Nurture Nook December 2014

Issue 3 • Summer 2014/2015

THE

Nurture Nook

This document serves as a summary of Child Care New South Wales’ weekly updates from the end of 2013 until now, designed for busy members who don’t always manage to get to their Weekly Updates.

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Contents T: 1300 556 330 F: 1300 557 228 info@childcarensw.com.au www.childcarensw.com.au PO Box 660 Parramatta NSW 2124 facebook.com/ChildCareNSW @ChildCareNSW

Features p22

Australian Child Care Week & Awards Dinner

Child Care New South Wales gratefully acknowledges the support of our partners:

guildinsurance.com.au/business-insurance/childcare

childcaresuper.com.au

Gold Sponsors

p24

The Return of the Child Care New South Wales Bus Tours

Regulars President’s Letter Australian Childcare Alliance News New Executive Committee Industrial Relations Federal Issues State Issues Staying in Touch Sector Update Training and Professional Development New Early Childhood Resources Achievements and Accolades

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childcareconcepts.com.au

Authorised Contacts

A buzzrecruitment.com.au

Bronze Sponsors

qikkids.com.au

wombatstories.com.au

friendly reminder that Child Care New South Wales staff are only permitted to respond to member inquiries made by members’ authorised contacts.

If your staff are making inquiries on your behalf, please ensure that you have advised us IN WRITING (by emailing info@

Advertisements in The Nurture Nook are accepted by Child Care New South Wales in good faith; liability for advertising content, goods and services supplied is the responsibility of the advertiser.

childcarensw.com.au) that they are an authorised contact in order to avoid delays in having inquiries addressed.

This is to protect your information as there have been instances in the past where private information and advice has been requested by staff, against the wishes of the employer.

The Nurture Nook has it covered in terms of vital member information. But you can help keep us covered – by providing us with great photos to feature on our cover and within our pages. If your service has an event, function or activity and you have awesome photos from it, please consider providing us with high resolution copies to use. With appropriate permissions, of course.

Contact: dom@childcarensw.com.au

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President’s Letter

President’s Letter from Nesha O’Neil, President of Child Care New South Wales

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ust like that, 2014 is coming to a close, and what a year it’s been! We were recently advised that the early childhood education and care sector was the most ‘consulted’ sector in Australia in the last 12 months, and it certainly feels like it. We kicked off the year with a detailed submission in response to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Childcare and Early Learning and also assisted our national body, the Australian Childcare Alliance, with two national submissions. We gave evidence at the public hearing held in Sydney mid-year, hosted a meeting and recorded webinar for members on the draft Productivity Commission report, and responded to countless media inquiries about the key recommendations being considered. As the year ends, the final Productivity Commission report is currently with the Federal Government but has not yet been publicly released.

Our team in the office is waiting with bated breath and will update members the moment the report is released – and more importantly, the Federal Government’s response – as it will give us an indication of the brave new world that may face us in early childhood in the years ahead.

The Productivity Commission Inquiry is just one of many reviews and inquiries held throughout the year. We were involved in the Senate Inquiries into the delivery of quality and affordable early childhood education and care services; and the immediate future of the childcare sector in Australia. We were also heavily involved in the Woolcott Review, as part of the broader National Quality Framework review, and at the time of writing, our team in the office is busily preparing our response to the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement released in November 2014 – a major focus of the NQF review, and the last chance for us to participate in a legislatively scheduled review for another five years! I cannot over-state how important it is for you to engage in this process. We hear from members every day who have views on the NQF, assessment and rating, the role of ACECQA and so on. Now is your chance to communicate those views directly with decision-makers! We have included details on how you can have your say in this edition.

We have met with countless State and Federal Ministers, Senators and Members of Parliament throughout the year

and I am thrilled to see so many of you out there requesting meetings with your local MP, to discuss the issues concerning you about early childhood education and care. We also now have our CEO, Brianna Casey, and our national President, Gwynn Bridge, representing you on the Ministerial Advisory Council for Child Care and Early Learning, which is a terrific avenue for our feedback and suggestions to be raised directly with the Federal Assistant Minister for Education, the Hon Sussan Ley MP. In addition to our policy and advocacy work, we have continued to offer professional development opportunities to our members, with workshops, webinars and conferences held right throughout the year. We are hoping to be a great deal more flexible in our scheduling next year, so keep an eye on your emails for information on where and when our workshops and seminars will be held. With so many of you now recipients of Long Day Care Professional Development Programme funding, we know that you are keen to ensure the best possible range of relevant, timely and affordable professional development options for your team and we are delighted to assist you with this.

As you will see in the coming pages, over the next few months, you will see us transition from Child Care New South Wales to Australian Childcare Alliance NSW, complete with a new logo and a long-overdue, brand new website. Our name and logo may be changing, but our service and dedication in representing members’ needs will remain as strong as ever.

Lastly, let me take this opportunity to wish you, your teams and families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In the words of author Vern McLellan, “What the new year brings you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year”, so let’s bring enthusiasm, new ideas and a renewed spirit of cooperation and collaboration so that 2015 brings the best possible outcomes for us all.

Nesha O’Neil, PRESIDENT

Christmas Break The Child Care New South Wales office will close for the Christmas break Friday 19 December 2014 and will re-open Monday 5 January 2015. In the interim, we will rely heavily on our Facebook page and Twitter feed to keep members up to date with any key announcements, so if you are on social media and haven’t liked or followed us yet, now’s the time!

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A New Logo and Website for Australian Childcare Alliance and State Members!

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s we mentioned in our Weekly Updates earlier in the year, we have been working closely with our national body, the Australian Childcare Alliance, and our state counterparts to revamp the logo, name and websites of ACA and all state associations. As a result, over the coming weeks, you will see us transition from Child Care New South Wales to Australian Childcare

Alliance New South Wales (ACA NSW).

The other states are undergoing the same transformation, eg Childcare Queensland will become ACA Qld; Childcare Association of WA will become ACA WA, Child Care Centres Association of Victoria will become ACA Vic and so on. In addition to our new names, each state will have a new logo (see below), and a brand new website. We are very much looking

forward to the launch of our new website in January/February 2015, which we hope you will find more functional and much easier to navigate than our existing website. With so many changes affecting our sector at present, our new name and logo will complement the united approach that we take as ACA members when we are advocating on your behalf both at a state and national level.

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hild Care New South Wales President Nesha O’Neil and Chief Executive Officer Brianna Casey were in Melbourne 26 - 28 October 2014 for the Annual General Meeting and regular meeting of our national body, the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA). The ACA Committee of Management for the year is as follows:

• President – Gwynn Bridge (Qld) • Vice President – Judy Atkinson (SA) • Treasurer – Nesha O’Neil (NSW) • Secretary – Paul Mondo (Vic) • Ordinary Members – Lisa Godwin (WA) and • Kerry Mahoney (SA)

Key items of discussion over the two days included the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) case ; the Productivity Commission Inquiry; the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement and the national re-branding initiative.

Australian Childcare Alliance News

Australian Childcare Alliance News

g Australian Childcare Alliance launches its national rebranding initiative with Child Care New South Wales (AKA ACA-NSW) President Nesha O’Neil centre; Assistant Minister for Education The Hon Sussan Ley MP is front right; Gwynn Bridge, President of Australian Childcare Alliance and CEO of Childcare Queensland/ACA-Qld is at the lectern

Laurie Lawrence in action: “Kids Alive – Do the Five!”

Australian Childcare Alliance Launch

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hild Care New South Wales President Nesha O’Neil and Secretary Mary Repole headed to Queensland to attend the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) meeting 25 July and the ‘People, Purpose and Passion’ Childcare Queensland Conference 25-27 July. Nesha also took part in the launch of ACA’s national rebranding initiative. You can watch a short video of the launch at bit.ly/1CWAYrm. This rebranding is a positive step forward that enables Child Care New South Wales to better represent

our members at a national level. In time, Child Care New South Wales will become the Australian Childcare Alliance - New South Wales (ACA-NSW). While nothing will change in the way we run, and how we represent members at a state level, it will give our members a stronger collective voice at a federal level.

At the Childcare Queensland conference, Nesha was able to meet with Assistant Federal Minister for Education, the Hon Sussan Ley MP and her team to discuss

the draft Productivity Commission report.

Nesha also took the opportunity to consult with interstate counterparts about our response to the draft report.

Nesha was pleased to speak with Laurie Lawrence about his ‘Kids Alive – Do the Five’ program. The ‘Kids Alive – Do the Five’ kits have been mailed out and should be arriving at your services soon. It was a pleasure for Nesha and Mary to catch up with Child Care New South Wales members who attended the Childcare Queensland conference.

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Executive Committee 2014-2015

New Executive Committee

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he Child Care New South Wales Annual General Meeting was held in Parramatta 17 September 2014.

Thank you to those members who were able to attend in person, and to those of you who took the time to vote in our election. There were a number of changes to the Child Care New South Wales Executive Committee as a result of the election. Our sincere thanks to John Cook, Joe Russo and Mark Camilleri who served on our Executive Committee for all or part of 2013/14. Our congratulations to the following members who are representing your interests on our Executive Committee throughout 2014/15:

• Nesha O’Neil (President) – elected unopposed • Lyn Connolly (Vice President) – Lyn polled the same number of votes as Sharon Graham and was elected pursuant to Article 29.17(c) of the Child Care New South Wales Constitution • Mark Wharton (Treasurer) – elected unopposed • Mary Repole (Secretary) – elected unopposed • Vicki Skoulogenis (Committee Member) • Sharon Graham (Committee Member) • Phillip Malek (Committee Member) • Alana Reid (Committee Member) • Lynda Stein (Committee Member) • Sara Ratner (Committee Member) • Michael Shirley (Committee Member)

2014-2015 Child Care New South Wales Executive Team Nesha O’Neil – President nesha@childcarensw.com.au his is Nesha’s second consecutive term as president of Child Care New South Wales.

Nesha is sought-after as an industry expert in early childhood education and care, consulting to a range of organisations across Australia and speaking at conferences both nationally and internationally. Nesha’s family has been operating child care centres in Sydney since the 1950s. Nesha ran Midson Road Child Care Centre from 2004 to 2009, and opened Top Ryde Early Learning in 2009. She has also owned and operated Norwest Child Care Centre since 2003. Her centres are frequently featured in industry magazines, newspapers and specialist publications as stand-out services.

After the introduction of the National Quality Framework, her service in Baulkham Hills was one of the first to be assessed in Australia, and was rated as ‘Excellent’. She continues a hands-on approach to centre operation, and is acutely aware of the issues facing operators, families and our children.

Nesha served on the Child Care New South Wales Executive Committee in 2006 and 2007, and then she left to spend time with her new babies. She was re-elected to the Executive Committee in 2011 as the Secretary, and in 2012 was elected Vice President. She began her first term as President in 2013. In 2012 Nesha was elected as the NSW representative for the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA). She currently serves as the ACA Treasurer.

Nesha has strong relationships with peers across all parts of the early education sector. Nesha holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and in English, a Masters

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Degree in Psychology, a Post Graduate Certificate in Counselling, a Post Graduate Certificate in Special Education - Inclusive Support and a Diploma in Children’s Services. Nesha is a registered senior supervising psychologist, a long standing Member of the Australian Psychological Society, and a Justice of the Peace. She also has a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.

Lyn Connolly – Vice President lyn@childcarensw.com.au yn has served as President of Child Care New South Wales as well as Vice President and Executive Member of the Australian Childcare Centres Association (ACCA), a body she currently serves as President. She is a past Office Bearer of the two child care bodies that preceded the Australian Childcare Alliance.

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Mark Wharton – Treasurer markw@childcarensw.com.au ark and his wife Alison operate Kindalin Early Childhood Learning Centres and have done since 1988, with one of their two children working with them in the business.

Mark and his family understand the challenges that happen each day in child care and also see their families facing the same challenges as a consequence of heavy handed regulation. Mark believes staff are the essence to great child care, but notes that despite all the passion, enthusiasm and professionalism they also are challenged by ever-increasing necessity to follow strict

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dictum. Mark believes the challenges should instead be to utilise the great parts of EYLF and NQF without allowing administration to dominate the whole process and compromise quality and safety.

Mark’s background is corporate marketing and business management. He has a degree in Business Studies (Marketing) from the University of Technology Sydney and has held management roles in small and large multinationals. He has also had two years experience as a Child Care New South Wales Executive Committee member in 2009 and 2010.

Mark says his wife is his biggest inspiration, working very hard to maintain happy children through happy staff. Mark and his wife remain very committed to the cause of good quality affordable child care for all children.

Mary Repole – Secretary mary@childcarensw.com.au ary has successfully owned and operated high quality long day care centres in Sydney’s south since 1999. She has been a Child Care New South Wales Executive Committee member since 2001.

Mary has a Bachelor of Teaching (0-5) with Honours and is currently completing a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

As a passionate and dedicated advocate for early childhood education and care, Mary initiated and chairs a successful network group of private centre operators in St George and Sutherland Shire with fellow Executive Committee member Sharon Graham. Mary is also a sessional tutor and prac supervisor at Australian Catholic University.

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comment for radio, television and print media.

She has also hosted many politicians in her own services to advocate in policy decisions over the years.

Vicki has a Masters in Education, Bachelor in Physical Education/Health/Personal development and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Vicki’s positive and enthusiastic disposition have shaped Child Care New South Wales into a strong brand and respected industry leader.

Sharon Graham - Executive sharon@childcarensw.com.au haron was elected Child Care New South Wales Secretary September 18, 2013.

She was re-elected to the Child Care New South Wales Executive Committee in 2012, after previous roles as both Vice President and Secretary. Sharon opened her family business, Bunny Cottage Long Day Care in 1994, providing care and education from birth to school age. She has worked on the floor with the 2-year-old group for the past 20 years. Bunny Cottage operated as a high quality service for the duration of the accreditation system, and more recently was rated as meeting National Quality Standards.

In 2001, with fellow Child Care New

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South Wales Executive Committee member Mary Repole, Sharon set up the Independent Childcare Centres Network (ICCN) to support local private childcare services in the St George and Sutherland Shire. This group has been meeting regularly since then, holding training sessions and inviting guest speakers to the network meetings. Sharon sat on the Board of Investment Nominees of Australia for the Child Care Super Fund as a Director before it came under the control of Guild Super. She is active in many charity organisations striving for the care and protection of animals worldwide and has a Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood from Macquarie University.

Phillip Malek - Executive phillip@childcarensw.com.au hillip has been in the child care industry for 13 years.

He has nine centres in Sydney and has built and developed more than 40 centres. Phillip has been on the Child Care New South Wales Executive Committee since 2011 and in that time has met with many owners and other early childhood professionals that share a common view to decrease red tape and paperwork and focus on caring for our children.

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Executive Committee 2014-2015

Vicki Skoulogenis - Executive vicki@childcarensw.com.au icki is the immediate past President of Child Care New South Wales, stepping down at the 2013 Annual General Meeting after a long history of involvement with Child Care New South Wales. Vicki joined as a member in 1998 and has served as an Executive Committee member, Vice President, and then President for the past three years.

Vicki has engaged with many member owners and their staff over the years, through networking, training and consulting in their businesses. Vicki has delivered many training sessions for Child Care New South Wales, which have received high praise from participants. Her two-day New Owner seminars have educated and started off many services across NSW with great success. Vicki’s passion in delivering quality outcomes for children and the industry in whole is evident in her own two small Early Learning Centres in the Lower Blue Mountains Region, which she has operated with her husband for the past 15 years.

Vicki has served on several boards both State and National as an executive member.

She is regarded as the industry expert when dealing with State and Federal politicians and departments, as well as providing expert

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Executive Committee 2014-2015 / Industrial Relations

Phillip has represented Child Care New South As a director of a service based outside of Wales in meetings with senior Members of Sydney, Alana is also aware of how the needs Parliament, including Prime Minister Tony of services, their children and families may Abbott, Sussan Ley MP, Kate Ellis MP and Peter vary throughout New South Wales.

Garrett MP, providing them with a grassroots perspective of the early childhood sector.

Phillip has an Associate Diploma in Building, Lynda Stein - Executive a Diploma in Early Childhood, and is a lynda@childcarensw.com.au licensed real estate agent and business broker. ynda has been working in the early childhood education and care sector full Alana Reid – Executive time for the last two years. alana@childcarensw.com.au Prior to that, she’d spent six years or so in lana has been working information technology, after obtaining a in the early childhood university degree. The decision to move from education and care sector for over information technology to early childhood twelve years, experiencing the education and care was made when the many changes that have occurred in the sector opportunity arose to start a family business. during this time. She is currently a director of Lynda is actively involved in her local a 29-place long day care centre (Cardiff Busy community, especially focused on professional Bee Pre School) in the Newcastle area with over growth. She enjoys working collaboratively 75 families attending the service per week. In with others to achieve the best outcomes for all addition to managing the service she works children, educators and service owners. closely with educators, children and families.

Ultimately, she aims to continue to integrate As director of the service, Alana has built both worlds – technology and early childhood – several relationships with other childcare to bring forward new ideas, foster improvement centres, local schools and support services in and tweak current methods and practices within the area and feels it is important to work with the sector. This, she explains, will enable more other agencies in the community to support efficient work so that, at the end of the day, more children and families. time can be spent by early childhood education Her experience and knowledge informs her and care workers with the children in their care. awareness of current childcare issues, including the concerns of service providers, educators and families. Alana is a firm believer that every Sara Ratner – Executive child deserves the best start in life; this includes sara@childcarensw.com.au the right and access to an early childhood ara has a strong education. She is also passionate about background in education, supporting educators to stay in the industry and having served as an educator encourage training to provide high quality care. and leader in schools for the

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past fifteen years. She brings a wealth of educational leadership knowledge and experience to the table.

Sara currently co-owns and operates two early learning centres in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and so has experience in building a business from the ground up while catering for the individual needs of the children of her service, the staff in her employ, and the regulations that govern the sector.

Sara relishes the opportunity to work alongside early learning colleagues and peers to help create and shape a dynamic, innovative and inspiring future for early childhood education and care Michael Shirley - Executive michael@childcarensw.com.au ichael has provided child care and education for 41 years in Bourke Street, Queens Park and has had a number of representative roles in the past, including Vice President of the Association of ChildCare Centres and Federal Liaison Officer for the Federation of ChildCare Associations of Australia.

Michael was responsible for having then Finance Minister Peter Walsh agree to expand what was then known as Fee Relief to all families instead of just the public sector, resulting in the private sector quadrupling in size.

Michael’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Economics (University of Sydney), Certified Practicing Accountant and Justice of the Peace.

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Industrial Relations Modern Award

Equal Remuneration Order Case

n November 2014, the Fair Work Commission handed down its long-awaited final decision in the transitional provisions case. The Commission found in favour of employers, dismissing the Union’s applications to extend the transitional provisions in the Children’s Services Award 2010 and the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2010. You can access a copy of the full decision at bit.ly/1vSpQpk. As members may recall, the Commission had made an interim decision in mid-June 2014, but we had been waiting on a final decision. This means that members can continue to pay the ‘B Pay Summaries’ (available in the members-only section of the Child Care New South Wales website), that came into effect 1 July 2014.

s the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) case moves to the evidentiary phase over the coming months, we will be providing you with more regular updates about the case.

For those members who have missed our updates about the ERO case, an application was lodged by United Voice and the Independent Education Union (Victorian Branch) in July 2013, seeking increased wages (35 per cent aggregate increase); an additional minimum of two hours/week for planning, preparing, evaluating and programming activities; and a minimum of one hour/fortnight for attending staff meetings outside of the ordinary hours of work. Our national body, the Australian Childcare Alliance, is playing a very active role in the case.

You can visit bit.ly/10TkzTa for further information on the case, including submissions lodged to date.

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National Quality Framework Review

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he five-yearly review of the are a number of options in the RIS that rating is calculated, removing the overall National Quality Framework could seriously affect services in NSW, rating, and changing the period of time (NQF) commenced earlier this including (but not limited to): between ratings visits; year via the Woolcott review, which • Removing supervisor certificates considered sector and family feedback • Making further changes to Regulation 135 altogether; on the NQF and its implementation to that would see Diplomas replace Early • Reduction in documentation of date. The summary of findings from the Childhood Teachers for up to 3 months child assessments and evaluations in Woolcott Review (see bit.ly/1ySU64z) following an ECT resignation (NB: whilst outside school hours care (OSHC) and was released 14 October 2014, indicating the NSW Government has said they will introduction of national educator to child broad support for the NQF and National not support this, you can still have your ratios in OSHC; Quality Standard. The report did however say on this, and Child Care New South • Improved oversight of and support within highlight the need for improvement in Wales is arguing strongly that the change family day care; and consistency – particularly for assessment should take effect in ALL states rather than • Expanding the scope of the NQF to include and rating – and for reduction in creating further inconsistency within the budget-based funded services, occasional administrative burden. The report picks ‘national’ framework); care, mobile services etc. up on many of the issues raised in Child • Doubling fees (eg provider approval fees, There are a number of ways you can Care New South Wales’ submission, service approval fees, annual fees) and communicate your views on the above issues. particularly our concerns re: assessment introducing a new fee for temporary You can: and rating. It also addresses a number of waivers; • Make an online comment (bit.ly/123nKs5); the issues raised in the submission lodged • Extending some liability under Sections • Lodge a formal written submission (don’t by our national body, the Australian 165 and 167 of the national law to ALL be scared by the ‘s’ word! A submission can Childcare Alliance. educators; be as simple as a short letter or email – see The Woolcott review was just one aspect • Reducing the complexity of the national bit.ly/1tOpixi); of the review. The more substantive aspect standard (reducing the number of • Complete an online survey (bit. of the NQF review is the Consultation standards and elements); ly/12EtpWl); or Regulation Impact Statement (RIS), • Streamlining the assessment and rating • Send your comments directly to Child which was released in November 2014. process; Care New South Wales (to info@ A dedicated website has been developed • Changing or removing the ‘Significant childcarensw.com.au) for inclusion in the with all relevant information on the Improvement Required’ and ‘Excellent’ detailed submission we will be lodging on Consultation RIS at bit.ly/1FWzTxO. ratings, changing the way the ‘Exceeding’ your behalf.

As we have mentioned in our Weekly Updates, it is vitally important that as many members as possible provide PLEASE ensure you have your say, as the NQF is not feedback on the options presented in scheduled to be reviewed again for another five years! the consultation RIS. As outlined in the briefing note we provided to all members on the day of the release of the RIS, there

Federal Issues

Federal Issues

g Reports Challenge NQF Benefits

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wo reports were released in early November 2014, looking at the impacts of recent legislative changes in early childhood education and care, and bringing into the question the effects of the National Quality Agenda on outcomes for children. A paper released this week by Richard Wilson from Checkmate Analytics looks at local and international research on class size and teacher qualifications and their impacts on future outcomes for children, as well as the impacts of the National Quality Framework thus far. You can access a

summary of the paper at bit.ly/1yYLb1s, or you can visit bit.ly/1qfNHjb to access the paper in full.

Trisha Jha from the Centre for Independent Studies released a paper 5 November 2014, looking at the costs of the National Quality Agenda, in particular staff to child ratios and educator qualifications, concluding that "there is scant evidence to suggest the reforms will bring significant benefits to children, bringing into question whether the cost involved represents an ‘investment’. You can visit bit. ly/1vubxDE to access a summary of the report,

or bit.ly/1yYLhq3 to read the full report.

Members who are responding to the Consultation RIS (see above) may wish to review both papers alongside the RIS, and think about whether you find it easy to find qualified educators, whether you are observing a significant difference in outcomes for children following the introduction of the National Quality Agenda, and what the main cost drivers are in your service, and whether government should continue to invest in our sector, as these are all relevant questions in the current policy debate.

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Federal Issues

Productivity Commission Inquiry

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he final Productivity Commission report on its Inquiry into Childcare and Early Childhood Learning was submitted to the Federal Government 31 October 2014. The Government has up to 25 sitting days to table the report in Parliament, which could mean it is not released until as late as March 2015.

The draft report was released in July 2014, outlining the current state

Child Care New South Wales President Nesha O’Neil and CEO Brianna Casey giving evidence at the Productivity Commission

of play regarding early childhood education and care (ECEC), family use of ECEC, funding and government assistance, childhood learning and development, workforce participation, regulation of providers, accessibility and flexibility, affordability, the market for childcare services and the ECEC workforce. The draft report also includes a range of draft recommendations, and considers funding options as well as the potential impacts of proposed changes.

The most commonly discussed recommendations in the draft report include the possible means-testing of a new, streamlined assistance measure; the possible inclusion of nannies; qualification requirements for children aged under 3 years of age; how to ensure vulnerable and disadvantaged children do not “fall through the cracks” and possible streamlining of the National Quality Framework.

Child Care New South Wales played a very active role in the inquiry, lodging detailed submissions, appearing as a witness at the public hearings held earlier this year, and providing advice directly to the Commission. We also played a key role in assisting our national body, the Australian Childcare Alliance, with its submissions.

The full report, briefing material, a 5-minute video explaining the key recommendations in the draft report, submissions and transcripts from public hearings are all available at the Productivity Commission website (www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/childcare).

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ur CEO, Brianna Casey, was at Parliament House, Canberra 18 November 2014 for a meeting of the Ministerial Advisory Council for Child Care and Early Learning. This was the second meeting of the Ministerial Advisory Council, which is co-chaired by Federal Assistant Minister for Education, the Hon Sussan Ley MP and Dr Jeff Harmer AO. Key items of discussion included the

Productivity Commission Inquiry on Childcare and Early Childhood Learning; the review of the National Quality Framework and the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement; and recent compliance audits. Brianna also raised members’ concerns about the impact of the Smart & Skilled reforms on student fees and professional development within early childhood education and care, as well as concerns about the impact of the change in

educator:child ratios for 2 to 3-year-olds in NSW from 1 January 2016.

We are incredibly fortunate to not only have Brianna representing members’ interests on the Council, but also our national President, Gwynn Bridge.

The Ministerial Advisory Council will next meet in the first quarter of 2015. You can read more about the Ministerial Advisory Council at bit.ly/1vU77uC.

g Forum with The Hon Sussan Ley MP Early childhood education and care providers including Child Care New South Wales President Nesha O’Neil with Federal Assistant Minister for Education, The Hon Sussen Ley MP and forum host Federal Member for Bennelong, Jon Alexander MP

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hild Care New South Wales President Nesha O’Neil attended a forum hosted by Federal Member for Bennelong, John Alexander MP, in Epping 18 September 2014.

The forum was also attended

by Federal Assistant Minister for Education, the Hon Sussan Ley MP and a number of early childhood education and care providers from the local area.

This was a great opportunity to discuss key issues affecting members with Minister Ley, as well as the local Member.

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hild Care New South Wales CEO Brianna Casey represented the early childhood education and care sector at a roundtable held in Sydney 19 November 2014 on the Prime Minister’s Competitiveness Agenda. The roundtable was focused on Ambition 2 - A More Skilled Labour Force, which forms part of the Industry Innovation and

Competitiveness Agenda action plan for a stronger Australia (see bit.ly/1CWIKBD).

Whilst the majority of discussions at the roundtable were about increasing participation, investment and innovation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the roundtable also provided an opportunity to discuss vocational education and training reforms; measures

to increase the participation of women in the workforce (including early childhood education and care and Paid Parental Leave); regulatory impediments and the workplace relations environment. Our thanks to the roundtable Chairs, the Hon Sussan Ley MP and The Hon Steven Ciobo for ensuring our sector had a say at this important forum.

Federal Issues

Prime Minister’s Competitiveness Agenda Roundtable

g New ACECQA Board Announced

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he Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) recently announced the composition of its current Board, appointed to serve until December 2015.

Five new Board members have

been appointed, including Jackie Wilson (Commonwealth), Naomi Wilson (Commonwealth), Nick Ryan (Commonwealth), Catherine Hudson (ACT) and Bernard Curran (Qld).

Continuing Board members include Rachel

Hunter (Chair), Professor Collette Tayler, Tracey Bradley, Mark Brown, Professor Alison Elliott, Professor Pauline Harris, and Tonia Godhard AM. You can visit bit.ly/1yYL5ai for further information on the ACECQA Board.

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orty preschools across Australia have been selected from more than 1000 applications to take part in the $9.8m Early Learning Languages Australia trial, which will use play-based apps to help generate interest in language studies that can be built on in later schooling.

Congratulations to all forty services selected, but in particular our members Cheeky Cherubs (Parkes), Kindy Patch Marylands, Top Ryde Early Learning and Norwest Child Care Centre. We look forward to hearing how the trial goes. You can access the media release providing the full list of services selected at bit.ly/1sa9bts.

Federal Member for Bennelong, John Alexander MP visits Top Ryde Early Learning, one of the services participating in the Early Learning Languages Australia trial

g Senate Reports Released

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he Senate Education and Employment References Committee handed down its findings in response to its Inquiry into the Delivery of Quality and Affordable Early Childhood Education and Care Services and Inquiry into the Immediate Future of the Childcare Sector in Australia in mid-July 2014. The Committee could not reach consensus on either inquiry, with Coalition Senators providing dissenting reports in both instances, and additional comments and recommendations provided

by Greens and Independent Senators in both reports. It should be noted that the Federal Government is under no obligation to act on the recommendations in Senate reports.

The submissions lodged by Child Care New South Wales and our national body, the

Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA), and the evidence provided by our President, Nesha O’Neil and ACA President Gwynn Bridge at public hearings, were quoted throughout both reports, highlighting the importance of our involvement.

You can read the full report on the Delivery of Quality and Affordable Early Childhood Education and Care Services at bit.ly/1Imry8T, which includes five recommendations focused on implementing the National Quality Framework as per its current timeframes; providing additional resources to small rural and regional services; retaining the assessment and rating system; reinstating the Early Years Quality Fund; and conducting a review into low wages in the sector. It should be noted that these recommendations

were not supported by Coalition Senators on the Committee (see the dissenting report commencing on p31).

The full report on the Immediate Future of the Childcare Sector in Australia is available at bit.ly/1yFbk6E. This report includes three recommendations focused on rescinding proposed budget changes to early childhood education and care funding, particularly in relation to Child Care Benefit; that the government immediately restore the JETCCFA to a maximum of 50 hours and re-establish the WELL program; and that the National Partnership Agreement on Universal Access be maintained.

Once again, these recommendations were not supported by Coalition Senators (see the dissenting report commencing on p27).

The Nurture Nook - 2014/3 11

State Issues

State Issues 2016 Ratios

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n response to members’ ongoing concerns about the impact of the 2016 ratios, we are meeting with as many NSW Members of Parliament as possible to discuss the likely impacts on accessibility, affordability and viability. As members would be aware, the The National Quality Framework currently requires nationally consistent educator:child ratios for 2 to 3-year-olds from 1 January 2016, which will result in a dramatic change from the current ratio requirement of 1:8 to a new ratio requirement of 1:5 in NSW. This is the most significant of changes to ratios of any age group in NSW. Members have already told us that they are preparing by either employing more staff (thereby increasing operating costs, which we calculate will result in increases of 20-60 per cent in daily fees) or reducing the number of places for children in this age group (thereby reducing access for families as well as increasing fees) – both of which will seriously affect access

and affordability, particularly in regional NSW where workforce shortages are acute.

Child Care New South Wales has been advocating a delay in the proposed implementation of the 1:5 ratio for 2 to 3-year-olds until such time as appropriate government resources are invested to assist services adjust to the new requirements and consequential impacts.

The NSW Government could step in to halt these changes, rather than put further pressure on families, which is why we encourage each and every one of you to contact your local Member of Parliament to discuss the issue; in particular, whether you will be reducing the number of places available for 2 to 3-year-olds in your service, and how much your daily fees will increase as a result of the scheduled ratio change.

With the NSW Parliament now in recess, and the state election only a few months away, your local MP will more than likely be

back in his/her electorate over the break so if you have a morning tea, family event or similar that you would like to invite your MP to, now is the time! You can then take the opportunity to discuss with them the 2016 ratios, and any of the concerns/suggestions/ ideas you may have about issues affecting early childhood education and care more broadly.

We are more than happy to assist you with a tailored briefing note, which will provide information on a range of issues, as well as a break-down of how many services there are in their electorate, how many have gone through the assessment and rating process and so on.

Just let our CEO, Brianna Casey, know when your meeting/event is, and she would be most happy to assist.

If you are unsure which electorate you are in, you can visit bit.ly/1vD7M3Q to input your postcode and identify your State electorate.

You can also look up your State Member of Parliament by visiting bit.ly/1zfekqb.

g Universal Access

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s you may recall, the Federal Government announced 5 September 2014 that the current national partnership arrangements for Universal Access funding bit.ly/1yEBfHO) would be extended for a further 12 months from the scheduled December 2014 expiry. Importantly for our members, the announcement confirmed that the new partnership arrangements would make funding available to ALL service types delivering a preschool programme, which would – for the first time in NSW – include

privately owned long day care services.

As members would be aware, we have long been advocating a more equitable approach on Universal Access, particularly given privately owned long day care services in other states receive Universal Access funding.

Our CEO, Brianna Casey met with the Chief Executive of the NSW Office of Education and General Manager of the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate Thursday 27 November 2014 to discuss whether the NSW Government had signed the agreement and how it will affect

members. Brianna was advised that whilst the announcement was made in September, the formal agreement was only presented to the NSW Government three weeks ago, and as such, negotiations are still underway.

Given that the current agreement expires in December 2014, it is obviously of the utmost urgency that the NSW Government determine whether it will sign the agreement for 2015 and alert all early childhood education and care services how the new agreement – if accepted – will affect them. We will keep you posted over the coming weeks.

g Smart & Skilled

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embers with trainees may have started receiving correspondence from their Registered Training Organisation/s (RTOs) regarding the impacts of the new Smart & Skilled program. Child Care New South Wales understands that a number of RTOs who specialise in our sector

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were not successful in becoming Smart & Skilled providers, meaning that there may be changes for trainees who have already commenced traineeships.

As a new fee regime will commence from 1 January 2015, it is important that members ask their RTOs what the financial exposure

will be over the life of the qualification, and whether they have been accepted as Smart & Skilled providers.

You can visit bit.ly/1CWInXR for further information on Smart & Skilled, or bit.ly/1vucVGw to check for Smart & Skilled providers in your area.

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hank you to all members who have provided feedback on their assessment and rating experience.

We take this feedback very seriously, and as you know, our President Nesha O’Neil and Chief Executive Officer Brianna Casey meet regularly with various staff within the

NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate to pass the information on and seek improvements to the process.

Nesha and Brianna attended a meeting with Directorate in Parramatta 3 October 2014 to look at improvements that could be made within the scope of the National Quality

Framework to benefit services, the Directorate and children/families alike, by looking at ways for services to have more input; for the report to be more transparent and easier to understand; and for a more streamlined, shorter process from beginning to end. Watch this space for updates!

State Issues

Assessment and Rating

g Transition to School Statement

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he NSW Minister for Education, the Hon Adrian Piccoli MP, announced 10 September 2014 that a voluntary Transition to School Statement (available at bit.ly/1qBsc7j) is now available to assist with the transition from early childhood education and care to school. Both educators and parents will have an opportunity to have input to the statement, which will be provided to school principals ahead of the following year’s Kindergarten intake. The statement will include a summary of the child’s strengths, their approach to learning and interests; an

outline of the strategies that have supported the child’s learning to date; and advice to support Kindergarten teachers in getting to know the children.

With nearly 100,000 children starting school in NSW each year, this statement could be a very helpful tool in assisting school teachers to plan and prepare for children’s arrival and transition into a new learning environment, but obviously will take considerable time for both educators and families to complete.

Child Care New South Wales’ immediate past President, Vicki Skoulogenis, had input to

the initial project investigating this voluntary statement. Child Care New South Wales reviewed the statement, welcoming feedback from members about the initiative, be it positive or negative, as well as feedback as to whether you find the statement user-friendly.

Please email your comments to info@ childcarensw.com.au, so that feedback can be provided to the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate.

You can access an information sheet on the voluntary Transition to School Statement at bit.ly/12TZR7p; or you can visit bit.ly/1qBsc7j for further information.

g Need for Better Planning in Early Childhood

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ne of the issues we have championed in our submissions in response to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Childcare and Early Childhood Learning, the National Quality Framework review and the two Senate Inquiries this year is planning. As highlighted in our submissions, there is no central repository of planning and demographic data of relevance to current and future planning within early childhood education and care, meaning that development approvals can be granted where there simply is not sufficient need for further services, or

that approvals are not granted – or are bogged down over debates such as parking – in areas where there is massive demand.

News Ltd recently obtained vacancy data via a Freedom of Information request, highlighting areas such as Campbelltown, Blacktown, Liverpool, Parramatta and Penrith where there are between 500 and 1200 vacancies per day and as many as 120 services per area; as opposed to areas such as the Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, Woollahra and Strathfield where it is extremely difficult to find a place. Our CEO, Brianna Casey,

was quoted in The Daily Telegraph and The Australian (see bit.ly/ZsvWRw) in response to these new figures.

We are seeking support from various NSW Ministers for a more strategic approach to planning in our sector, and have raised this issue directly with the Sydney City Council; the NSW Department of Planning; the NSW Department of Education and most recently the NSW Education Minister.

We will continue our efforts as we get closer to the March 2015 NSW election.

g Early Childhood Education and Care Reference Group

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hild Care New South Wales CEO Brianna Casey is your representative on the Department of Education and Communities (DEC) Early Childhood Education and Care Reference Group, which meets at least quarterly in Parramatta.

The Group discusses a range of issues from disability funding; cluster management and operational support; to the review of the National Quality Framework and Transition to School Statements.

The Reference Group provides an excellent

opportunity for stakeholders to provide input and feedback to the Department on a range of issues important to members.

This is in addition to our direct interactions with the Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate.

The Nurture Nook - 2014/3 13

State Issues

Impact of Early Years Investment

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n 1 October 2014, Child Care New South Wales Chief Executive Officer Brianna Casey attended a presentation by Professor Iram Siraj from the Institute of Early Childhood, University of London and visiting Professor at the University of Wollongong on the impact of early years investment and quality on long term outcomes for children.

Professor Siraj is one of the principal researchers on the Effective Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education Project

(see www.ioe.ac.uk/research/153.html for details), one of the most significant longitudinal studies into the long-term effects of early childhood education.

The project has followed the same 3000 children throughout four phases of their school life from preschool (a general term including all types of centre-based early childhood education and care) to postschool educational training and employment choices over a 17-year period.

The project, which recently provided its

report to the UK Parliament, highlights the return to society of investing in early childhood education and its enduring effects in relation to educational outcomes, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Our thanks to Leslie Loble, Chief Executive of the NSW Office of Education and Ruth Callaghan, General Manager of the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate for inviting us to this fantastic presentation.

g New NSW Deputy Premier and NSW Small Business Minister

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ollowing the resignation of the Hon Andrew Stoner MP as NSW Deputy Premier and Leader of the Nationals 15 October 2014, the Hon Troy Grant MP was appointed the new NSW Deputy Premier and Leader of the Nationals. As a result of this change, the NSW Government now has a new Small Business Minister. The Hon John Barilaro

MP, Member for Monaro, was appointed Minister for Small Business and Minister for Regional Tourism.

Minister Barilaro has considerable experience with the small business sector, having previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Regional Development. As Parliamentary Secretary, Minister Barilaro showed strong interest in

our sector, having had detailed discussions with our President, Nesha O’Neil, throughout the year about the challenges and opportunities facing privately owned long day care services in NSW. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Minister Barilaro, particularly on matters pertaining to members’ interactions with local government.

g Meetings with NSW Education Minister

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hild Care New South Wales President Nesha O’Neil and Chief Executive Officer Brianna Casey attended a meeting with the NSW Minister for Education, the Hon Adrian Piccoli MP, held in Sydney 26 September 2014. The meeting was also attended by senior staff from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate,

as well as representatives from a number of stakeholder groups across the early childhood education and care sector.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on key reforms within the sector over the past three years, as well as discuss policy priorities for the immediate future.

Amongst other issues, Nesha and Brianna were vocal in calling for improved planning

and better communication and coordination between all levels of government – in particular local government – in terms of both policy and operational environments for services.

We had a separate follow-up meeting 2 December 2014 to discuss the 2016 ratios, Universal Access, Planning and Smart & Skilled in more detail.

g Meeting with City of Sydney Councillor

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hild Care New South Wales President Nesha O’Neil and Chief Executive Officer Brianna Casey met with Councillor Christine Forster from City of Sydney Council 25 September 2014. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss supply and demand issues affecting City of Sydney,

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noting that there are already 137 early childhood education and care services with a total of 7611 approved places within the City of Sydney local government area, with services ranging in size from 18 to 200 approved places.

Councillor Forster was also keenly interested in our thoughts on the likely

impacts of the change in educator:child ratios for 2 to 3-year-olds, scheduled to take effect 1 January 2016, our views on the Productivity Commission’s Draft Report on Childcare and Early Childhood Learning, as well as the hurdles that members face when dealing with local government.

Child Care New South Wales in the Media

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e have had a very busy few months in the media, with our President, Nesha O’Neil in hot demand for comment on issues from the Productivity Commission Inquiry to immunisation to bullying to nutrition. We provide links to these articles and videos via our Weekly Updates, as well as via social media, so keep an eye out for updates!

Staying in Touch

Staying in Touch

TOP RIGHT: Nesha O’Neil on the News ABOVE: various samples of news stories featuring Child Care New South Wales Executive BELOW RIGHT: recent editions of Early Childhood Extra

Early Childhood Extra

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or those who do not receive them directly, you can sign up online to receive the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Early Childhood Extra (EC Extra), ensuring you do not miss important information from the NSW Department of Education and Communities’ Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate. We provide links to each edition via our Weekly Update emails, but we strongly encourage you to add your email address to the distribution list to ensure you keep up to date with important announcements from the Directorate.

You can sign up at bit.ly/15CiFkO. The Nurture Nook - 2014/3 15

Staying in Touch / Sector Update

ACECQA Newsletters

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imilarly, for members who do not receive regular newsletter emails from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), you can visit bit.ly/1ed3c2h to view past editions or sign up to receive future editions. As with the EC Extra (see above), we provide links to ACECQA newsletters via our Weekly Updates, but as ACECQA is increasingly using its newsletter distribution list to inform providers about important announcements, so we strongly encourage you to sign up to receive them directly.

ABOVE: recent editions of the ACECQA Newsletter BELOW: recent editions of BELONGING magazine

Belonging Magazine

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s members of Child Care New South Wales, you should be receiving complimentary copies of the Belonging Magazine, providing updates on the activities of Australian Childcare Alliance members, as well as news and views relevant to early childhood education and care services right across the country.

This magazine is provided to you free of charge as a member benefit. Please contact our office if you have not been receiving your Belonging magazine.

g

Sector Update New ECEC Figures Released

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he Federal Assistant Minister for Education, the Hon Sussan Ley MP released new figures on the number of children enrolled in formal approved child care services at the end of August (see table right). More than 350 000 children were enrolled in NSW in the September 2013 quarter, compared to approximately 235,000 in September 2007 – an increase of more than 50 per cent in six years and the largest increase in the number of children enrolled in the nation. However, despite this, NSW families used fewer hours of child care on average each week than families in Victoria, Queensland, the Northern Territory and the ACT, said to be in part owing to accessibility, affordability and flexibility issues. The Australian Bureau of Statistics also released figures the same week showing that “while 57.5 per cent of mothers whose youngest child is aged 0-5 years were participating in the paid workforce, 94 per cent of fathers, whose youngest child is 0-5 years, were working”. To access to ABS media release, including links to the full report, please go to bit.ly/1syBBhu.

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Sept Qtr 2007

Sept Qtr 2013

% Increase NSW over 6yrs

% Increase Nationally Over 6yrs

Families

177 890

256 220

44.0%

35.5%

Children

235 420

358 690

52.4%

39.9%

Services

3 547

5 403

52.3%

47.3%

Hours

22.3

23.8

6.9%

6.7%

Fees (national figure)

$5/hr

$7.65/hr

-

53%

Sector Update

ACECQA Snapshot Report Released

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he latest Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) Snapshot report for Q3 2014 has been released, highlighting that the number of early childhood education and care services has grown to 14,486 across Australia, operated by 7218 approved providers. The report highlights that 83 per cent of approved providers operate only one service. The report shows that 64 per cent of assessed services (noting that only 6722 of the 14,486 services have been assessed to date) are meeting or exceeding the National Quality Standard (NQS), and 6.4 per cent of approved services are currently operating with a waiver.

Looking at NSW specifically, as at 30 September 2014, there were 4916 approved services across the state, 4668 of which are centre-based services, and 248 of which are family day care. Only 54 per cent of services

have been assessed and rated, with 55 per cent of assessed services meeting or exceeding the NQS. To access the full report online, please visit bit.ly/1GhYzkI.

Percentage of NSW approved services with a finalised quality rating, with percentages by quality area at 30 September 2014, from ACECQA’s NQF Snapshot Q3 2014 (download full report: bit.ly/1GhYzkI)

g PWC Report – Valuing ECEC

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rice Waterhouse Coopers released a report to government 5 September ‘Putting a value on Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia’ – outlining the benefit to government of investing in the sector.

The full report, available online at http://pwc. to/13dH2vW, concludes: • Benefits to GDP of increased female workforce

participation – $6.0bn • Benefits to GDP for children receiving a quality education and care program – $10.3bn • Benefits to GDP of increased participation of vulnerable children – $13.3bn Child Care NSW congratulates PWC for highlighting the solid economic reasons behind government increasing investment in our sector.

LEFT: cover of the PWC report

g Updated Child Care and Early Learning Figures Out

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he Federal Department of Education released the December quarter 2013 figures on child care and early learning on 12 September. The report highlights that for the December quarter 2013: • 1.12 million children attended approved child care, up 8.5% compared with the December quarter 2012; • 776,790 families had at least one child in approved child care, an increase of 6.8% since the December quarter 2012; • 16 038 approved child care services operated in Australia, an increase of 5.1% since the December quarter 2012; • the total estimated Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate entitlement was $1.37

million, up 19.1% since the December quarter 2012.

Looking at NSW specifically, for the December quarter 2013: • 359,620 children attended approved child care, up from 358 690 in the September quarter 2013; • 256 440 families used approved child care, up from 256,220 in the September quarter 2013; • 33.6% of children using long day care were in NSW, up from 33.5% in the September quarter 2013; • 217,040 children were using long day care, up from 213,660 in the September quarter 2013 You can access the summary report online via bit.ly/1uqtcMn.

RIGHT: Department of Education report

The Nurture Nook - 2014/3 17

Sector Update / Training and Professional Development

OECD Education Report

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he Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s Education at a Glance 2014 report was released in September 2014. It highlights that the number of Australian children in “pre-primary” education still lags behind the rest of the world, but is increasing.

The report states that 18 per cent of Australian three-year-olds were enrolled in pre-primary education in 2012, up from 13 per cent in 2011, but still well below the OECD average of 70 per cent (see chart below). The report also states that 76 per cent of Australian four-year-olds were enrolled

in early childhood or primary education in 2012, up from 67 per cent in 2011.

The report reaffirms that only 45 per cent of early childhood learning is publicly funded, compared to an OECD average of 81 per cent public funding. It also highlights that spending on pre-primary education accounts for an average of 0.6 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) across the OECD, yet only 0.1 per cent of GDP is spent on pre-primary education in Australia.

You can access the key highlights, or the full report, at bit.ly/1rYLXeT. ABOVE: cover of the OECD report; LEFT: detailed graph of enrolment rates of children in “pre-primary” education around the world

g

Training and Professional Development Professional Development in 2015

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e have just appointed a parttime Training Coordinator to assist us with our professional development activities in 2015. Claudia De Rossi has joined us after years as an Early and Middle Childhood Trainer and Assessor, and has also worked at a number of early childhood education and care services across Sydney (including preschools, long day care and outside school hours care).

We will be using future editions of The Nurture Nook to provide a centre pull-out with the next quarter’s training workshops, in 18

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addition to our training updates via Member Alerts, Weekly Updates, our website, Facebook and Twitter. If you have any comments or suggestions on our professional development, please do not hesitate to contact Claudia on our office number, 1300 556 330, or by emailing training@childcarensw.com.au.

At the time of writing, Claudia is busily confirming topics, trainers and venues for our training workshops to be held in the first quarter of 2015. We have based these discussions on the feedback you have provided us both via our training survey earlier this year, feedback from those who attended

CCNSW training workshops this year, and feedback from members who have contacted us directly with ideas and suggestions.

Part of that feedback has been a very strong message to offer training workshops during the day in addition to our evening workshops, and to provide avenues for in-service training. With so many of you now eligible for Long Day Care Professional Development Programme funding, it may be easier to attend training during normal business hours given the option of using some of the funds for backfilling staff who are attending eligible training.

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hild Care New South Wales offers webinars as an affordable alternative to face-to-face methods for training and education. They are particularly useful for regional members. Webinars provide the same opportunities as attending a workshop without having to leave your service or home. Child Care New South Wales webinars hold exactly the same content as face-to-face workshops and are available for purchase through the website.

When you participate in a live webinar, you do so by connecting to the webinar via computer, iPad or iPhone. You will view the presenter’s slides and hear the presentation in real time. You will also have the ability to interact with the trainer through an online chat window. If you cannot ‘attend’ a webinar, that is, connect to it online while it is happening, you may purchase a recording of it

any time afterwards.

The recorded webinar contains the presenter’s spoken presentation, accompanied by the slide show and any notes that were provided at the time of recording the webinar for the discount member price of just $55 ($85 for non-members).

Child Care New South Wales currently has four webinars available to purchase: • Meaningful Documentation and Effective Planning For Learning 1; • Meaningful Documentation and Effective Planning For Learning 2; • School Transition: Ready Schools, Ready Children, Ready Families • The Rewards and Challenges of an Educational Leader These webinars are presented by Katarzyna Wieczorek-Ghisso. For more information on

Child Care New South Wales webinars, please visit bit.ly/CCNSW_webinars.

Katarzyna Wieczorek-Ghisso – workshop and webinar presenter.

g Free Webinar on PC Report Available

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hild Care New South Wales recorded a free webinar earlier this year for members on the draft Productivity Commission Report on Childcare and Early Childhood Learning. The webinar was packaged up into a 75-minute video, which members can watch at their leisure to learn more about the proposed recommendations.

You can access the video and the powerpoint presentation at bit.ly/1ytDBJq. Please note that you will need to be logged in to the website as a member to access these resources.

Nesha O’Neil, President, and Brianna Casey, CEO, present Child Care New South Wales’ free webinar on the PC Report

Training and Professional Development

Webinars

g Online training

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s members would be aware, Child Care New South Wales partners with TAFE NSW Open Training and Education Network (OTEN) in offering discounted online training on the following units of study: • Online Child Protection • Sustainability • Cultural Competence • Working Effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

We are delighted to report that we are currently in discussions to introduce the following new online courses for members in 2015 reflecting Quality Area 7 – Leadership and Service Management: • Develop Teams and Individuals • Show Leadership in the Workplace • Promote Team Effectiveness Watch this space for details!

g Long Day Care Professional Development Programme (LDCPDP)

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t has become apparent that many courses, workshops and conferences are being made available, advertising themselves as ‘qualifying for LDCPDP funding’. However, not all courses automatically qualify for

LDCPDP funding for all services; it may be the case that application for funding will be refused after the fact if the areas covered by courses were not identified by the service as areas of need in the first place.

Once again, we advise members to read the documentation regarding funding. Inquiries should be directed to the Department by telephone (1800 020 212) or email (ldcpdp@ education.gov.au).

The Nurture Nook - 2014/3 19

New Early Childhood Resources

New Early Childhood Resources FREE Water Safety Resource Pack for Early Learners

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ost members would already be aware of the fantastic work that Laurie Lawrence and the team at Kids Alive Do the Five do to educate the public on the five important steps that can easily be taken to reduce the risk of children drowning.

The Federal Government has supported the team’s latest initiative, which will see a Kids Alive resource pack for early learners sent to early childhood education and care services right across the country.

The resource pack includes a children’s music CD, DVD and four books. The resources revolve around home, farm, pool and beach water safety education messages. These messages have been designed to be fun, entertaining and capture early learners’ imaginations. Importantly, they have also been evaluated by early

childhood education specialists to ensure their appropriateness and to draw links to the Early Years Learning Framework. These resources will be delivered free to your service, with the support of Australia Post. Educators can access activity sets that have been mapped to the EYLF for easy integration into your educational program/s at your service/s by registering a free account on the Kids Alive website. Please visit bit. ly/1vuclIK for further details.

Our sincere thanks to Angela Mellino and the team at Mowbray Place Early Learning Centre who kindly hosted the NSW launch of the new Kids Alive resources 19 November 2014. The resources are obviously a hit with the children, who not only knew the songs and the book characters, but more importantly, understood the principles of water safety.

Laurie Lawrence, Brianna Casey and Angela Mellino at the Kids Alive Do the Five launch

g New Sun Safety Resource for SunSmart Services

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ancer Council NSW launched a new SunSmart resource 16 October 2014 to help early childhood education and care services educate children about sun safety.

As members would be aware, Child Care New South Wales strongly supports the SunSmart Childcare Program and actively encourages members to develop and implement sun protection policies that minimise children’s exposure to UV radiation and reduce the risk of skin cancer.

More than 80 per cent of services in NSW are SunSmart services. The Weather & UV Chart (pictured right), sponsored by Child Care Super, was unveiled at our member Guardian Early Learning Group’s Little Steps Early Learning Centre.

This fantastic resource will be distributed free to NSW early childhood education and care services renewing their SunSmart membership. The magnetic board will allow children to understand that sun protection measures, including hats, clothing and sunscreens, are needed when the UV level is 3 or above. Sun exposure during the first 15 years of life increases the risk of developing skin cancer in adulthood, and educators can use the board to show children that it is UV radiation, not heat from the sun, that can damage the skin.

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Cancer Council NSW wants to reward services who are loyal to the SunSmart Program and continue to develop resources such as the Weather & UV Chart to ensure children are protected from overexposure to UV radiation.

Please visit bit.ly/1vucA6z for further information on the SunSmart program.

Cancer Council NSW’s Weather & UV Chart, sponsored by Child Care Super.

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eep an eye out for a new mental health resource for early childhood educators. Connections is a joint initiative between the Australian Government and the Hunter Institute of Mental Health. It was released on the weekend to mark the end of Mental Health Week 2014.

Connections was developed in partnership with early childhood educators to help build their knowledge, skills and confidence in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children at their service. Connections recognises that every child is an individual and supports educators with the tools to identify and manage the unique mental health challenges that can arise on a regular basis. Connections also includes additional support for educators working with: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families; refugee and migrant families; children experiencing trauma, loss and grief; abuse and violence; and children with parents with a mental illness.

Connections is an Australian Government-funded initiative developed by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health, with hard copies to be distributed to long day care, family day care, preschool and out of school hours care services throughout Australia. You can access an electronic copy of Connections at bit.ly/1zfaxt6.

LEFT: cover of Connections; RIGHT: detail from within

New Early Childhood Resources

New Mental Health Resource for Educators

g 2015 Diary - Order your copy now!

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hild Care New South Wales produced a fantastic, childcare-specific 2015 diary available for purchase in December. As a gesture of our appreciation for your ongoing support, our valued members receive one copy for each of their services at no charge. Please ensure your member details are up to date, so that your services don’t miss out!

We are sure that our diary will provide new ideas, little snippets of inspiration and handy resources to help you navigate your way through another busy year in early childhood

education and care. We are confident that this will be a diary that each of you is going to want in your handbag, briefcase or glovebox, and that your team members are probably going to be just as keen to have a copy!

If you would like to order additional copies at a member discount price of $15 including postage ($20 including postage for non-members), there are some copies still remaining, but you’ll have to be quick. Please visit bit.ly/1yR6G5E for a copy of the order form (it contains fax and email details).

The diary is great! It is a straightforward resource with everything you need for the day at your fingertips. I love it because it encourages my staff to self-reflect, as well as keep on top of cultural events and other industry-specific information. We have found it very handy!

Copies of the 2015 Early Childhood Diary sent to member services

ABOVE: 2015 Early Childhood Diary; LEFT, BELOW: sample contents pages

Mary Repole, Secretary – Child Care New South Wales; Director – A Little Rei of Sunshine Early Learning Centres of Excellence

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Australian Child Care Week & Awards Dinner

Celebrating Excellence The 2014 Australian Child Care Week Awards took place at Darling Harbour, Saturday 13 September, presented by founding partner Child Care New South Wales and presenting partner Child Care Super.

This article also appears in Belonging in a slightly different format.

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t’s good to be part of the 2014 Australian Child Care Week Awards,” the Prime Minister, the Hon Tony Abbott MP, announced via a pre-recorded congratulatory video message. “My wife Margie has long worked in this sector, and she’s taught me that childcare is not ‘child minding’; it’s educating our children. You are the first educators that most Australian children come in contact with and I pay tribute to your dedication.”

The Prime Minister’s address was just one of several pleasant surprises throughout an evening celebrating the dedication of the early childhood education and care sector. The evening unfolded like a children’s adventure, the excitement beginning with arrival at the venue itself. A twinkling cityscape overlooks the Dockside Pavilion, afloat upon the sparkling Darling Harbour – a breathtaking spectacle as is. However, at a certain point in the evening’s proceedings, guests were invited out onto the deck where they were afforded the perfect view of a spectacular fireworks display that few expected.

Another surprise was the evening’s host, President of Child Care New South Wales, Nesha O’Neil. Who knew her many skills and talents include MCing! As Nesha outlined, Australian Child Care Week takes place earlier in the year, bringing attention to services across the country as they engage the greater community in their day-to-day activities; the Australian Child Care Week Awards recognise those passionate and professional teams who deliver an essential service to more than 776,000 families across Australia, providing early childhood education and care to more than 1.12 million children.

Nesha introduced Theresa Mills, Executive General Manager, Guild Superannuation Services For Child Care Super, who delivered the Presenting Partner Address and presented representatives of the shortlisted services with

their certificates. “The strength of the winning entries is outstanding,” Theresa went on to note. “It is fantastic to see the commitment of the industry to providing a quality service all year, not just during Child Care Week.”

Guild Insurance sponsored the Community Champion Award and Drew Fisher, Head of Client Partnerships, Guild Insurance joined Nesha to present it. Rhonda Collier, Business Development Consultant, NSW & ACT, Child Care Super presented the other awards with Nesha. However, another surprise guest appeared to help present the award for Best Child Care Week Activity: Sam the Bear.

Having attended so many Australian Child Care Week events, it was lovely that the Child Care Super mascot could make the awards ceremony.

The Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones, MLC joined Nesha to acknowledge the 2014 Australian Child Care Awards judging panel: Tonia Godhard AM, Katarzyna WieczorekGhisso, Ande Kelly and Amanda Morphett.

But the biggest surprise of the night was yet to come.

After the final award was presented and dessert had been served, waiters suddenly appeared in front of the podium, upstaging the MC as the DJ cut her off mid-sentence…

Precisely as rehearsed, one can only assume, since the wait staff, bereft of trays, had somehow morphed into a team of b-boys and b-girls and were suddenly busting power moves and freezes across the dance floor. It was an impressive display, and one that stirred the dancing urge in all who watched. It wasn’t very long before everyone had left their tables for the dance floor.

“We take our job as educators, leaders and nurturers very seriously,” Nesha noted, “and it’s wonderful to have our achievements recognised and rewarded.” It’s more wonderful, still, to be able to celebrate said achievements with fun, excitement and surprises.

Who doesn’t love a fireworks display?

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Nesha O’Neil, President, Child Care New South Wales with Theresa Mills, Executive General Manager, Guild Superannuation Services for Child Care Super

Nesha O’Neil with Child Care New South Wales Corporate Governance Officer Peter Kaye

Pretty sure the idea is to tip the waiter, rather than flip the waiter…

Representatives of shortlisted services (full list opposite page)

Sam the Bear and friend

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The Prime Minister, the Hon Tony Abbott, MP

Sam the Bear and friends

L-R: Drew Fisher, Head of Client Partnerships, Guild Insurance; representative of Fit Kidz Learning Centre, Putny, Community Champion Award winner; Nesha O’Neil

The Awards More than 300 applications were received for the eight categories on offer this year, highlighting the depth of commitment within the early childhood education and care sector to innovation, community involvement, healthy lifestyles and stimulating a lifelong love of learning. We congratulate every single educator, service, family and community that participated in Australian Child Care Week this year, and took the time to apply for Australian Child Care Week Awards.

Innovation in Action Award

Runners-Up: Manly Council Round House Childcare Centre, New South Wales; Zebra Early Learning Centre, South Australia; WINNER: Bambou Early Learning Centre, Glen Waverley, Victoria Bambou’s innovative use of technology has seen a purpose-built Bambou ELC app, which has taken their communication with families to the next level, improving family involvement and activity preparation within the service.

Leadership and Mentoring Award

Runners-Up: Birrahlee Childrens Centre, New South Wales; Reynolds St Community Preschool, New South Wales; WINNER: Kids Early Learning Centres, Queensland Kids ELC has taken a strategic approach to leadership and mentoring across its services in Queensland to support quality and enhance leadership, recently introducing the internationally acclaimed FISH! Philosophy.

Healthy Lifestyles Award

Runners-Up: Auburn Preschool, New South Wales; Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre, New South Wales; Nelson Bay Preschool, New South Wales; Stanmore Kindergarten, New South Wales WINNER: Smileys Childcare Centre, White Gum Valley, Western Australia Smileys has created its own Healthy Living Book, accessible to the wider community (not just families at the service), demonstrating positive impacts on health and wellbeing for the families at the service, and right across the community.

Child-Led Learning Award

Runners-Up: Gracelands Early Education Centre, New South Wales; Milestones Early Learning Centre CBD, New South Wales; Reynolds St Community Preschool, New South Wales; Smileys Child Care Centre, Western Australia; WINNER: Castlereagh St Early Learning Centre, Sydney CBD, New South Wales Castlereagh St’s terrific application demonstrated that children are active Community Champion Award participants and decision-makers at the Runners-Up: Cooroy State School P&C, service, providing evidence of the team’s Queensland; Niagara Park Children’s Centre, natural ability to extend children’s learning New South Wales; Reynolds St Community activities.

Preschool, New South Wales; SLOOSH Kidscare Inc., NSW Inclusion Award WINNER: Fit Kidz Learning Centre, Runners-Up: Butterflies Childcare and Early Putney, NSW Learning Centre, Victoria; Gracelands Fit Kidz Putney is a brand new centre with a Early Education Centre, New South wales; strong commitment to a future for all to enjoy, SLOOSH Kidscare Inc., New South Wales; partnering with their local community, in YMCA Aspley Specialist Outside School particular Royal Rehab at Ryde.

Hours Care, Queensland

WINNER: Midson Road Child Care Centre, Epping, NSW Midson Road has a close association with the STaR Childcare Support Program, enabling the service to work closely with children with additional needs and also to be actively involved with the wider community.

Support Team Award

Australian Child Care Week & Awards Dinner

L-R: Nesha O’Neil; Rhonda Collier, Business Development Consultant, NSW & ACT, Child Care Super; judges Katarzyna Wieczorek-Ghisso and Amanda Morphett

Runners-Up: Alphabet Long Day Care College, New South Wales; Birrahlee Childrens Centre, New South Wales; Bloom Early Learning Centre Ashwood, Victoria; Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centre Parramatta CBD, New South Wales; Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centre Parramatta, New South Wales WINNER: Alphabet Long Day Care College, NSW The energetic volunteers at Alphabet Long Day Care College are clearly loved by the children and the team at Alphabet Long Day Care, with their outdoor initiatives benefiting both the community and the service.

Best Child Care Week Activity Award

Runners-Up: Manly Council Round House Childcare Centre, New South Wales; Milestones Bathurst, New South Wales; WINNER: Fit Kidz Learning Centre, Putney, NSW Fit Kidz Putney demonstrated a truly collaborative approach to Australian Child Care Week, inviting patients from nearby Royal Rehab to join with the children in creating a community garden dedicated to Royal Rehab.

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Bus Tour

Waiting to Take You Away…

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t was with great excitement that a popular tradition of Child Care New South Wales, dormant of late, made a triumphant return: the Bus Tour. Or ‘tours’, to be more precise: the first proved so popular that it would have been silly not to have a second as soon as possible.

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he date chosen for the first Bus Tour was 13 September – the same day as the Australian Child Care Week Awards Dinner. We hired a coach to visit four members’ services over six hours. Our interesting discovery that day: these four services could differ markedly in size, shape and location, and still offer excellence in early childhood education and care.

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Atchison Preschool

applied, despite being a specific product name). Such devices are growing in popularity, judging by the ubiquity of stands featuring them at conferences and expos – and, of course, their growing affordability.

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Top Ryde Early Learning

he premises currently occupied by Top Ryde Early Learning was an early childhood education and care service back in its 1970s heyday – evidence of which is apparent in its design and decor. The generously proportioned premises appear to have been designed specifically for the early childhood sector.

However, unlike Mowbray Place, Top Ryde has no opportunity to renovate or extend; the landlord – who also owns the adjacent building

aving caught the coach from Clarence Street in the city, a couple of blocks from Town Hall Station, 57 of us were transported to our first destination – The Atchison Preschool in Crows Nest. The premises is a former single storey heritage bungalow. It caters to 27 children who take up a lot less space than 57 adults, but it’s clear that the space available is utilised very well.

The garden out the back, for example, isn’t expansive, but it is well-maintained, with vegies at one end and flowers at the other, watched over by a scarecrow. The tending of the garden, like the construction of the scarecrow, are activities in which the children participate.

The backyard also contains a sand pit – as most service backyards do.

However, the landscaping of the back – which is lower than the front – The impressive, and gorgeous, garden enables the sand pit to be covered by at Atchison Preschool; note edibles the preschool building itself. Which at one end, ornamentals at the other, overseen by an excellent scarecrow means there is still outdoor fun available on rainy days.

– is more likely, at some stage down the track, to ‘develop’ both properties into apartments.

Mowbray Place Early And yet, such parameters are not limitations; at Learning Centre the time of our visit Top Ryde Early Learning ur next stop was Mowbray Place Early had just been rated as ‘Exceeding’.

Learning Centre, Mowbray Place, Willoughby. The service is in a large building with a sizeable play area. We understand that Only About Children, the premises were purpose built to be an Neutral Bay Campus early childhood education and care service e knew we were in the vicinity of Only by previous owners, but has undergone some About Children’s Neutral Bay campus renovation subsequently. and were using the block of apartments we Mowbray Place caters for various age could see at the end of our crossroad as the groups, including infants, as evidenced by reference point: ‘can’t be far from there…’ – the nursery. One of the many talking points and indeed it wasn’t; that was no apartment for visitors was the ‘interactive whiteboard’ block, we realised, but the service in question: (or ‘smart board’, the generic term usually Only About Children, Neutral Bay. As we

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approached, we realised the windows were to big to be those of a block of apartments; clearly, this early childhood education and care service must have begun life as a school of some sort.

This assumption was confirmed: a former ballet school, whose top level was originally the head office of Only About Children.

Once we disembarked we realised the grounds, like the building itself, were impressively expansive. And gorgeously landscaped. The sentiments that we were told had been expressed by the officer conducting assessment and ratings were shared by most of us present – the design of this service just made you want to be a kid, so you could enjoy this excellent playground and all the play areas within.

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his first ‘return of the Bus Tour’ was a raging success, but there were aspects of it that could be improved. For instance, it may appear, from what you’ve read, that it was a superficial visit interested more in the size and shape of each service. This was in part true: each of the services visited has achieved an ‘Exceeding’ rating, and it was interesting to see how each different service could achieve these results with the resources they had. Indeed, ‘Assessment and Rating’ proved a hot topic among attendees, in discussion with directors of the various services. The most important aspect of the tour was the stories and experiences shared by those present: an opportunity for everyone to learn.

However, it was clear that the Bus Tour as an event would be the presence of an educator who could add a valuable dimension to the event, leading reflections, sparking discussions and providing a more detailed report on the event. To this end, we were grateful to have Rebecca Pickard, of Norwest Child Care Centre, on board for our next tour, which took place 29 November.

We hand over to Rebecca:

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would like to thank all of the participants of the final Bus Tour with Child Care New South Wales for 2014. What a wonderful day of inspiration and networking.

Bus Tour

Bus Tour attendees with staff of Kindalin Early Learning Centre, Glenhaven

I saw many of you talking with new colleagues and sharing your own experiences and thoughts about our industry. This is what the early childhood education and care sector is built on: connection and collegiality between its professionals.

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Only About Children, North Parramatta Campus

s we entered through the gate we were greeted by a pleasantly airy and sheltered outdoor environment. The obvious value of natural materials that were evident here continued into the indoor learning environments. The unusual physical layout of the property has resulted in some very creative thinking from the educators of OAC-North

Parramatta, as they have succeeded in making beautiful and interesting learning spaces for their pupils. The preschool classroom was particularly interesting with its long, drawn out size and several areas coming off from that. The educators manage this by arranging the children into smaller groups, each with a key educator who supervises and facilitates learning activities and routines. This allows educators to build strong relationships with each of the children in their smaller group and for the children to also develop a sense of community in their learning relationships.

Learning is evident throughout the environment, on the documentation boards that line the lower portion of the walls; perfect for children to be able to revisit and reflect on their own learning and experiences. Educators

also take note of further planning on their weekly curriculum planning template, which is added to daily as interests arise. And most interestingly to many of the tour delegates, was the use of tablets and the Only About Children (OAC) Connect App, to record the daily events of the classroom and communicate these in real time with parents.

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Norwest Child Care Centre

he role of children’s sense of agency during their day in child care is a focus for the routine in all rooms at Norwest, encouraging children to be active in not just their learning, but in every aspect of their day. Self-help skills are encouraged and supported from

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Bus Tour

the Ocean Room to the transition to school group. Sustainability is another concept that the educators at Norwest have aimed to embed throughout the service, not just as part of the curriculum, but also in the choice of materials and the way we try to fix before discarding: it is not just about recycling, reducing and reusing; also consider, rethinking, repurposing, refuse and repair, recover! This includes a lot of recycling by the service and the families, of course. Finding ways to reuse items, and the creative processes that go hand in hand with this are great opportunities for children as well as educators to stretch their idea muscles!

Inclusion is another key principle of Norwest Child Care Centre. The service is part of the STaR Program which supports children with a diagnosed disability and their families and include child care service support. The children who have a diagnosed disability who are enrolled in Norwest Child Care Centre are also enrolled in the STaR Program, and STaR facilitates the early intervention process within the mainstream and inclusive child care environment. Centre staff are trained and guided to work with the individual children’s needs and detailed assessments are carried out in order to develop specific Individual Education Plans, and daily objectives. STaR also work with families and carry out tailored transition to school support for those children who will be moving into the schooling environment.

For more information about STaR: star.org.au/services-and-programs/ childcare-support-program/

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Kindalin Early Learning Centre - Glenhaven

s the heat of the day bore down on us, we ventured towards Glenhaven to visit the Kindalin Early Learning Centre.

We were greeted by the friendly staff and Kindalin Founder, Alison Wharton who introduced the company and gave us an insight into the Kindalin family. Kerry Davis, the director of the Glenhaven service then gave us the run down of the classrooms

Alison Bonanno, Campus Director, Only About Children Parramatta, addresses Tour participants (Child Care New South Wales Vice President Lyn Connolly second from left)

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After a ‘quick’ photo, we were back on the bus and heading towards our next, and final, stop.

Oakville Preschool Learning Centre

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ABOVE: Elizabeth Sheridan, Licensee, Oakville Preschool Learning Centre, left; Maude the cow, centre BELOW: Melissa Stone, Educational Leader, Oakville Preschool Learning Centre, explains the finer points of the Childcarers app

and centre organisation. The colourful and vibrant displays of artwork and activities communicated the industrious adventures that go on in these learning spaces.

Participants got to see the lovely babies’ areas as well as the split level dining area in the older children’s classroom.

After all this sightseeing the participants finally got a well-earned sojourn. A wonderful lunch break provided not only some sustenance, but also further opportunities for discussions with our colleagues. We got to spend this time in the picturesque garden of the top yard.

This outdoor environment proved to be inspiring for many participants, with its real grass, large trees, and huge sand pit.

he journey out to ‘the country’ (as it seemed as the landscape became less suburban and more farm-like) proved to be the icing on the cake. We were delighted to find a fantastic setting for learning. There was a farm! How many times have we sung songs about animals with our children, and these children are lucky enough to have the real thing in their outdoor environment!

Childcarers app was a highlight of the awesome Oakville Preschool stop. The opportunities presented by digital documentation were high on the agenda for our interested educators.

The lovely Melissa Stone, Oakville Preschool’s Educational Leader, gave us a demonstration of the ways in which her service is able to make day book-like updates that are emailed automatically to parents each day, upload photos along with observations and educator reflections and links to EYLF and learning programs, and store digital versions of artwork for each child. In each classroom there is an iPad for educators to make these documentations, and parents are encouraged to use them to be able to access their children’s records if they do not have access to the downloadable smartphone app.

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would like to thank each of the services who hosted our Bus Tour participants; without your willingness to open your doors and share your experiences we would not have been able to engage in this day of professional development!

If you would like your service to take part in future Bus Tours, please contact Child Care New South Wales with expressions of interest: info@childcarensw.com.au.

Rebecca Pickard, Educator, Norwest Child Care Centre

Kerry Davis (centre right), Director, Kindalin Glenhaven, outlines centre organisation; Rebecca Pickard centre left)

We Congratulate: • Lorraine Lowery and her team at Mount Errington ELC on achieving a rating of ‘Exceeding’ following their recent assessment and rating visit. Thank you for letting us know about your wonderful achievement.

• Evet Giurguis, Maryanne Guico and the

team at St Anthony’s Early Learning Centre, on celebrating their 20-year anniversary in September, which saw massive celebrations enjoyed by the St Anthony’s team, families at the service and the wider community.

The service’s commitment to excellence in

The team at St Anthony’s Early Learning Centre

Tony Harris

early childhood education and care was also recognised this year through their rating as ‘Exceeding’ the National Quality Standard.

• Anna Atherton and the team at Southern Highlands Early Childhood Centre (www. shecc.com.au) on achieving a rating of ‘exceeding’ across all seven areas following their recent assessment and rating visit.

• Sook Kyoung Kim and the team at Children’s Village, Toongabbie (www.child-caretoongabbie.websyte.com.au) on achieving an overall rating of ‘exceeding’ following their recent assessment and rating visit.

• Anastasia and the team at The Little Cottage in Carlton on receiving an ‘Exceeding’ rating following their assessment and rating visit.

Achievements and Accolades

Achievements and Accolades

Thank you for letting us know about your impressive achievement.

Members are most welcome to let us know about any exciting news or assessment and rating outcomes so that we can share your news via our Weekly Update emails (and social media if appropriate). You can call or email us (info@childcarensw.com.au) with the details.

Tony Harris Tony Harris

writes fun books that promote literacy. writes fun books that promote literacy.

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‘Wombat Stories’ series is so good, kids writes fun books that promote His ‘Wombat Stories’ series ishow so good, won’t even realise much kids and how fast won’t even realise how much and how fast they’re learning as they read them.

His ‘Wombat Stories’ series is so good, kids they’re learning as they read them. won’t even realise how much and how fast All six titles are available now. they’re learning as they All read them. six titles are available now.

All six titles are available now.

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Stories’ series is so good, kids won’t even realise how much and how fast they’re learning as they read them.

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The Nurture Nook - 2014/3 27 Tony Harris regales the children of Cardiff Busy Bees Preschool Tony Harris regales the children of Cardiffand the Awabakal Preschool some of his Wombat Stories.

Busy Bees Preschool and with the Awabakal Preschool with some of his Wombat Stories.

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