The Homestead Early Learning Centre is a family-owned childcare centre in a 120-year-old villa on State Highway 16 at the corner of Parkhurst Road, Helensville. The villa has been modernised and converted, and it has two separate cottages for pre-schoolers. Babies have their own Nursery room, and children aged 3.5 to 6 are in the Cottage. The centre is Reggio-inspired and draws on the RIE philosophy of respectful care. Children learn through hands-on discovery with natural, open-ended materials, and the teachers work in small groups across three play spaces. The fenced playground has real grass, natural resources and a country feel, with cows as the only neighbours.
The owners, Amanda and Justin, run the centre with their children, and Amanda's mother, a retired early childhood teacher, still hand-makes a quilt for each child when they start. Parents who have written about the centre describe a warm, homely environment, quality teaching and a good balance between learning and play. One parent called it a second home for their child. The centre invites families to call or email to arrange a visit.