Child Abuse
Child and Family Centres
Childcare Services
Youth Interact
Overseas Recruitment
Supporting the ACT Children’s Education and Care Sector
Early Childhood Scholarship Program
ACT Children’s Services Roundtable
Children’s Services Advisers
Sector Development Advisers
Education and Care Meetings
Peaks Meetings
ACT Children’s Forum
The Children’s Policy and Regulation Unit supports the ACT education and care sector and the parents and guardians who engage with it in a variety of ways. These include:
Early Childhood Scholarship Program
If you work in the early childhood education and care sector, you’ll know that changes are happening. The National Quality Framework, which sets out the standards for the sector, will be introducing a range of reforms starting from now. One of these changes will be around the levels of qualifications in the sector. This is a positive step. It recognises the critical role that early childhood educators have in young children’s development and learning.
To assist people who are already employed in the sector to gain a qualification – or for people who want to start working in early childhood education and care – the ACT Government is offering Early Childhood Scholarships.
What do the scholarships cover?
- Training in Certificate III in Children’s Services through a registered training provider in the ACT.
- The training will be flexible, so participants can tailor their studies to suit their circumstances. Plus, there will be lots of support for participants who are returning to study after a long break from formal education.
- Full course fees, and a start up payment of $300.
- For participants who need to study during their working hours, the scholarship will pay your employer to replace you for two hours per week.
Who can apply?
Eligibility criteria apply, but the program is open to people who are:
- Already working in long day care, independent preschool or family day care in the ACT; or
- Interested in working in long day care, independent preschool or family day care in the ACT.
If you would like to apply for a scholarship you can download the following documents -
Early Childhood Scholarship Application Form [PDF 115KB] [Word 102KB]
Guidelines and Information [PDF 139KB] [Word 106KB]
Terms and Conditions [PDF 150KB] [Word 84KB]
Early Childhood Scholarship Program Eligibility Criteria [PDF 98KB] [Word 98KB]
If you would like us to send you out an application pack please contact 6207 1114 or email ocyfschildrensservices@act.gov.au.
ACT Children’s Services Roundtable
The ACT Children’s Services Roundtable’s provides the ACT’s education and care sector with an opportunity to discuss their concerns, ideas and initiatives collaboratively. The Roundtable is hosted by Minister for Community Services, Joy Burch MLA.
The most recent roundtable occurred on 7 September 2011 at the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre. Key issues were discussed regarding the implementation of the National Quality Framework and ACT workforce issues. A summary of the Roundtable will be provided shortly.
The inaugural Roundtable occurred on 1 April 2011 was attended by approximately 70 educators, directors, coordinators and managers from the education and care sector. The Roundtable elicited innovative ideas regarding way forward in building the ACT education and care sector.
The first Roundtable focused on four key themes
- Workforce and Cost Implications;
- Education and Training Programs;
- National Quality Rating System; and
- How can we be innovative and resourceful in implementing the National Quality Framework?
Summary of the Children's Services Roundtable 7 September 2011 [PDF 80KB] [RTF 502KB]
Summary of the Children's Services Roundtable 1 April 2011 [PDF 139KB]
Children’s Services Advisers
Children’s services advisers are experienced early childhood professionals who have extensive professional knowledge regarding:
- children’s services
- planning, design and establishment of new services
- relevant legislation
- program development
- policy development
- behaviour guidance
- health and hygiene practices
- safety measures
- mandatory reporting and protective behaviours
- referral agencies
- family support services.
If you would like further information on this role please contact us.
Sector Development Adviser
This is a support role within the ACT Government. This role assists the ACT education and care sector transition into the National Quality Framework.
The role:
- provides hands on support to children’s services during the transition to the National Quality Framework
- promotes the National Quality Framework and assists in ensuring high quality and consistent early childhood education and care
- builds educator’s capacity to develop programs that reflect the Early Years Learning Framework and the My Time Our Place framework for school aged care
- liaises with children’s services stakeholders such as the Professional Support Coordinator and Registered Training Organisations, to drive innovation in educator training
- encourages development of partnerships aimed at mutual exchange of knowledge and skills both within and across education and care centres.
If you would like to engage the Sector Development Adviser with your service, please speak with your children's Service Adviser or contact us.
Education and Care Meetings
The Children’s Policy and Regulation Unit, in partnership with the ACT Professional Support Coordinator, host three Education and Care Meetings per year for the ACT’s education and care profession. The Education and Care Meetings are an integral part of building and maintaining close relationships between the ACT sector and the Government Regulatory Body. The Education and Care Meetings include a professional development component which triggers reflection and discussion within the sector.
If you would like details of the next Education and Care Meetings please speak with your children’s services adviser or contact us.
Peaks Meeting
Children’s Policy and Regulation Unit organises Peaks Meetings between government and the education and care sector. These meetings occur approximately every six months and provide education and care peak representatives with an opportunity to set the agenda for the meeting based on the sectors needs and interest.
The Peaks Meetings are a great way for the Children’s Policy and Regulation Unit to listen and respond to the diverse needs of the ACT’s education and care sector.
If you have any questions about the Directors Meetings please don’t hesitate to contact your Children’s Service Adviser or contact us.
The ACT Children’s Services Forum
The Forum was established in 2007 and has been providing an avenue to share information, inform and consult with key representatives of the ACT’s education and care profession. Issues regarding the achievements for the early childhood and outside of school hour’s education and care sectors are discussed. The Forum relies on the education and care sector to provide feedback to their representatives on what is happening within their sector.
- Informs a sustainable, flexible and responsive children’s services sector.
- Considers issues of supply and demand in the ACT children’s services sector and develops a strategic approach in response to concerns of under and oversupply of places for children from birth to school age.
- Considers strategies that address the shortage of qualified staffing in the children’s services sector and contributes to the consolidation of growth and development in the children’s services sector workforce.
- Assess’ the impact of national policy directives and information derived from the Australian Government’s Child Care Access Hotline and the National Childcare Management System to advise an ACT planning direction for the children’s services sector.
- Contributes towards and informs national policy agendas in early childhood education and care sector with a focus on quality provision in service delivery and the best interests of ACT children.
- Facilitates the development of educational, care and curriculum initiatives that improve outcomes for children in the ACT.
In 2011, the Forum will have a particular focus on developing initiatives that contribute to the implementation of the National Quality Framework and will also respond to the ACT Children’s Services Roundtable.
The Forum is comprised of a number of key stakeholders from the education and care sector including:
|
Joy Burch MLA (Chair) |
Minister for Community Services |
|
Anne Moroney |
ACT Land and Planning |
|
Amanda Morphett |
ACT Children’s Services Association |
|
Bronwyn McNally |
Communities @Work, Professional Support Coordinator Unit and the Inclusion Support Agency |
|
Careen Leslie |
Faculty of Education, the University of Canberra |
|
Carolyn Harkness |
School of Education, Australian Catholic University |
|
Chris Steel (Observer) |
Adviser to Minister Burch |
|
Daniel Bowman |
Representing Registered Training Organisations |
|
Danielle Stiff |
Manager, Early Childhood Development, Children’s Policy and Regulation Unit, ACT Community Services Directorate |
|
Helen Pappas |
Senior Manager, Early Intervention and Prevention Services, ACT Community Services Directorate |
|
Julie Gorell |
Representing ACT Family Day Care Schemes |
|
Julie Rutups |
ACT Branch Early Childhood Australia |
|
Karen Wilson |
GoodStart Children’s Services (ACT and NSW) (formerly ABC Developmental Learning Centres) |
|
Lee Maiden |
Out of School Hours Care ACT (OOSHACT) |
|
Leslie Ralph |
Centre for Health, Community and Wellbeing, Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) |
|
Lida Lewis |
Representing Regional Community Services |
|
Martin Hehir |
Director-General, ACT Community Services Directorate |
|
Natalie Howson |
Deputy Director-General, ACT Community Services Directorate |
|
Sarah Kirk |
Secretariat, Children’s Policy and Regulation, ACT Community Services Directorate |
|
Susan Sullivan |
Manager, Children’s Policy and Regulation, ACT Community Services Directorate |
|
Trish Wilks |
Director, Learning and Teaching, ACT Education and Training Directorate |
|
Vivienne Gould |
Australian Community Children’s Services (ACCS) – formerly NACBCS |
|
Yvette Berry |
United Voice |
If you would like more information about the ACT Children’s Services Forum or the membership please speak your Children’s Service Adviser or contact us.
