurna peoples as the traditional custodians of the land on which it operates, paying respect to Elders past, present, and emerging, and recognizing the unceded nature of Kaurna land[1].

The Lady Gowrie Child Centre Incorporated remains an influential leader in South Australia’s early childhood education landscape, upholding nearly a century of commitment to community service, educational excellence, and inclusivity.

[1] https://www.gowriesa.org.au [2] https://www.education.sa.gov.au/parents-and-families/find-schools-preschools-and-other-services/lady-gowrie-child-centre-inc [3] https://gowrieqld.com.au [4] https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/9ec70d57-39af-e811-a963-000d3ad244fd/profile [5] https://www.gowriesa.org.au/about