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The My Time, Our Place (MTOP) framework isn’t a checklist of isolated parts — it’s an interconnected system designed to help children feel safe, grow confidently, and explore the world around them through play and relationships. To understand how it works, it helps to see how the three core concepts, five guiding principles, and five learning outcomes support and reinforce one another.

🌱 It Starts With the Concepts: Belonging, Being, Becoming

These three ideas form the philosophical foundation of the framework:

• Belonging reminds us that every child is part of a wider network of relationships — family, culture, community, and peers.

• Being encourages educators to value the present moment and children’s experiences now, not just who they’re becoming.

• Becoming reflects the continual process of learning, changing, and growing as children form their identity.

These concepts shape how we see children — not as empty vessels to be filled, but as capable, complex individuals with thoughts, feelings, and rights.

💡 Principles Bring the Concepts to Life

The five principles of MTOP are practical values that guide how we work with children:

1. Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
   → Help children feel they belong and are safe to be themselves.

2. Partnerships with families and communities
   → Honour the child’s existing relationships, enriching their identity and sense of place.

3. High expectations and equity
   → Support every child’s potential to become confident, capable, and included.

4. Respect for diversity
   → Acknowledge the child’s cultural being and ensure their uniqueness is celebrated.

5. Ongoing learning and reflective practice
   → Encourage educators to adapt, reflect, and evolve alongside the children’s own becoming.

These principles help educators turn theory into action, shaping environments that are inclusive, responsive, and empowering.

🎯 Learning Outcomes: The Visible Impact

The five learning outcomes are the goals we strive for in a well-supported program — and they reflect the deeper ideas of the concepts and principles:

• A strong sense of identity (Belonging + secure relationships)

• Connection with and contribution to their world (Belonging + respect for diversity)

• A strong sense of wellbeing (Being + high expectations)

• Confident and involved learners (Becoming + reflective practice)

• Effective communicators (Being + partnerships)

Each learning outcome is evidence that the concepts and principles are working — that the child is thriving in an environment built around relationships, respect, and curiosity.

🧠 An Integrated Approach

For example, when a child is involved in a collaborative art project:

• They experience being in the present moment.

• They feel a sense of belonging through group connection.

• They develop communication skills, confidence, and creativity.

• Educators may reflect afterward and adapt future experiences based on the child’s interest — demonstrating ongoing reflective practice.

All three layers — concepts, principles, and learning outcomes — are present in this single, simple experience.

Final Thoughts

MTOP isn’t about ticking boxes or rigid lesson plans. It’s about recognising that every moment in school-age care is a learning opportunity, shaped by relationships, reflection, and the belief that all children are capable of growth and discovery.

By aligning the philosophy, values, and goals of MTOP, educators can design programs where children feel safe, seen, and supported — now and into the future.