A best practice childcare centre planned for the Bathurst Campus of Charles Sturt University (CSU) “would boost our early childhood education profile and be of benefit not just for the professionals in the field, but for our students as well,” according to Lynda Ireland, lecturer in the School of Teacher Education. The play area is to be designed collaboratively between the School of Teacher Education, Mitchell Childcare Centre and leading outdoor environment designer, Prue Walsh. Ms Walsh, an early childhood playground consultant and long time advocate for better play environments says “we’ve never had more exciting research available about what happens in early childhood centres. IQ is no longer rated as the main skill, socio-emotional skills are”. She says that repeated evidence shows positive childcare environments support children’s social and emotional development. “Children who have good social and emotional development go on to develop less drug addiction, fewer teenage pregnancies, are more likely to stick to university, and have more capacity and resilience to cope and adapt to the changes in life.” Annabelle Hillsdon, a tutor in the School of Communication, has children at the centre and is driving the fund-raising effort for construction of the facility. Ms Hillsdon says currently teachers and centre directors travel to Sydney to see Australia’s best childcare play environment. “So the idea is that we build the regional best practice, so people from Warren, Trangie, Trundle, instead of going to Sydney, they come to CSU.” Work is due to start this July.