About

Safety, Leadership, Integrity, Inclusion & Child-Centric Connection

We enrich the lives and minds of our children and families in their communities.

Big Fat Smile has both humble beginnings and solid foundations. Established in 1981 as the Illawarra Children’s Services Action Group, we sought to bring positive, lasting change to the Illawarra region through active campaigning for the rights of families to affordable early education and care.

Big Fat Smile is a not-for-profit, sector-leading provider of child education, care, recreation, cultural and inclusion services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Fast forward 38-years, and we have grown into one of the largest and most respected providers of early education and inclusion services in our region. We exist for children and families, working to provide access to the highest quality early education and care in Australia. In fact, quality is central to everything we do.

Our values

Our values guide our practices across all levels of our organisation, from Head Office, to Educators in services.

  • Safety: We are dedicated to child safety and wellbeing.
  • Integrity: We are consistently respectful, honest, ethical and accountable.
  • Child-centric: We put our children at the centre of our relationships, philosophy, quality practice and innovations for education and care.
  • Inclusion: We embrace the diversity of our children and colleagues and provide authentic opportunities for participation.
  • Leadership: We lead through excellence in practice.
  • Connection: We recognise connection as a foundational element to authentic relationships.

Board of Directors

Big Fat Smile is governed by an elected Board of Directors. Their role and responsibility is to establish the strategic direction of the organisation, ensure an effective framework for the management of risk, and oversee executive and business performance.

We enrich the lives and minds of our children and families in their communities.

Executive leadership team

Big Fat Smile is led by an executive leadership team based at the organisation’s Head Office in Wollongong.

Why choose us?

Diversity Programs

We are taking enquiries for 2022 and beyond. If you are interested in having your child start at one of our centres, click on the link below to download enrolment information pack.

Transition Programs

We have a transition to school program based around the best start program, we have a smart board and use iPads and we love Kinderloop to partner with families during the day.

Links with local community

We have great links with the local community including the library, Wollongong City Council and local park and love excursions, incursions and plan different events each term.

Celebrating Culture

We are very in tune with our vast range of family cultures who attend the centre and we celebrate these, creating respect for all children and families through our many events each term.

Our values

Our values guide our practices across all levels of our organisation, from Head Office, to Educators in services.

Safety


Integrity


Child-centric


Leadership


Inclusion


Connection


Download publications

Family Handbook

Strategic Roadmap

Annual Report- 2021

Annual Report- 2020

Annual Report 2019

Annual Report 2018

Annual Report 2017

Annual Report 2016

Annual Report 2015

Please be advised that from 2022, Big Fat Smile's data is included in Goodstart Early Learning Annual report. These can be found here.